In conditions better suited for polar bears than softball players, the Royals extended their perfect start to the season with their seventh and eighth consecutive victories on Sunday, overcoming early deficits to defeat Garber’s Athletics, 19 – 12, and Miller’s Mariners, 8 – 5.
The Royals kicked off their doubleheader on field 3 under punishing conditions: 41° temperature, 33° windchill, light rain, and a relentless 17-mph crosswind gusting from right to left field that turned the field into a maelstrom of unpredictability, where ordinary fly balls and popups evolved into high-stakes adventures. But the elements did little to cool down the Royals' bats.
Nick Pierotti set the tone immediately with a leadoff triple that cut through the wind like a missile. Michael Murphy followed with an RBI single, and with two outs, the Royals kept pressing. Ryan Greenberg, riding the momentum of what would later be revealed as a mind-boggling 14-for-14 start to the season, delivered a clutch RBI double.
Robert Avalos (aka Brown Bear), the rookie phenom who's been an offensive powerhouse all season, stepped to the plate with runners on second and third, still with two outs. The air seemed to still momentarily as the Royals' slugging first baseman crushed a towering, no doubt, three-run homer over the left field fence, sending a statement that no amount of wind or cold would slow down the Royals. And just like that, they led 5 – 0, with four of their five runs scoring after two outs had been made.
The Athletics wouldn't go quietly, however. After Athletics’ ace, Nick Croce held the Royals' bats in check for the next two innings, the Royals' five-run lead evaporated in the bottom of the third as the Athletics’ bottom of the order sparked a stunning six-run rally, with Jacob Stayman, Andy Hoelscher, Ronny Mendoza, Brian Smallwood, and Nick Croce all delivering timely two out RBI hits until the Athletics had seized a 6 – 5 lead, sending 11 batters to the plate.
But these Royals have made resilience their calling card. In a fourth inning that felt like a statement of Championship intent, they exploded for eight runs. Murphy led off with a booming triple, and John Mendez – who would end the day as the unquestioned Player of the Week – followed with an RBI double as the Royals parlayed eight hits and two sacrifice flies into eight runs. Scott Greenberg, Avalos, and Larry Lachman all delivered key RBI hits. By the time the dust settled, the Royals had cycled through their lineup for the second time this season, reclaiming command at 13 – 6.
The Athletics threatened again in the fourth, scoring a run and putting two more on base. But the Royals' defense had an answer, executing a crisp 4–6–3 double play to extinguish the rally.
Perhaps the most electric moment came in the fifth inning. Murphy, capping off a perfect 3-for-3 performance, stepped to the plate. The crack of his bat echoed across Spirit Park as he launched an absolute missile – clearing not just the left-field fence, but soaring over the protective netting beyond it by a full 17 feet – that didn’t find any resistance until gravity reclaimed it in the adjacent zip code. The offensive barrage continued as Mendez, Ryan Greenberg, Lachman, and HOF Larry Goldstein all tripled in the inning, with Lachman and Goldstein delivering back-to-back three-baggers. Donnie Holtmann chipped in a double for good measure, as the Royals poured on six more runs to push the score to 19 – 7.
The Athletics refused to go quietly, plating five in the bottom of the fifth, but it wasn’t enough. The Royals' relentless attack and airtight defense secured a 19 – 12 victory. While the Royals pounded out 18 hits in the victory, what was truly astounding was that 12 of them went for extra bases.
Robert Avalos 2 – 2, 3 Runs, 4 RBI, BB, 3-run HR
Michael Murphy 3 – 3, 2 Runs, 2 RBI, 3B, HR
Ryan Greenberg 3 – 3, 3 Runs, 1 RBI, 2B, 3B
Larry Lachman 2 – 3, 2 Runs, 4 RBI, 2B, 3B
John Mendez 2 – 3, 3 Runs, 1 RBI, 2B, 3B
Scott Greenberg 1 – 1, 2 Runs, 2 RBI, BB, SF, GWRBI
Larry Goldstein 2 – 3, 1 Run, 1 RBI, 3B
After the offensive fireworks of game 1, the Royals faced a much tougher challenge against the Mariners on field 1. With the crosswind now shifting from left to right, deep drives to left field were knocked down, forcing the Royals to adjust.
The Mariners seized early control, jumping out to a 3 – 0 lead in the first on RBI hits from Kelly Stites and Jon Simonson.
The Royals' bats were uncharacteristically quiet through three innings, managing just one run in the first on Pierotti’s leadoff single and Mendez’s clutch two-out RBI double. But while the offense searched for answers, the defense kept the Royals in the game. Mendez took matters into his own hands defensively in the second when he perfectly executed a 6–3 double play to snuff out a potential Mariners rally.
The defensive clinic continued when a beautiful relay sequence – Toto Hungers to Mark Phares to Goldstein (10–4–2) erased a Mariners' runner at the plate in the third. It was the Royals' third outfield assist of the season, and it proved to be a momentum-changing play.
Still, the Mariners clung to a 4 – 3 lead entering the fifth. That’s when Scott Greenberg provided another defensive gem. With runners on the corners and one out, Greenberg fielded a slow roller near first base. Without hesitation, he spun and fired a laser to Scott Leonard at the plate, catching the runner in a dead sprint, and keeping the deficit at one.
In the bottom of the frame, the stage was now set for the Royals’ comeback and they capitalized. Back-to-back singles by Phares and Lachman put runners on the corners. With one out, Leonard hit a slow roller to third, forcing a rushed throw to second. The ball sailed past the second baseman and into right field, allowing two runs to score and giving the Royals their first lead of the game. The Mariners recorded one more out and were on the verge of escaping the inning down just one when the floodgates burst open. Hungers and Murphy delivered clutch RBI hits, and Mendez – capping his Player of the Week performance – ripped his third double of the day, driving in two more for a commanding 8 – 4 lead.
The Mariners scratched across one final run in the sixth, but the Royals held firm, securing their fourth straight doubleheader sweep to remain undefeated at 8 – 0.
Ryan Greenberg cemented his claim to Player of the Week honors by starting the season on an unreal 14-for-14 streak, including a perfect 3-for-3 in the first game of the doubleheader. But then, along came John Miller – who, by some mysterious dark magic, completely shut him down. Whatever hex, curse, or supernatural force Miller summoned, it put an end to Greenberg’s legendary run.
While Mendez’s 5 RBI and four extra-base hits fueled both victories, it was his defensive brilliance that truly secured the award. He turned two crucial double plays and made half a dozen high-stakes catches down the left-field line and in shallow left – each one a battle against a swirling crosswind that sent the ball in three different directions. Yet, with a steady glove and sharp instincts, he handled them with ease, saving multiple runs and shifting momentum time and again.
And finally, amidst the offensive fireworks and defensive gems was a remarkable individual achievement. Murphy quietly accomplished what few players ever do – hitting for a combined cycle across the doubleheader. Murphy's perfect 3-for-3 performance in the opener included his net-clearing majestic blast, a single, and a triple, while he added two doubles in the second game. The versatile Murphy’s cycle perfectly symbolizes the Royals' complete offensive arsenal, which has powered them to their unblemished 8 – 0 record.
John Mendez 2 – 2, 4 RBI, SF, (2) 2B
Toto Hungers 2 – 3, 3 Runs, 1 RBI
Michael Murphy 2 – 3, 2 Runs, 1 RBI, (2) 2B
Robert Avalos 2 – 3
Royal Flush: Undefeated Streak Hits 8 – 0 as Mendez, Murphy, Greenberg, and Avalos Shine
