Royals Off to Shaky Start

The Royals 2020 season is off to a 1-2 start after dropping game 3 of the opening series with Cleveland. Games 1 and 2 saw the Royals pitching staff allow only 2 runs in each game, but Sundays game created an entirely different disaster when the Royals had 9 runs dropped on them.

Danny Duffy started game 1 and gave the Royals a really solid outing but was pulled pretty early considering he had yet to allow a run. Scott Barlow came in and allowed 2 runners to score (both charged runs to Duffy) and that was all it took Friday night. Indians took game one of the series 2-0 as Shane Bieber fanned 14 in a game where 18 Royals struck out.

Game 2 saw the Royals go back to back in the first inning with Soler and Perez getting the first runs of the season on the board for KC. Brady Singer got the start and was impressive in his MLB debut. Singer went 5 innings allowing only 2 runs to a very deep Indians lineup. The game would go into the bottom of the 9th tied at 2-2 when Scott Barlow loaded the bases with only one out. Barlow came in clutch and struck out the next two batters to send the game to extras. The Royals would score in the top half off the 10th on a Maikel Franco sac fly and in the bottom of the 10th, Royals veteran closer Greg Holland struck out the side to pickup the save and preserve the Royals win.

Game 3 was not a good look for the Royals. More than a year since being stricken with leukemia, Cleveland starter Carlos Carrasco struck out 10 before giving up a one-out double to Adalberto Mondesi in the fourth. But by then, the Indians had scored four times — helped by two Kansas City errors — before Jose Ramírez connected for Cleveland's first homer of the season to make it 7-1. Ramírez homered twice as the Indians dominated the Royals 9-2 to win two of three in the delayed season-opening series.

KPGZ Sports - Jackson Ogden contributed to this report