Premiere Pitching Duel | Wacha and Pasquantino Even the Series vs. Detroit

Premiere Pitching Duel | Wacha and Pasquantino Even the Series vs. Detroit

All right, last thing. In a few moments, we’re going to honor Mike Mustakis. He’s going to officially retire as a Royal. What do you remember about Mike Mustakis? Really special. You know, that that’s that’s going to be fun. You know, I’m sure the crowd will respond to him. What a magnetic personality. Uh that’s what really stood out about him on the field is I don’t know if he was the team leader, but one of the guys that always had that spirit about him that the game was never over. It is a beautiful Saturday afternoon in Kansas City. Mike Mustak is getting his flowers and let’s hopefully Terrick Scooble will get his victory. And here comes Michael Waka trying to slow that Tigers offense down. This will be his second start of the year against Detroit having faced them in April when he squared up against TK Scubble. Neither ended up with a decision in that game. The Royals ended up winning in extra innings. Had a couple of quick outs for Walka here in the first inning. Colt Keith stands in with two outs and the base is empty. And it’s a breaking ball hit to left field and Nick Loftton makes the play. So that’s an eight pitch. Top of the first for Michael Walk. Terrick Scooel making his 12th start of the year. You heard about the spectacular start. The more I thought about that start, Carlos. I felt like that’s one of the greatest starts I’ve ever seen, including no hitters. And of course, we’ve seen great performances, but it was so dominant and Cleveland knew what he was going to do and they couldn’t do anything against him. So, India, Wit, and Perez ball softly to third. Miz chest high throw over to first. Junior homerred in the first inning last night against Casey Mai. He had gone 18 games without a home run. turns into the motion. Deals on the two- two pitch taken. Homeplayed umpire said it was in and that runs it full. Payoff. Got him. A swinging strike three on a change up. That was devastating. And that’s a master class on how to use that pitch. It was a close miss in with that 98 mph fast. And he says, “Okay, I’ll do something else here.” Throws that change up down the way. Fades off the plate. No chance for Bobby Wood Junior. Soft lead to short. Trey Sweeney takes care of Salvador Perez. And it’s a nice one, two, three. Quick first inning for TKO. Into the second we go. No score. And Riley Green will bat first, followed by Spencer Torqulson. And then Winsel Perez. Walka strikes out Riley Green. And back he comes with a change up and strike three called. That just locked him up. Fast ball over the inside edge. Three up, three down. All on strikeouts. And Mikel Garcia, one of the hottest hitters in the big league, stands in to lead off the second inning. Swings the first pitch, line drive center field, drifting back as Wel Perez. He’ll make the over the shoulder catch. One pitch and one out softly to Scooble. He’ll hand it off to Tolkson. Mark Kender grounds out. What does Loftton get on the two- two frozen? Six up, six down. Two strikeouts against one of the best contact teams in the game, TK Scoobles. Just getting started. And now Vinnie Pascantino leads off the third. How about that? Nothing but power against Pasquantino. Why Why mess around? Let’s just dispatch this guy with eight. Three strikeouts for TK Scoo. Brings up Freddy Fine. He’s getting the start behind the plate today. And a base hit into right field for Freddy. And that is the game’s first base runner. Comes with one out in the bottom of the third. Tyrone Blanco steps to the plate. Got it. Back to the change up. Fourth strikeout for Scooble. This begins the second trip through the order. Doesn’t matter for Scooble. First pitch slider. Change up in the same spot. 02 count. Now Scubble can go just about anywhere he wants to here. Frozen. India didn’t like the call, but that is a perfect pitch. Yeah, that was absolutely unfair to Jonathan India. School was absolutely nasty. Pitch by pitch. I’m going to start him off with an off speed pitch slider. Strike one. Yes, Jonathan. Strike two with the change up. Okay, I have to stay back because he’s working me differently now. Well, think again because here comes the heater inside right on the black. 98 mph. You cannot even get your bat off your shoulder. We got a pitcher duel brewing here today. Michael Walka perfect through three. Terry Scooel just about and that misses low and in. It’s ball four. So first Tiger base runner of the game comes on a Glabber Torres walk. Brings up Colt Keith and Keith takes a change up and serves it in the air to right. Easy enough for Marana. Takes a couple of steps forward and makes the catch. Two outs. Two gone for Riley Green. The two-2. It’s Weakley up the middle. India charges. Whit guts in front of him. scoops it up and throws to first in time for the out. Inning over. Michael Walka has given up a walk. Taran Scubble has given up a single and that’s it. Spencer Torqulson and Waka struck him out looking in the second inning and a swing and a miss and a change up