KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Say what you will about bad bounces or bad breaks or even bad umpiring that might have cost the Royals, the truth is the Detroit Tigers simply hit better when it matters these days.
The Tigers proved that again in a 3-2 win Saturday at Kauffman Stadium over the Royals, a crushing loss that put a huge dent in the Royals' hopes of winning the AL Central.
The loss pushed the Royals 2 1/2 games back -- and remember, the Royals also have a pending loss to Cleveland on Monday in the continuation of a suspended game. That makes Sunday's game with the Tigers an absolute must-win game.
"This is absolutely a game we should have won," Royals starter James Shields said afterward. "We didn't get runners in. I didn't do the job in the seventh (when the Tigers took a 3-1 lead). We didn't do our jobs. No excuses."
The very next inning, the Tigers got two runs off Shields to take a 3-1 lead they didn't relinquish as the Royals wound up just 2 for 11 with runners in scoring position.
"It's a very tough loss," manager Ned Yost said. "We just have to come back and find a way to win (Sunday) and then put together a good road trip."
3 UP
-- Esky in the leadoff spot. Shortstop Alcides Escobar certainly did his part, collecting four hits in trying to jump-start the Royals' offense. Esky doubled in the first and singled in the third. Then he singled in a run in the fifth to get the Royals back into a 1-1 tie. He also singled in the ninth to keep a would-be rally going.
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-- Dyson's hits. Center fielder Jarrod Dyson also tried to ignite the offense. He singled to lead off the fourth but was stranded. He then doubled in the fifth, drilling a Max Scherzer fastball off the right-field fence. He then scored on Esky's slow grounder that went under Kinsler's glove. Dyson also singled with one out in the ninth but was stranded.
-- Hosmer's hits. First baseman Eric Hosmer drilled two hits, a double and an RBI single in the eighth. "We sort of had (Scherzer) on the ropes and you have to get guys in and we just didn't," Hosmer said. "It's a very tough loss, but we have to bounce back. We have games left."
3 DOWN
-- Josh's horrible day. Oh, my. Designated hitter Josh Willingham had a day he and every Royals fan would like to forget. Willingham came up with a runner on third and one out in the first, needing only a sacrifice fly to give the Royals the lead. He struck out. It got worse. Willingham came up with runners on second and third and one out in the third with another chance to give the Royals the lead. The Tigers were even conceding the run, playing the infield back up the middle. Willingham fouled out. In the fifth, Willingham came up with another runner in scoring position with two out. He struck out. Oh, and he struck out again in the eighth.
-- The bunt strategy. Yost said after the game that Aoki was bunting on his own in the first inning with Esky on third. Yost said he had Aoki bunting with runners on first and second and none out in the third. Both times the strategy failed, and that early in the game, it's not the smart move. "The second bunt, I wanted to get two guys into scoring position," Yost said.
-- Lucky and good. No doubt the Tigers have earned their perch on top of the Central. But there was some good fortune. In the fifth with Escobar on first and one out, Aoki hit a rope toward right-center. But Esky was running on the pitch, which allowed second baseman Ian Kinsler to run toward the ball. Kinsler almost overran the ball, dived back to his left and made a nice stop before throwing out Aoki. The Royals easily could have had runners on first and third there. Also, on the bizarre play in the sixth, if Infante's liner would have been a foot or two to either side of Kinsler, the Royals would have scored two runs, changing the game and perhaps their season.
You can follow Jeffrey Flanagan on Twitter at @jflanagankc or email him at jeffreyflanagan6@gmail.com.
