SEATTLE -- Michael Massey called it a “playoff-type game” at T-Mobile Park on Saturday, in front of a packed crowd there to witness Randy Johnson’s number retirement. It was a crowd that stayed to witness one of the better pitchers’ duels yet this season. And there’s only one rule to winning playoff-type games:
Whatever works, works.
"Runs were going to be tough to come by,” Massey said. “You might have to find some unorthodox ways to figure it out.”
Massey led the final charge to do so, making two daring dashes in the 10th inning as the Royals got just enough late to flip an offensive dud into a series win, beating the Mariners, 3-2.
Unorthodox? Saturday was full of unorthodox. It was the first time in franchise history the Royals had won a game in which they struck out 17 times and didn’t walk once. There’s not exactly a way to do that normally.
Of note: Only seven other times since at least 1900 has a team won despite striking out 17 times and drawing no walks:
White Sox, Aug. 23, 2023, vs. Seattle (5-4 in 10 innings)
Nationals, Oct. 3, 2015, @ Mets (2-0)
Cubs, Aug. 14, 2011, @ Braves (6-5)
Reds, June 30, 1999, vs. D-backs (2-0)
Expos, Aug. 29, 1998, @ Padres (3-1)
Athletics, June 24, 1997, @ Mariners (4-1)
Dodgers, Aug. 23, 1989, @ Expos (1-0, 22 innings)
Massey started the 10th inning on second as Kansas City’s automatic runner, with No. 9 hitter Kyle Isbel showing bunt from the get-go. After taking back-to-back balls, Isbel missed on his first attempt. Then he missed on his second, and Massey found himself caught off second base with Seattle catcher Mitch Garver coming up firing behind him.
"It was just instinct,” Massey said. “He came up and threw it, and I figured I wasn’t going to get out of the rundown, so I’d better get to third base.”
Five pitches later, Maikel Garcia -- who drove the Royals’ first run of the night in with a double in the third -- lifted a ball just deep enough to center field to score Massey on a sacrifice fly and give Kansas City its first lead of the game.
"That’s not how we drew it up. … But to be heads-up to get to third was huge,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said.
The Royals only made it to extra innings because they made the most of a last-gasp effort in the ninth, after putting up just one run in the first eight innings and striking out 14 times vs. Seattle starter Emerson Hancock.
Salvador Perez -- who struck out in each of his first three at-bats -- started the rally, singling the other way on the second pitch he saw from Andrés Muñoz, and pinch-runner Lane Thomas had barely gotten to first base before Muñoz balked him to second.
One batter later, Jac Caglianone lasered an RBI single to center -- and got all the way to third base when Julio Rodríguez couldn't corral the ball and it rolled past him to the fence.
After scoring its first run in the third inning, Kansas City only put one runner in scoring position until the ninth. In that span, Royals hitters only put four balls in play with exit velocities over 95 mph. But given a window, they jumped.
"Since I became a Royal, that’s what you come to expect,” starter Seth Lugo said. “This team is never out of it. These guys, they’re young, they’re hungry, they’re athletic and fast. They put pressure on other pitchers, so if I can keep it close, we’ve always got a chance.”
Lugo’s own night was far from orthodox, though his rarely are. The 11-year veteran gave up a run just three batters in but settled down after that for what he called one of his better outings his season. He finished having allowed two runs on seven hits, with six strikeouts and two walks.
No at-bat encapsulated Lugo’s night better than his third-inning battle with Randy Arozarena, which ended with the Seattle left fielder waving at a 67.8 mph slow curve that started at his eyes, ended at his letters and never came close to his bat.
It was the slowest strikeout pitch by a non-position player this season, and the second slowest of Lugo’s career.
“The way he’s been shooting the fastball to right field, like the homer he hit yesterday on a well-executed fastball, it seems like he’s been making bigger swings on breaking balls,” Lugo said. “I felt like if I could change the speed on a breaking ball and make it even slower, he’d put a big swing on it and be way out in front. That’s how we got him.”