A Rough Start
The game began with little action from our Royals
. In the top of the first inning, Maikel Garcia fouled out to right, Bobby Witt Jr. grounded out to second, and Vinnie Pasquantino followed with a ground out to first. The Cardinals didn't fare much better as Masyn Winn grounded out to shortstop, Alec Burleson grounded out to first, and after a single from Willson Contreras, Paul Goldschmidt struck out looking. The first inning ended scoreless.Cards Take the Lead
In the bottom of the second, Nolan Arenado homered to center, giving the Cardinals a 1-0 lead
️. We couldn't respond in the top of the second as Salvador Perez, Hunter Renfroe, Freddy Fermin, and MJ Melendez failed to get on base.Falling Behind
Things got a bit rough in the third inning as Alec Burleson homered, driving in Pedro Pagés and extending the Cardinals' lead to 3-0. But we Royals fans knew our team wouldn't give up without a fight
.Big 5th Inning
Our bats woke up in the fifth inning! An exciting ground rule double from Hunter Renfroe started the action. A clutch infield single by Freddy Fermin moved Renfroe to third. Then MJ Melendez doubled to center, scoring Renfroe. Garrett Hampson followed with a double to center, bringing both Fermin and Melendez home. It was all tied up at 3-3!
Taking the Lead
In the sixth inning, Salvador Perez stepped up and smashed a 424-feet homer to center! This gave us a much-needed 4-3 lead. The pitchers kept it tight afterward, with Taylor Clarke holding the Cardinals scoreless in the bottom of the 6th.Solid Defense
Our defense was stellar in the 7th inning. Maikel Garcia and Michael Massey made key plays to ensure the Cardinals remained scoreless, maintaining our one-run lead
.Adding Insurance Runs
The 8th inning saw some crucial insurance runs for the Royals. Maikel Garcia singled, followed by a single from Bobby Witt Jr.. Then, Vinnie Pasquantino hit a sacrifice fly, bringing Garcia home. Salvy Perez added another run when his single brought Witt Jr. in, extending our lead to 6-3.Closing the Deal
Though Paul Goldschmidt tried to rally the Cardinals with a homer in the bottom of the 9th, it wasn't enough
. Nolan Arenado singled and then moved to second on fielder's indifference, but Lars Nootbaar lined out to end the game.Final Score: Royals 6, Cardinals 4
An impressive team effort and a thrilling come-from-behind win! Our Royals showed immense heart and determination to secure a well-earned victory against our interstate rivals.
Scoreboard for Royals @ Cardinals (July 10th, 2024)
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 6 | 0 |
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 9 | 0 |