Royals bloodied in Game 3, but still hold ALCS lead
TORONTO – Just like first baseman Eric Hosmer’s lower lip, the Kansas City Royals are a bit bloodied, but far from broken.
The Royals took an 11-8 defeat on the chin Monday night as the Toronto Blue Jays knocked starter Johnny Cueto out in the third inning. Yet there were still some positives to take away from Game 3.
Hosmer is fine after getting an up-close look at a foul ball that hit him in the mouth. “Bounced off the dirt and came right back up,” he explained. “It’s just swollen, that’s about it. I don’t really feel anything right now. … There’s no pain.”
Despite the loss, the Royals feel the same way. They still hold a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven American League Championship Series and won’t have much time to dwell on the loss with Game 4 set for Tuesday afternoon.
“It’s easier to forget what happened tonight,” said third baseman Mike Moustakas about the short turnaround. “But this team has no problems doing that. We’re going to forget about what happened today and go out tomorrow and win a ballgame.”
The Royals also have to be encouraged that although they trailed 9-2 after three innings, they kept battling back.
“The guys in here, they play hard every game, no matter what the score is,” said shortstop Alcides Escobar. “Always we got a chance. That’s 27 outs. If you don’t make the 27th out, you got a chance.”
The 26th and 27th outs proved to be especially difficult as Kansas City scored four runs in the ninth to create some anxious moments for the partisan Rogers Centre crowd. Although they never got the tying run as close as the on-deck circle, the Royals did force the Jays to use closer Roberto Osuna.
“If he’s got to work (Tuesday), then you know he’s coming back on back-to-back days,” Hosmer said. “Hopefully, that can be in our favor and maybe help us out a little bit.”
The one concern from the loss, however, was the dreadful outing from dreadlocked starter Johnny Cueto.
After retiring the last 19 Houston Astros he faced in the decisive fifth game of the division series, Cueto seemed to labor from the outset Monday night.
“The mound was a little high and different from the bullpen mound,” he said through interpreter and catching coach Pedro Grifol. “But that’s not an excuse.”
Cueto escaped unscathed in the first inning despite throwing 25 pitches. But he ran into trouble in the second when he couldn’t put away No. 9 hitter Ryan Goins after getting ahead 0-2.
“(Cueto) just really struggled with his command,” manager Ned Yost said. “Got his pitch count up and just couldn’t make an adjustment.”
Goins got the Jays on the board with a two-run single and Josh Donaldson plated another with a single of his own to put Toronto up 3-1.
Cueto never got an out in the third as Troy Tulowitzki hit a three-run homer to send the crowd into a frenzy.
“Once they got something going, you knew it was going to be loud,” Hosmer said. “Even coming in here up 2-0, you still know it’s going to be a battle.”
Fortunately for Hosmer and the Royals, the wounds should heal quickly.
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