I didn’t publish a newsletter about Tuesday’s 5-1 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays, although I did start the evening planning to write something. Five innings into the game—a point where the Royals had yet to hit the ball out of the infield—and I packed up my laptop for the night.
Go get ‘em the next day.
On Wednesday night, I set out to do the same. I guess I am writing now, but it’s not really about the game, a drab, lifeless 3-0 loss.
We’ve watched a lot of bad Royals baseball over the years. For the first 20 years of this century, save two or so seasons, the hallmark of this franchise was some truly wretched ball. Someone asked me years ago, how did I continue to write about such a terrible team, a team with no hope of competing, a team annually destined for triple-digit losses? I always thought the answer was simple: No matter how many games they lost, the Royals were interesting.
They found creative ways to lose. The ownership was a problem. The front office was stubborn. They brought in a cavalcade of overmatched and underexperienced managers. Maybe I’m a bit of a twisted soul, but I thought those teams, for all their issues—and there were plenty of issues—had a certain amount of entertainment value attached to them.
The 2025 team is not an interesting team. Nor are they entertaining. They do exist. There are box scores and standings and statistics. But damn if I can figure out their purpose.
After collecting four hits on Tuesday and scoring a run, the Royals were held to just three hits total on Wednesday. They did not touch home plate.
Meanwhile, Tampa embarked upon a moment where they decided to inflict death on the Royals by a thousand paper cuts. In the second inning, back-to-back singles had runners at the corners with one out. José Caballero laid down a bunt along the first base line. A safety squeeze and, with Jonathan India slow to get to the bag at first, the Royals were not able to record an out.
I replayed this moment several times to get a sense of what was happening.
With the right-handed hitting Caballero up and with those runners on the corners, the infield was back and shifted a bit to left, looking for a double play. I’m not sure India is totally at fault here, as he was playing almost 80 feet from first base and Vinnie Pasquantino was back holding the runner on the bag. Although it does look like he probably reacted a little late?
A 1-0 deficit feels insurmountable these days this season.
A single from Chandler Simpson loaded the bases. Starter Michael Wacha, generally solid on the night, pitching around danger, uncorked a wild pitch to bring home Tampa’s second run.
A 2-0 deficit feels impossible.
Then…Then! Tampa’s Danny Jansen laid down another bunt! That safety squeeze brought home another run. At least the Royals were able to get an out as the bunt hugged the first base line and Pasquantino was able to drop a tag on Jansen.
A 3-0 deficit feels like it’s time to pack it in for the night.
For the second time in as many weeks, I need to invoke the Bell Axiom that we never say that things cannot get worse. But my god…losing a game on two bunts and a wild pitch? Two bunts and a wild pitch???
Embarrassing.
Tampa knows. They understand that three runs at any point effectively salts away the game. Pile them up early, cruise to the win and go get some BBQ.
The Royals did put runners on base. They just do not do this enough. Not enough to make you sit up and pay attention because action is about to happen. The runners merely serve as a distraction. Until they are either thrown out on the bases or left stranded.
The Royals have lost nine in a row at Kauffman Stadium. They have not won a game at home this month. They have lost seven consecutive home series, their last win coming with a four-game sweep against the White Sox in early May.
Wednesday was the ninth time this year the Royals have been shut out. They have scored four runs in their last four games—all losses.
It feels like the nadir of 2025. But there’s a game Thursday afternoon. Never say it can’t get worse.
This is a decent high school softball team that somehow snuck into MLB. Prove me wrong.
I thought getting swept by the Athletics at home was the nadir of the season.
Sigh.