Royals struck out how many times? KC nearly made MLB history in Saturday’s loss
The Kansas City Royals have a polarizing offense, and it was on full display against the Minnesota Twins on Saturday afternoon.
The Royals looked dynamic at times. Vinnie Pasquantino and Salvador Perez combined for five hits and a pair of RBIs. Maikel Garcia sandwiched a two-run double in the third inning to give the club a sizable lead.
At other times, the Royals looked out of sorts. KC struck out 18 times against Twins pitching at Target Field — two shy of an MLB record. All-Star Bobby Witt Jr. whiffed four times for only the second time in his big-league career.
“They have a great pitching staff,” Garcia said. “We tried to put the ball in play and we didn’t. You know, we have to come back tomorrow and play the way we played before and try to get a win.”
As the dust settled, the Royals were left with another disappointing loss. KC fell 5-4 to the Twins. Shortstop Brooks Lee hit a walk-off single as the Twins prevailed.
“(Jhoan) Duran and (Griffin) Jax are pretty good pitchers,” Perez said. “I don’t think they made a mistake and they were pretty good. Good for them today.”
The Royals dropped to 28-25. KC had chances late but couldn’t break through with the clutch hit.
In the ninth inning, Witt got aboard with a leadoff single. He stole two bases and represented the go-ahead run at third. The Royals eventually loaded the bases but Drew Waters grounded out to end the threat.
“They have an outstanding bullpen and we know that,” Quatraro said. “We had opportunities against (Jorge) Alcala there and we didn’t cash that in. When you get to their high-leverage guys, they don’t give up a lot.”
The Twins made the most of their opportunity. Carlos Correa faced Royals reliever Daniel Lynch IV and got aboard with a leadoff walk. He came around to score as Minnesota won its 29th game.
“When you have to basically not give up a single run, you know, you’ve got to be that close (to the plate),” Lynch said. “I was that close but not in the zone.”
A day after finishing 1-for-10 with runners in scoring position, the Kansas City Royals found a way to score early against the Twins.
It started with the middle of the order as Pasquantino and Perez fueled the offense early.
“That’s good for us when Vinnie gets hot,” Garcia said. “He is still getting on base and hitting the ball hard. When he gets hot, it’s better for us offensively.”
However, the Royals couldn’t hold on late. Now, KC will look to salvage the series with a win on Sunday afternoon.
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Here are more notable aspects of Saturday’s game:
Royals flail at the plate
The Royals needed the heroic efforts of Pasquantino and Perez on Saturday. The rest of the lineup struck out 18 times against the Twins.
KC did its damage in the third and fifth innings. While the Royals duo had five hits, the rest of the lineup was limited by Twins starter Zebby Matthews and the bullpen.
“Frustrating,” Quatraro said of the outcome. “I mean, there is no doubt. We are competing like crazy and you want to come out on top of these games. We came up one run short, yesterday it was two, and to get walked off both days in a row is really a gut punch.”
Matthews recorded a career-high nine strikeouts. Witt finished 1-for-5 and struck out four times.
All nine Royals starters struck out at least once in the game.
According to Baseball Almanac, the MLB record for strikeouts by one team in a 9-inning game is 20. They Royals were two short of tying that mark.
The Royals entered the game with the second-fewest strikeouts in baseball.
Michael Wacha falters late in start
The Royals are a better team when Pasquantino and Perez produce. Their ability to drive in runs takes pressure off the pitching staff.
Royals starter Michael Wacha benefited Saturday. He was given ample run support as he dueled with Twins starter Matthews. Wacha was sharp through four innings before running into trouble in the fifth.
“This one stings for sure,” Wacha said. “You know, the guys put up a good lead for us and gave it right back to them a couple innings later.”
The Twins added three runs in the frame. Harrison Bader homered and Ty France collected a two-run single to remain in striking distance.
In the sixth, the wheels fell off.
Wacha allowed a solo homer to Kody Clemens as he ended his afternoon with four earned runs in five innings.
What’s next: The Royals conclude their three-game series against the Twins on Sunday afternoon at Target Field. Kris Bubic (5-2, 1.47 ERA) looks to finish his red-hot month on a strong note. Minnesota will start right-hander Bailey Ober (4-1, 3.68 ERA) in the series finale.
This story was originally published May 24, 2025 at 4:17 PM with the headline "Royals struck out how many times? KC nearly made MLB history in Saturday’s loss."
