Friday’s game in Kansas City began under grey, dank skies and a temperature of 47 degrees. For most of the game there was a misty rain and the play on the field by the Baltimore Orioles matched the weather as they fell 8-2 to the Kansas City Royals.
The ugliness started in the bottom of the first when Heston Kjerstad misplayed a Salvador Perez fly ball into an out. After seeming to track the ball, Kjerstad lost it and failed to make the put-out. The misplay allowed Bobby Witt Jr to score from first base.
Perez factored into the ugliness again in the fourth inning when Gunnar Henderson was handcuffed on a ground ball. Henderson was charged with an error on the play.
The icing on the ugly cake occurred in the eighth when, with the bases loaded, Tyler O’Neill had a Vinnie Pasquantino fly ball drop in front of him for a base-clearing single. The play was made worse when O’Neill threw the ball into second (no cutoff man was to be found).
Dean Kremer (1-1) started and took the loss for allowing 3 runs, 2 earned, on 8 hits with a strike out and a wild pitch thrown over 4.1 innings.
Cionel Perez took one for the team in the ninth. He allowed 5 runs on 3 hits with a walk, a strike out and a hit batter.
Kjerstad went 2 for 3 with a run scored and 1 RBI.
O’Neill went 1 for 4 with a double.
Cedric Mullins went 1 for 3 with a double and a walk.
Gunnar Henderson went 1 for 4.
2025 Record: 3-5
Next Game: 4/5 @ 4:10 pm in Kansas City vs. Royals