The Kansas City Royals were able to split a four-game series with the Detroit Tigers after a 5-4 win on Sunday. Despite a rough first half and slim playoff hopes, the Royals have been playing good baseball to start the second half of the season.
Following Sunday’s win, Joel Penfield and Kevin O’Brien reacted to the Royals’ series finale against the Tigers. The hosts discussed their biggest takeaways from the four-game series, highlighted key moments and shared what they saw from the team.
One of the biggest talking points centered on reliever Steven Cruz. After a rocky start to the season, Cruz has begun to settle in on the mound. After working out of a ninth-inning jam on Sunday, the hosts believe Kansas City may begin trusting Cruz more in traditional save situations.
Along with the bullpen’s recent performance, Penfield and O’Brien discussed the group’s outlook ahead of the trade deadline. John Schreiber remains the most likely reliever to be dealt because he is a rental. Daniel Lynch IV and Alex Lange were also mentioned as potential trade candidates.
Michael Massey has caught fire and has played a major role in the Royals’ lineup as of late. After hitting a go-ahead, two-run home run against a left-handed pitcher on Sunday, the hosts praised Massey’s recent impact.
They questioned whether Massey’s improved play both at the plate and on defense could make him more attractive on the trade market. They also brought up that he could play a role in the Royals’ plans for 2027.
Penfield and O’Brien gave credit to manager Matt Quatraro for his in-game decisions. They also liked that, even without key players Bobby Witt Jr., Maikel Garcia and Vinnie Pasquantino, Kansas City has continued to show fight.
Salvador Perez’s 318th career home run was also a major topic of discussion. Setting the new franchise record was one of the biggest storylines of the game, and rightfully so. The hosts emphasized how meaningful it was that Perez spent his entire career with Kansas City, calling him one of the most important figures in franchise history.
The discussion then turned to Perez’s Hall of Fame case. The hosts broke down his resume and talked about how strong his case for induction is.
They then shifted to looking down the road at who could break Perez’s home run record. Bobby Witt Jr. and Jac Caglianone were the two names mentioned as possible candidates.
Nick Loftin hit .364 during the week and came up big in clutch situations. The hosts believe Loftin has earned a larger role if this production continues.
This and more was discussed on the latest episode of KC Sports Network.
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.si.com ’
