KANSAS CITY — Stephen Kolek delivered a gem on the mound, Maikel Garcia provided the offensive spark, and the Kansas City Royals blanked the Houston Astros 4-0 on Sunday to snap a four-game losing streak in their series finale.
Kolek (4-1) was dominant into the eighth inning, scattering just five hits while striking out four and walking one. The right-hander continued his recent stretch of stellar pitching, having allowed just seven earned runs combined over his last six starts.
The Royals’ defense and bullpen kept the Astros completely off the board. Two Houston runners were erased by double plays, Cam Smith was picked off first base, and Steven Cruz came on in relief to record the final two outs of the eighth inning to preserve the shutout. Houston’s Yordan Alvarez did manage to extend his on-base streak to 21 games, but he was left stranded in the seventh as the Astros failed to string together any meaningful offense.
Kansas City’s bats jumped on Houston starter Spencer Arrighetti (7-2) immediately. Arrighetti, the reigning American League Pitcher of the Month, suffered just his second loss of the season after matching a season high by surrendering four runs and eight hits over six innings.
Bobby Witt Jr. got the party started in the first inning on his 26th birthday, hitting a single and coming around to score on a Maikel Garcia base hit for an early 1-0 lead. Witt celebrated his birthday in style, finishing the day with two singles, two stolen bases, and two stellar defensive plays—including a leaping snag to rob Joey Loperfido and a sharp glove flip to spark an inning-ending double play.
The decisive blow came in the third inning. Jac Caglianone drove in a run with an RBI single before Garcia crushed a two-run double down the left-field line, capping off a three-run frame and extending the lead to 4-0. In total, the aggressive Royals racked up four stolen bases against Arrighetti.
Up Next:
The Royals immediately hit the road for Washington, D.C., to open a series against the Nationals today. Kansas City will send Mitch Spence (0-0, 13.50 ERA) to the mound to face Washington’s Andrew Alvarez (1-0, 3.70 ERA). First pitch is scheduled for 5:45 PM CT.
Royals fans in Northwest Kansas and Southwest Nebraska can catch all the live action on Superstar Country 102.5 FM & 1530 AM KQNK.
