Five relievers from Kansas City pitched 6 2/3 innings of strong two-hit baseball after starter Michael Lorenzen left early, Robbie Grossman hit a two-run single, and the Royals secured a 3-0 win over the Washington Nationals on Wednesday night, keeping their hold on the second American League wild card.
“Throwing strikes,” explained Royals manager Matt Quatraro. “We know that’s a big key is to challenge hitters. They have good stuff. They know that.”
Michael Massey contributed a run with a single off DJ Herz (4-9), helping the Royals achieve their second straight shutout after a seven-game losing streak.
Kansas City and Detroit both stand at 84-74, but the Royals have the advantage in their head-to-head matchups for the second wild-card spot. The Tigers won against the Rays 7-1 on Wednesday night.
Daniel Lynch IV (2-0) pitched 2 2/3 scoreless innings in relief of Lorenzen, who left the game with lower body fatigue after 2 1/3 innings in his first start since a left hamstring strain on August 27.
Lynch has not given up a run in 10 relief appearances since being called up from Triple-A Omaha on August 26.
“Since he’s come back up, he’s thrown the ball exceptionally well. And that was a huge part of tonight as well,” Quatraro said.
Angel Zerpa, John Schreiber, and Sam Long helped lead to Lucas Erceg, who recorded his 13th save. This effort extended the Kansas City bullpen’s scoreless streak to 15 2/3 innings over four games, and the pitching staff’s overall scoreless streak reached a franchise record of 26 innings.
