As Jorge Rivera lay sprawled out on the ground with his left fingertips tightly gripping third base, his teammates – who had just raced around the bases – rushed to lift him up in celebration and revel in the jubilation and triumph of the moment. Rivera had just rifled a line drive to left centerfield that eluded the glove of a diving Heath Jones, and rolled all the way to the wall for a bases-clearing triple with two outs in the bottom of the sixth inning. The tension had been palpable as Rivera stepped into the batter’s box, but after delivering his crushing blow, Rivera unleashed pure elation for the Royals and their fans. Sliding headfirst into third base, Rivera gave the Royals a lead they wouldn't relinquish, propelling them to a thrilling come-from-behind victory over Alexander's Woodpeckers, 8 – 6 in the nightcap of their twin bill on Sunday at Spirit Park.
Rivera was a force to be reckoned with in the game, going 2 – 2 with a sac fly, delivering clutch hits, and driving in an impressive five of the Royals’ eight runs in the victory.
Playing on field 1 with a 13-mph wind blowing in from right field, Royals’ pitcher, Brad Parr, outdueled Kelly Alexander in the low scoring affair.
The Woodpeckers’ bats were relatively quiet for the first two innings as the Royals built a 4 – 1 lead. In the top of the third, the Woodpeckers’ bats came alive as they plated five to take the lead, 6 – 4. Incredulously, it would be the only inning of the doubleheader where the Royals gave up more than one run. The Woodpeckers' bottom of the order, led by Valentin Diaz, contributed significantly. Diaz smoked an RBI triple to the left field wall, followed by a single from Ted Hogan that brought him home. Then, Daryl Drake's 2-run homer and Brian Allsbrook's solo shot completed the scoring for the Woodpeckers.
Alexander settled down from that point on and held the Royals to only one run over the next three innings.
However, Parr was even better as he pitched four shutout innings, backed by an inspired and – at times – spectacular defense in one of the most dominant defensive performances of the year.
In the top of the sixth, with the Royals still trailing 6 – 5, Charles Lachman – fresh off his return from the DL – made the defensive play of the year. With one out, Drake singled, bringing Jones to the plate. Jones, batting second, launched a towering blast toward the right field fence. It was a heart-stopping moment as the ball sailed high into the grey afternoon sky. On any other day – especially on field 1 where the wind typically blows out to center field – this would have been long gone as Jones got all of it. But with the wind blowing in from right field, Lachman raced back and settled under it just in front of the fence to make the catch. Seeing how deep Lachman was, Drake tagged up and headed toward second as the catch was made, but Lachman – showing off his cannon arm – fired a perfect one-hop strike to Royals’ shortstop, Brad Stanford, who applied the tag for the unbelievable, inning-ending 10–6 double play. The defensive gem was Lachman’s first outfield assist of the 2023 season and ensured the Royals’ deficit remained at one. And, oh, by the way, it also sent his teammates and the crowd into a wild frenzy.
The Royals’ dugout was alive with energy as Liam Kilburn singled to lead off the bottom of the sixth. With the Royals trailing by only one, the tension was already high. After a fielder’s choice at second base, the tension mounted as back-to-back singles by Lachman and Parr loaded the bases. The air was thick with anticipation as Alexander induced a popup to second base to produce the second out, intensifying the steadily building tension, and ultimately setting the stage for Rivera’s heroics.
Game 2 Offensive Stars
Jorge Rivera 2 – 2, 5 RBI, SF, 3B, GWRBI
Darius Wu 3 – 3, 2B
Liam Kilburn 2 – 3
Charles Lachman 2 – 3, 2 Runs
Brad Parr 2 – 3, 2 Runs
Tae Lee 2 – 3, 1 Run
Parr cruised through the opener, turning in a masterpiece by scattering eight hits against Dlott’s Dragons in the resounding 12 – 2 victory – on field 3 with an unforgiving 14-mph wind blowing out to center field, no less. Let it be known that the Dragons were no pushovers – this was the same team that would hang a staggering 28 runs on the Iron Pigs an hour later, on the same field! Parr's performance was nothing short of transcendent, and a testament to his skills as a pitcher.
After the Royals scored two in the first, the bottom of the order came through in the bottom of the second. Back-to-back singles by Lachman and Parr began the inning, with Lachman scoring on Tae Lee’s RBI single. Tony Lowery singled with one out to load the bases and turn the lineup over. The bases remained loaded after Stanford’s RBI single scored Parr. Lee then scored on Tommy Apligian’s sac fly, bringing up Darius Wu with runners on first and second and two outs. At this point, the score was only 5 – 0, with the contest’s outcome still in doubt.
Wu rewarded the Royals’ faithful as he swung his bat with incredible force, unleashing a 3-run blast that was nothing short of awe-inspiring. His 10th homerun of the season was a thing of beauty, a majestic arc that sailed high over the left centerfield fence that disappeared into the overcast, morning sky, leaving the Dragons' outfielders frozen in their tracks. It was the defining moment in the game; a turning point that energized the Royals.
Wu’s game-changing bat was only matched by his game-changing glove. With the grace and agility of a gazelle, he made half a dozen jaw-dropping sliding and running catches throughout the doubleheader, leaving his teammates and the crowd in awe. Each time he took flight, it was as if time slowed down as he effortlessly snatched the ball out of the air with his outstretched glove. His stellar defensive plays not only saved runs but also inspired his teammates to raise their level of play.
In a dominant display of offensive firepower, the Royals scored in every inning and never trailed. The Royals padded their lead in the third thanks to Parr’s RBI single, and in the fourth with Liam’s 2-run single.
The game ended after 4 ½ innings by virtue of the run rule, with the Royals up by 10, marking the Royals’ fourth run-rule victory this season.
Game 1 Offensive Stars
Darius Wu 3 – 3, 2 Runs, 3 RBI, HR
Brad Stanford 2 – 2, 3 Runs, 1 RBI, BB
Brad Parr 2 – 2, 1 Run, 1 RBI
Charles Lachman 2 – 2, 2 Runs, 2B
Liam Kilburn 1 – 2, SF, 3 RBI
Tae Lee 1 – 2, 1 Run, 2 RBI
Parr Dominates as Wu, Rivera, and Lachman Lead Resurgent Royals to Doubleheader Sweep
