How KC Royals utilized timely hitting to beat Milwaukee Brewers in series opener

The Kansas City Royals’ offense has come in waves this season.

On Monday, the Royals needed a big surge against the Milwaukee Brewers. And it took a while, but they finally got it.

The Royals scored all of their runs in the seventh inning to beat the Brewers 3-2.

“The competitiveness in the at-bats was really good,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “We have seen it over and over. ...

“They just don’t quit. I wish I could put my finger on it and say, ‘Let’s do that in the first.’ But, for whatever reason, when the game gets later, they come through.”

Royals infielders Michael Massey and Maikel Garcia fueled the comeback at Kauffman Stadium.

Massey hit a solo homer to open the seventh and Garcia capped the outburst with a two-run single. The Royals improved to 21-15 and snapped a two-game skid at home.

Milwaukee (20-14) grabbed its 2-0 lead early. Brewers catcher Gary Sanchez hit his fourth home run of the season off Royals left-handed starting pitcher Cole Ragans.

That was one of just three hits the Brewers managed to eke out Monday night. Ragans shook off the homer but earned a no-decision after six innings of work.

“I had the couple of walks early but felt like I settled in,” Ragans said. “A mistake and (Sanchez) made me pay for it. The offense kept going and we won. That’s the biggest thing.”

In the eighth inning, the Brewers attempted a rally of their own. Milwaukee had runners on first and second base against reliever Will Smith.

Brewers rookie Jackson Chourio attempted to steal third base but was thrown out by Royals catcher Salvador Perez. Milwaukee challenged the tag play, but the initial call was upheld after a review.

“It’s huge,” Massey said of the pickoff. “To me, that was the play of the game right there, just being able to stop their rally. You knew they were going to make a push after we kind of took the lead there.”

After the play at third, Smith got Brewers infielder Brice Turang to fly out and end the threat.

“You know, that’s the name of the game: to hold leads in the bullpen,” Smith said. “Sal came up huge right there throwing that guy out at third. It got the momentum back on our side.”

Relief pitcher Chris Stratton worked around a leadoff walk to pick up the save for the Royals.

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Here are more notable aspects of Monday’s game:

Cole Ragans limits Brewers’ offense

Ragans turned in a solid effort against the Brewers. The Royals ace allowed two earned runs in six innings and struck out eight batters.

However, one misplaced fastball hurt.

In the fourth inning, Ragans threw a 95.5 mph heater to Sanchez. The big-league veteran didn’t miss when the ball caught a little too much of the plate.

Sanchez drilled the pitch into the left-field seats. The blast traveled 427 feet, registered a 102.6 mph exit velocity and gave the visitors a 2-0 lead.

Ragans recovered from the mistake and retired his last seven batters. He threw 60 of 95 pitches for strikes and relied primarily on his fastball and changeup to keep the Brewers off-balance.

The changeup registered 16 swings and nine whiffs, per Baseball Savant.

Michael Massey extends hitting streak

The Royals struggled early against the Brewers’ pitching staff.

KC recorded just one hit through six innings against Brewers starter Bryse Wilson. Wilson tossed six scoreless frames, but Milwaukee’s dominance on the mound eventually waned.

Massey led the charge in the seventh inning. He hit a solo home run to extend his hitting streak to a career-high nine games. He drilled an inside fastball into the right-field seats for the Royals’ first run.

It was Massey’s third homer of the season. He is hitting .375 with eight RBIs during his current surge.

What’s ahead on the KC Royals’ schedule?

The Royals continue their three-game series against the Brewers at Kauffman Stadium on Tuesday night.

KC right-hander Seth Lugo (5-1) deaws the start. He leads the American League in wins and has a sterling 1.60 ERA.

The Brewers will start right-handed hurler Colin Rea (3-0, 2.67 ERA). First pitch is set for 6:40 p.m. Central Time.