down and there’s another strike out for Waka. That’s his fifth. So one out batter is Perez and he went around on a curveball down and that’s another strikeout. Make it six for Waka. Back-to-back case to start the fifth. Swing and a change and a popup right side. First baseman Salvi coming in into foul territory. And Salvi will make the catch. What a pitcher duel. We’re scoreless to the bottom of the pit. And that’ll be Nick Loftton who struck out looking at a fast ball his first time. Soft liner and that’s going to be down for a hit. That was a great at bat for Loftton. He’s on with one out. And the batter is Vinnie Pascantino who struck out his first time. Runner at first, one out. There he goes. Pitch outside. Throw down to second and eight. Got it. Look at that. That’s not a bad jump right there. But it was such a quick release. Perfect. Perfectly executed. The one two got him. A swinging strike three on a change up. Same side change for his seventh strike out of the day. Tigers still looking for their first hit. We’re in the sixth inning. their only base runner, Glaver Torres, who’s on deck, walked and he’ll pull it on the ground to Salvi. Nice backhand. Waka to the bag after a perfect feed by Salvi. And it is another one, two, three inning for Waka. And the only batter who has reached is leading off the seventh inning, Glaver Torres. And that was on a one-out walk. Deep third and a long throw for Garcia. And Salvi stretches and it’s in time for the out. Keith has twice flown out. a grounded into center field and that is the first hit. It comes with one out in the seventh inning and it’s a ground ball base hit and now the crowd stands and cheers and there he is. You saw how pumped Cole Keith was just to get things going for the Tigers. And Riley Green drops one out into shallow left center field and a diving play by Nick Loftton. And a chance for two, but Keith gets back in time. Oh, Nick Loftton is not all that experienced in left field, but he could have fooled you in that one. A full extension Superman dive into a shallow left center. Nick Loftton was levitating to take away a hit from Riley Green. And a breaking ball stayed up, but it’s hit right to Junior. Seven shutout innings for Michael Waka. He allows just two base runners all day. One walk, one single. Six Ks for Waka in seven sterling innings at Kaufman Stadium. Teruba has matched him just about pitchfor. Masterful today to this point. Six innings of two hit ball. He has struck out seven. Softly to short and Trey Sweeney takes care of Michael Garcia. Pump of the fist into the glove for TK Scubble following up that start last weekend. Let’s let’s go ahead and add it up. I mean, it’s ridiculous. 16 innings, no runs on four hits, no walks, and 20 strikeouts. That pretty good consecutive starts. Terry Scubles day is done. Seven scoreless innings. They will flip it to Bo Brriski. Now it’ll be Loftton. Nick has one of the few hits in this game. He singled with one out back in the fifth inning. Loftton pounds it to left field. Back goes Green and it’s over his head and now it rolls back in the opposite direction and that’s an easy one out double for Loftton. All right, Vinnie Pascantino who’s been saying that, you know, I can do better knocking runs in. He’s getting a chance right here. Good point. He put it on himself last night after the game. This is the first at bat with a runner in scoring position for either team ready to make an entrance hoping to bust through those doors and go struting up along the roof of the Hall of Fame. Sure would like to see it. Then he gets a big hit right there. Wind into left field. That’s a hit. Here’s Loftton around third. He’s going to try to score. Throw to the plate. Save for the headlong dive and Vinnie gets the big hit and the Royals lead one- nothing. Vinnie pretty much threw himself under the bus. And man, I I need to hit better with runners in scoring position. There you go. Good example. 96. How far off the plate was that? 5 in. It wasn’t even close to being a strike. That’ll tell you when you go up there and shorten up your swing, you could do damage. Beautiful job. Way to pick him up. Ninth inning, one to nothing Royals. Carlos Estads will come in to pitch and they’ll face the top of the order. So, Carpenter, Torres, Keith way up into the sun. But Junior’s on it and there’s one down. That’s a big league pop up right there. And it’s lifted to center field. Isbel now in center fading back. He’s got plenty of room. And one out to go with Colt Keith coming up. Keith trying to extend this ninth inning and he will. Bounces one into left. How about this? Riley Green gets to bat. Pitch from MZ and a ground ball to first. Zombies got it. steps on the bag. This game is over. And what a game we saw. Final score, Royals won. Detroit nothing. Kubo with another great job, but Michael Walker was able to match him.

Michael Wacha and Tarik Skubal went toe-to-toe, each tossing 7.0 scoreless innings, setting the stage for Vinnie Pasquantino to provide the only offense giving the Royals a win and evening the weekend series.
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