The Kansas City Royals are on a mission. With just 14 regular-season games remaining, however, their postseason odds have grown dire.
Not many teams have overcome a five-game deficit in a playoff chase this late in the season. The Royals are currently trailing the Seattle Mariners — and now the Houston Astros, by virtue of a tiebreaker — for the third and final American League wild-card spot.
The Rangers and Guardians are also ahead of the Royals in the chase for the playoffs. The Royals are looking to return to the postseason for a second straight year.
“Probably could interview 100 people, and I would assume 100 people would say we aren’t going to make the playoffs,” Royals second baseman Michael Massey said before Friday’s series opener against the Phillies in Philadelphia. “What does this clubhouse have to lose going out and playing free every night?”
It’s the right attitude, but time is running out for the Royals.
After a “gut-punch” loss to the Cleveland Guardians Thursday night — and a series-opening defeat at the Philadelphia Phillies on Friday — the Royals need to pile up victories and also get some help from other teams in the mix.
If this sounds like a movie script from the “Mission Impossible” franchise, the Royals need a signature Tom Cruise moment.
These Royals have gotten hot before. In early May, they won 10 of 13 against the Tampa Bay Rays, Baltimore Orioles, Chicago White Sox and Boston Red Sox.
That winning streak coincided with the Royals playing complementary baseball. The pitching staff did the heavy lifting and the offense produced timely hits.
“We have comfort that we can go out and play with anybody,” Massey said. “So we proved it last year and proved it through parts this year. … I don’t think it’s a question of whether we have the talent to do it and whether or not we have the guys to do it.
“It’s just a matter of, can we go one day at a time and play good baseball? You know, take care of what’s in front of us.”
If the Royals want to be in position for a last-ditch postseason run, they indeed need another hot stretch against top-tier opponents. This weekend’s games against the Phillies are super important, and wins won’t come easily: Philadelphia is playoff-bound in the National League.
The Royals sent right-handed pitcher Michael Lorenzen to the mound for the series opener. He did not fare well in Friday’s loss at Citizens Bank Park, the first of three games here this weekend.
“The mentality is that we’ve got to win today,” Royals infielder Jonathan India said before Friday’s first pitch. “We can’t think about the next game, but we have to win today. We’ve got to find a way and see what we can do with these last 15 games.”
Two years ago, Lorenzen threw a no-hitter on this mound for the Phillies. Facing his former team and looking to preserve the Royals’ playoff hopes, he took a 4.63 season ERA into the series opener (though he had been pitching better since returning from an oblique injury).
The Royals have received some quality starts from their rotation this year. It’s enabled them to contend late in games despite an often inconsistent offense. Now, they need something or someone to spark their final stretch of the season.
“We just need that one game where someone breaks out with a lot of passion and a lot of fire,” India said. “And it lights a fire under everyone.”
An opportunity-filled schedule is laid out in front of them. After these three games in Philly, KC returns to Kauffman Stadium for a homestand against the Mariners and Toronto Blue Jays.
“It’s just playing smart baseball and taking advantage of the things that are in your control,” Massey said. “It’s trying to simplify and get a good pitch to hit. Throw strikes and play good defense. All those things add up over time. … The only thing we can worry about at this point is today. It’s a pretty good mantra.”
The Royals’ regular season concludes with a six-game road trip against the Los Angeles Angels and the Athletics. No matter whom the Royals are playing, though, they need to win.
After this weekend’s series in Philadelphia, the Royals return home for back-to-back series against the Seattle Mariners and Toronto Blue Jays starting on Tuesday.
“We’ve gotta find a way,” India said. “It’s late, so we know it’s time to go.”