COMON Network

By COMON Network Team

Final Score – Kansas City Royals (19-28) 7 def. Pittsburgh Pirates (14-29) 4

WP: Kyle Zimmer (1-0) LP: Trevor Williams (1-7) SV: Greg Holland (5)

Frustrations continued in Kansas City Saturday night, as the Pirates fell to the Royals, 7-4. It didn’t take long for the KC to get started. Whit Merrifield led off the bottom of the first with a home run. The Pirates answered, however, with solo shots by Josh Bell and Bryan Reynolds in the top of the second to grab a 2-1 lead. Pittsburgh added on in the next inning on another solo homer, this one by Adam Frazier. It was all downhill from there. 

Kansas City tied the game in the bottom of the third on a two-run shot by Adalberto Mondesi and took the lead not too long after with three runs in the fifth. The rest was smooth sailing for KC.

The series concludes tomorrow at 2.

COMON Network Team Commentary

KYLE DAWSON

• Josh Bell has homers in consecutive nights, so that’s a plus, but this Royals team is not good. Don’t get me wrong, the Pirates are obviously in a spot that isn’t great either, but here we are. Bell is up to .231 for a BA. About a week ago, I joined Mike Asti on Pittsburgh Sports Live’s Pirates Postgame and I said I wanted to see Bell do something… anything… in the last few weeks of the season. The last two nights have been a good start.
• Trevor Williams, man. What is going on? His second half a few years back was among the best in baseball. He goes five and allows 10 hits tonight. It is what it is, I guess. Austin Davis was solid in his inning and even Derek Holland had a good inning.

Player of the Game – Alex Gordon (KC)

JOE SMELTZER

• This series has been a stinker, but Josh Bell’s performance has been encouraging. Hopefully moving him down to the six hole will be what he needs to start hitting on a consistent basis.
• There are few guys in baseball that are easier to root for than Trevor Williams, but he simply is not cutting it on the mound. Many will single out Bell or Bryan Reynolds as disappointments of 2020, but Williams is in that category as well. Aside from his second half of two years ago, Williams hasn’t been very good in Pittsburgh. And that’s a shame 
• Kumar Rocker might not be too far away. Remember that. 

Player of the Game – Whit Merrifield (KC)