Kyle Isbel wins series opener for Royals with 9th inning walk off
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City Royals are back in the win column in walk-off fashion on Friday night. Kyle Isbel hit the game-winning run home, his first career walk-off hit, to give the club the 4-3 win over the Detroit Tigers.
Isbel saved the Royals more than once over the course of the game. The walk-off was his second hit and RBI of the game, with the other coming in the bottom of the eighth inning. He also made back-to-back catches in center field earlier in the game that kept runs off the board for Jon Schreiber.
Isbel’s walk-off winner came with Nick Loftin on second base, who put yet another good swing on the ball late with two outs. Isbel guided him home with a jammed shot through the left side of the infield. Kolek, Cruz recalled as Ragans heads to the IL for the Royals It was an electric night at Kauffman Stadium on Fireworks Friday and the first night of Nurses Weekend.
On the mound, Kris Bubic started the game. He went five and two-thirds innings, giving up three runs, four walks and struck out five. Nick Mears, Luinder Avila, Schreiber and Lucas Erceg combined to get the Royals to the bottom of the ninth.
Erceg’s scoreless, but scary, ninth earned him the win after he gave up a leadoff double and collided with catcher Elias Diaz on the next play. Erceg appeared shaken up, but was able to get back on the mound and execute pitches to get around the double. It was also a good night for the Royals’ defense with Isbel’s diving catches in CF and several difficult force outs to keep the stress as low as possible for the club’s pitchers.