Nick at Nite | Nick Loftin Plays Hero vs. Pirates

Nick at Nite | Nick Loftin Plays Hero vs. Pirates

On the mound for the Royals tonight, right-hander Seth Lugo. And he’s been on a roll. Six and a third innings of one-run ball his last time out. And now over his last six starts, he has a 129 RA in the air to center field right at Kyle Isbel. One down. And this to the left center field gap. He just keeps on keeping on. Tommy Fam will have a one out double. Yeah, he’s just used the middle field really well. Left center, right center. And now Reynolds strokes it to right field. Kaggleó makes a play and at the last moment had to jerk his neck to avoid getting hit in the nose. Woo! Man, you know what? Glasses on backwards. I guess he didn’t need him, but that’s as tough Sunfield and a tough liner. Breaking ball is lifted out into, you guessed it, right field. Not quite as tough a chance because the ball was elevated. It was not a line drive in the sun. Kaggle Leone had no problem with that. Mitch Keller, what he’s been able to do just as a workhorse for this Pirates pitching staff. Quality starts all throughout. Looking to have one here. Kinder Falefa goes on to first and a little low throw but easy for Horowitz. One out. Back to the middle. Tougher play for Ker Fa on a long bounce and it gets by Horwitz. Joel keeps it in play and Bobby will be at first base with one out. Ah, it’s got to be a hit. Soft liner center field and that’s down. Junior turns and holds and Vinnie has another hit and the Royals have two on with one out. And a fly ball Sinsky and Cruz and it’s Sinsky setting up for the throw. Whit will tag and two outs and Mitch Keller strikes out Salvador Perez scoreless after one. Inning number two and O’Neal Cruz leads off for the Pirates. We were telling you about his speed. He also strikes out a lot and that is number 114 for him this year and that’s the most frustrating of strikeouts. You have a long atbat like that and then you don’t take a swing at a fast ball right down the middle. Fast ball, strike three called. So, two called third strikes here in the inning and the Pirates go down in order to the bottom of the second, no score. Jack Kaggleó leads off for the Royals. Bottom of the second, no score. And Kaggleó lines one into deep right center field and gone in a flash. 19° launch angle, which is not very high. That’s a frozen rope. And that’s his first home run at Kaufman Stadium. There have only been four balls that have resulted in a home run this whole season. 420 ft or farther at that launch angle. That just speaks to his power. Lugo has retired seven of the first eight. And now he’s on with a one out walk. And Horitz lifts it to straightaway right field. Kagleon drifts back, reaches up, makes the catch chest high, and Horitz is out, two gone. That is a called third strike. So Seth Lugo has had three full counts tonight. And in each of those at bats, he’s gotten a call. Third strike. Back to the top of the order. Keller versus India. Strike three call. Second K for Keller. That might have been that two seamer that just backs up. Keller gets some swinging. Whit says he fouled it, but he did not. Oh, big swing from the big man. A fast ball up and he strikes out the side in order. Fourks for Keller. One- nothing KC. O’Neal Cruz has the highest average exit velocity of 110 miles per hour on his home runs this season in the world. We’ll get to see that on display at the home run derby as it was announced today that O’Neal will be a participant. A highf fly ball to right field. O’Neal Cruz. He’s going to the home run derby. And that was a towering home run for O’Neal Cruz. His 16th the day he is announced as a participant. He delivers. 458 ft. Tied up at one here in the fifth. Line drive left field and it’ll be a fair ball and extra bases for Henry Davis. A double. Davis to third and Salvi’s throw is going to be in time. Davis thought he had caught Lugo not paying attention to him. Good time to attempt your first stolen base of the year, I guess, but not really. And he swings and hits a one hopper. Short hop by Loftton played at second. throw to first and the one out double gave us a little pause but Lugo erased it. Pop up to short. Fly ball to left. Now Keller faces Kyle Isel and a strike three called. Look at that fast ball that catches the edge. What a night for Keller. Five Ks 1-1. Top of the order. Third time around now. Jonathan India against Mitch Keller who was set down a dozen in a row. Swing and a soft pop toward short and caught by Connor Falefa. One out. A good looking sinker in on the hands of Jonathan India by Mitch Keller right there. Came in at 92 mph. Swing fly ball center field. Cruise back a few steps. That’s the second out. Two are gone. 14 in a row retired by Keller. Here’s Pasquantino who had a base hit back in the first inning. Swinging a soft ground ball onto second and Gonzalez clips it to first and the inning is over. 15 in a row sent down by Mitch Keller. Pirates coming to bat in the seventh. Both pitchers dealing here tonight. Three hits a piece. Lugo retire the side in order twice. Nick Gonzalez leads off. Fly ball at deep center field to the wall and clear the deck. Cannonball coming. Nikki Gad central. His fourth gives the Pirates a 2-1 lead. And that’ll do it for Seth Lugo. So he allows two solo home runs in six plus innings. So he was in some trouble in the first inning, but some trouble was just two on with one out. and he didn’t give up a run. Then the home run to Kaggleó in the second and he has cruised since then. He has retired 16 Royals in a row. 18 of 19. So it’s an air on Davis. And that’s the Royals first true base runner since the first inning. And now Nick Loftton with a runner at first. Two down. And Loftton lifts it down the left field lineing toward the corner. That ball is gone. A go ahead two-run homer for Nick Loftton. He’s homered in back-to- back games. The Royals lead three-2 in the bottom of the seventh inning. Just pitched a couple of days ago, put in and the Royals shut out win over the Diamondbacks. Yeah. And you know what? You you have a lot of confidence with him coming in. That’s for sure. Cuz he has extreme stuff. There’s a base hit into right field. Connor Falefa is on with a one out single to right. That may have hit Kinder Fa. And he’s going to move up to second base. Man, that’s an unfortunate miscue there. Banner Fa was able to go to second and now ball four. Well, Ersa certainly raised the tension in this inning and the potential tying run now at second base and the potential go-ahad run now at first base. And he is on with the walk to load the bases. If anybody could use a hit here, it is Brian Reynolds bouncing ball right side. They get one. That’s all they get. And the Pirates have tied the game. Well, the Royals did everything possible to turn that into a double play. Tried to make up the difference. And Brian Rimles knew the importance of getting down that line for sure. He was really getting after it. Grounded to Junior. So, couple of walks, an air, and a pass ball. And really, the Royals are fortunate. They only gave up one. And Dennis Santana will stay on to try and go two innings. He’s done that once this season. That was back in April. He faces Muel Garcia. line base hit left field. And now you have a base runner and you have speed at first base. And Salvi lines it to left field. Garcia around second and holds. And the Royals have two on with nobody out. Fly ball to right. Sinsky back. Sinsky makes the catch. What a job to get that ball in. Winning run does go to third, but double play still in order. Santana exits. Here comes Isaac Matson. Loftton hot looking for a cookie. either hole. That’s all you need. A lousy single. Wide center field and down. And Nick Loftton wins it in the bottom of the ninth. Nick Loftton who hit the two-run home run in the seventh. He singles into left center field to win the

The Royals received home runs from Jac Caglianone and Nick Loftin and won a thriller, walking off the Pirates and securing the series!
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