How in the world did Lynch IV make this twisting, diving tag?

KANSAS CITY -- Royals reliever Daniel Lynch IV laid his hand, body, all of it, on the line to make a stellar defensive play on Saturday afternoon.

In the Royals’ 5-2 loss to the Brewers in Game 1 of a doubleheader at Kauffman Stadium, Lynch had two outs and a runner on first base in the top of the fifth inning when Sal Frelick chopped a grounder up the first-base line. Lynch initially turned to go cover first base, but realized he might have a play on the ball and tried to catch it off a high first hop, only to have the ball bounce off his glove away from him.

Lynch stumbled and somehow caught the ball, which kept rolling towards first base, as he fell to the ground near the baseline right as Frelick was running up it. Lynch stretched out his glove above his head while on the ground to tag Frelick on the right knee and record the out while his body twisted and rolled over.

“I don’t know [how Lynch did that],” manager Matt Quatraro said. “The ball got away, he picked it up and picked up his glove all at the same time. It was a heck of a play.”

Lynch was shaken up on the play, with a Royals trainer going out to help him off the field, but everything checked out fine. Lynch was still able to look at first-base umpire Jen Pawol to say, “I got him,” with his left hand making a fist and signaling an out.

Indeed, Lynch did tag Frelick on the knee to end the frame, capping the lefty's scoreless outing.

“He’s got all the long, lengthy limbs,” shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. said. “It was impressive.”

The Royals weren’t able to reward Lynch or the rest of the bullpen for the performance they gave Saturday, dropping Game 1 after starter Luinder Avila allowed five runs in three-plus innings. The offense only scored two runs despite eight hits, leaving 10 runners on base and batting 2-for-13 with runners in scoring position.