As the softball soared majestically through the overcast sky, Drew Waggoner took a moment to admire his work. Clutching his bat in his hands, he held a follow-through pose for a split second as he shifted his eyes toward the morning sky, tracking the orbit of his towering blast. Moments later, as he began his triumphant trot, he was mobbed by his teammates as they flooded from the first base dugout.
Waggoner's one-out, 2-run walk-off homer in the seventh – his fifth homerun of the season – capped a seismic 8 – 7 comeback victory over Babb's Dodgers. The first walk-off of the season for the Royals was a dramatic rollercoaster teetering between fortunes that featured six lead changes.
Playing on field 3 with a 12-mph wind gusting directly out to center field, the Dodgers struck first blood with two runs in the opening frame and carried a 2 – 0 lead into the bottom of the second, when the Royals sent 10 batters to the plate and erupted for five runs. Ronel Martinez’ leadoff doubled and Kyzer Hoover’s RBI single ignited the onslaught, with the bottom of the order delivering pivotal blows. After Andy Wetterlin singled – putting runners at first and second – Aaron Bartelson and Larry Lachman followed with RBI singles, turning the lineup over with only one out and turning the momentum in favor of the Royals. Tommy Apligian’s and Scott Greenberg’s RBI singles completed the scoring.
The Dodgers refused to go quietly and fought back, relying on long balls to tie the game. Carlos Cruz’s 2-run round-tripper in the third made it a one-run game, and Matt Archie’s solo bomb knotted the score in the sixth. Meanwhile, Dodgers’ ace, Michael Babb settled in with three consecutive scoreless innings, yielding only one hit per inning.
But the Royals refused to be outdone. Singles by Martinez, Hoover, and Adwild Perez put the Royals back on top in the bottom of the sixth, but the Dodgers stormed back to take the lead in the top of the seventh on the strength of RBI knocks by Dennis Brummett and Ethan Barath.
The Royals came to bat in the bottom of the frame trailing 7 – 6. With each inning, with each lead change, the tension mounted, culminating in a nail-biting showdown in the bottom of the seventh, when Apligian singled with one out, setting the stage for Waggoner’s heroics.
Game 1 Offensive Stars
Drew Waggoner 3 – 4, 1 Run, 2 RBI, 2-run HR, GWRBI
Kyzer Hoover 3 – 3, 1 Run, 1 RBI
Tommy Apligian 2 – 4, 1 Run, 1 RBI
Ronel Martinez 2 – 3, 2 Runs, 2B
Adwild Perez 2 – 3, 1 Run, 1 RBI
Aaron Bartelson 1 – 3, 1 Run, 1 RBI
Larry Lachman 1 – 3, 1 Run, 1 RBI
Afterward, the Royals were celebrating their walk-off victory at The Ginger Man. Just as the second round of Tutankhamun Ale arrived, their astute Captain looked around and exclaimed, “Hey! Where’s Scott?” Turns out, Scott Greenberg was the only Royal who remembered the Royals had a second game that day against Casper’s Expos. To his credit, he single-handedly kept the Royals in it for all six innings. By the time the cavalry did show up, however, it was too late. Expos 3, Royals 2 as HOF Scott Lawrence outdueled Greenberg in the low-scoring affair.
Seriously, for the third straight week, the Royals' stellar pitching and defense shone brightly, yielding just 10 runs total after allowing eight runs total to the Cubs and Pirates last week, and nine runs total to the Yankees the week before. On field 1, with that 12-mph wind now blowing in from left field, the Royals put on another defensive clinic, with Ryan Greenberg and Bartelson combining to execute a 7–2 double play in the bottom of the second inning – the Royals’ seventh outfield assist of the season. The tremendous play, with Bartelson fully extended to make an outstanding catch of Greenberg’s one-hop strike from left field, happened with Expos on first and third and only one out, preserving the Royals’ 2 – 1 lead at the time.
In the top of the fourth, with runners on first and second and two outs, Danny Cortez scorched a line drive into the right center field gap, putting the Royals’ defense to the ultimate test. With two outs, the runners took off with the crack of the bat. Apligian, fueled by sheer determination, ran full speed, calculating the ball’s angle of descent, and sacrificed the well-being of his own body as he extended his glove into the proper position and dove head first. Completely horizontal, the ball landed perfectly in the webbing of his glove. In a heart-stopping moment, Apligian was suspended in mid-air with the ball securely in his glove, and the inning was over…until his brief flight was stopped by a violent collision with the ground. The ball bounced out, two runs scored, and the Expos retook the lead 3 – 2.
In the bottom of the fifth, David Fiorello robbed Timothy Abbracciamento of an RBI single when he made an acrobatic leaping catch at first base on a screaming liner headed toward right field. The stunned reaction in the Expos’ dugout and on the field spoke for everyone as Fiorello leaped six feet into the air to snag the laser shot, ending the inning and keeping the Royals’ deficit at one. As the crowd cheered, Abbracciamento put his hands on his head in disbelief. The quotes coming out of the Expos’ dugout included:
- “Did he even see that ball?”
- “He’s got to be the most athletic first baseman in the league.”
- “I don’t understand how he caught that!”
The Royals had no shortage of baserunners – 11 total – but clutch hits were nowhere to be found. Lawrence – who was pitching his second game on field 3 and had mastered the wind-aided conditions – rose to the occasion when he needed to most. After holding the Royals scoreless in the top of the sixth, the clock ticked down in the bottom of the frame and expired with two outs and two strikes on Cortez.
Despite Greenberg's commendable pitching performance and the Royals’ valiant defensive efforts, the Expos ultimately emerged victorious in the closely contested match, leaving the Royals to reflect on their missed opportunities. Yet, amidst the disappointment, the Royals remained steadfastly united, their spirits unbroken, and their resolve unwavering. Amidst the ebb and flow of the game, moments of brilliance continued to illuminate their ongoing journey. For every opportunity squandered there emerged a breathtaking defensive gem – heroic acts illuminating their path like a blazing beacon, instilling confidence in the triumphs yet to come. This setback was simply another mile marker; the ultimate destination remaining gloriously unaltered.
Game 2 Offensive Stars
Kyzer Hoover 2 – 2, 1 Run
Drew Waggoner 1 – 2, BB
Andy Wetterlin 1 – 2, 1 RBI
Adwild Perez 1 – 2, 1 RBI
A Day of Triumph and Tribulation: Royals Walk-off Dodgers, but Settle for Doubleheader Split
