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Royals’ playoff hopes fading with loss to Sox
- Updated: September 17, 2016
KANSAS CITY — The Royals’ once vaulted bullpen is springing leaks everywhere.
This time it was Kelvin Herrera who was called upon to protect a two-run lead against the White Sox. Herrera promptly gave up four runs — three on Carlos Sanchez’s first homer this season — in the eighth inning of a 7-4 loss on Friday night at Kauffman Stadium.
It was the seventh bullpen meltdown since Aug. 30, and the Royals’ fifth straight loss. Their number for postseason elimination dropped to nine as they fell seven games back in the American League Wild Card standings.
“For some reason, I got loose with my command,” Herrera said. “It’s a tough league.”
As for the 3-2 pitch to Sanchez, Herrera said, “I was trying to go in. It went back over the middle.”
White Sox left-hander Chris Sale carried a perfect game into the fifth before Salvador Perez singled with one out. Sale went the distance for the sixth time this season, giving up eight hits, four runs (three earned), walking one and striking out 10.
“As a starting pitcher, job No. 1 is going out there every fifth day. After that it’s about filling up innings — for me personally anyways,” Sale said. “So, yeah, I take a lot of pride in that.
“I like going out there and saving my guys. Regardless of whether we have X-amount of guys if they are fresh or whatever, I still like giving them the day off.”
Royals starter Ian Kennedy (12-9) struggled mightily with his command though two innings, throwing 54 pitches, and walked three. But Kennedy began to attack hitters after that and made it through six innings, giving up five hits and two runs.
“I don’t think I was missing by much,” Kennedy said. “For the most part, they were good misses. But I was able to get through it. I had to talk my way into pitching the sixth. I wanted to because our bullpen has been pretty taxed lately.”
MOMENTS THAT MATTEREDOut of nowhere: Perez got things going in the fifth with a solid single …
