Sep 27, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Braves designated hitter Marcell Ozuna (20) slides safely into third with a stolen base against the Kansas City Royals in the eighth inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images
The Kansas City Royals are heading to the postseason for the first time since they won the 2015 World Series.
That said, the Royals (85-75) aren’t playing their best ball heading toward the playoffs.
A loser of eight of its last 11 games, Kansas City will look to get back on track Saturday night when it plays the second contest of its three-game series against the host Atlanta Braves (87-71).
The Royals mustered just three hits — including two doubles by Michael Massey — in a 3-0 setback in the series opener on Friday.
Kansas City, however, punched its ticket to the postseason after the Minnesota Twins lost 7-2 to the Baltimore Orioles later in the night.
“We’re not too proud. You got to get in somehow, right?” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “We probably helped some other people along the way. We wanted to take care of it ourselves, but we got beat (on Friday). There was nothing you can say about that.”
The Braves have won four games in a row to pull even with the New York Mets (87-71) and Arizona Diamondbacks (88-72) for the final wild-card spot in the National League. The Mets dropped an 8-4 decision to the Milwaukee Brewers on Friday, and the San Diego Padres were a 5-3 winner over Arizona.
Max Fried scattered three hits over 8 2/3 scoreless innings and Sean Murphy hit a two-run homer in the fourth on Friday for Atlanta.
Fried retired the first 10 batters he faced and struck out nine in the win.
“You know exactly what you need to do,” Fried said. “We had to win this game, and I just left everything out there.”
Marcell Ozuna scored an insurance run in the eighth inning following a throwing error by Salvador Perez. Ozuna went 0-for-3 on Friday after going 13-for-28 with two homers, four RBIs and six runs during his previous seven games.
Kansas City right-hander Seth Lugo (16-9, 3.03 ERA) is scheduled to make his career-high 33rd start of the season on Saturday.
Lugo worked seven innings for the fourth time in five outings on Sunday but walked away with a hard-luck loss. He allowed two runs on three hits and retired 16 straight batters at one point in a 2-0 setback to the San Francisco Giants.
Lugo, 34, is 5-5 with a 3.79 ERA in 28 career appearances (four starts) against Atlanta.
All-Star right-hander Reynaldo Lopez (8-5, 2.03 ERA) is expected to be activated from the injured list to start Saturday’s game for the Braves.
Lopez, who had been sidelined due to right shoulder inflammation, declared himself good to go after he pitched his second side session on Thursday.
“Whatever the team wants to do, obviously, it’s their call,” Lopez said through an interpreter, per The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “But if you’re asking me how I feel, I feel like I’m ready to go out there.”
Lopez, 30, is 5-5 with a 5.24 ERA in 26 career appearances (14 starts) against Kansas City.
–Field Level Media
