Kansas City, MO – The Kansas City Royals etched their name into the major league record books on Wednesday, defeating the Atlanta Braves 1-0 in a dramatic 10-inning shutout that saw an astonishing nine pitchers take the mound for the home team. Salvador Perez delivered the decisive blow, driving in MJ Melendez with a single in the bottom of the 10th.
The Royals’ victory marked only the second time in major league history that a team has used nine pitchers in a shutout, with Cleveland achieving the same feat in a 10-inning game in 2016.
With their starting rotation battling injuries, the Royals opted for a bullpen game, and their collective effort proved masterful. Angel Zerpa started, pitching into the second inning, followed by a parade of relievers. Jonathan Bowlan was the only pitcher to record more than three outs, going two innings. John Schreiber impressively struck out the side in the fourth, and Hunter Harvey navigated a perilous two-on, no-out jam in the sixth, recording three consecutive outs to preserve the tie.
The final act of the pitching marathon belonged to Sam Long (1-2), who found himself in a tight spot in the top of the 10th with runners on the corners and no outs. However, Long showcased nerves of steel, striking out Sean Murphy and Eli White before inducing a line out from Luke Williams to escape the threat.
The stage was then set for the Royals’ offense. MJ Melendez was placed on second base as the pinch-runner, and Salvador Perez wasted no time, lacing the second pitch from Atlanta’s Daysbel Hernandez (4-2) into the right-field gap, securing the walk-off win.
On the Braves’ side, local product Joey Wentz, recently claimed off waivers, delivered a stellar performance in his return to the Kansas City area. Pitching just 25 minutes from his alma mater, Shawnee Mission East High School, where he enjoyed a standout prep career, Wentz stifled the Royals’ bats. Despite carrying a 5.76 ERA into the game, the former first-round draft pick allowed just one hit and three walks over 6 2/3 innings, striking out seven in a dazzling display that largely went unrewarded due to the bullpen’s struggles.
The low-scoring affair stood in stark contrast to the previous games in the series, which saw the Braves win the opener 10-7 and the Royals claim a 9-6 victory on Tuesday night.
The Royals will now enjoy a day off on Thursday before embarking on a road trip to Toronto. Pregame coverage for Friday’s series opener against the Blue Jays on Superstar Country 102.5 FM & 1530 AM KQNK will begin at 5:30 p.m. CDT, with first pitch from Rogers Centre set for 6:07 p.m. Michael Wacha (4-9, 3.53 ERA) is slated to start for Kansas City, while the Blue Jays have yet to announce their starting pitcher.
