Three Kansas City Royals got World Series rings at The K. Then they beat the Rangers

Kansas City Royals reliever John Schreiber roared toward his dugout. As he walked off the mound, he threw his fist violently in the air.

Schreiber was pumped … and rightfully so. The Royals veteran had just given his team a chance.

In the seventh inning, Schreiber pitched out of a bases-loaded jam against the Texas Rangers. He allowed two hits and issued a walk before striking out Rangers star Marcus Semien to end the threat.

The Royals remained tied with the Rangers. Then, KC opened the floodgates with a six-run frame en route to a 7-1 victory.

“Schreiber has been excellent,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “That was a funny line for the inning. Two hits, two walks and no runs. To get where we were in that game, we don’t get there without Schreiber.”

Royals captain Salvador Perez led the charge against the Rangers bullpen.

Perez hit a three-run homer that capped the scoring onslaught. He energized the Royals faithful at Kauffman Stadium and earned a curtain call after he rounded the bases.

“Oh that was amazing,” Perez said. “I think in 2021, when I hit the record 48 homers, that was the last time I saw that. It’s pretty special and I appreciate you guys and the fans in Kansas City.”

The Royals also added five singles against Rangers relievers Cole Winn and José Ureña.

Winn surrendered four runs in the inning. He allowed RBI singles to Kyle Isbel and Bobby Witt Jr. Royals designated hitter Vinnie Pasquantino added an RBI single off Ureña before setting the stage for Perez’s home run.

The Royals improved to 20-13. The offense found a way to click down the stretch against the Rangers pitching staff. Prior to the sixth inning, the Royals’ lone run came via a Hunter Renfroe homer.

“We definitely believe in each other,” Renfroe said. “I think that is a big thing as, ‘Hey, we are never out of this.’ Our pitchers have been keeping us in a lot of ball games. We’ve got to go out there and grind out at-bats. And you know, they’ll make mistakes eventually.”

The Rangers (17-16) scored once against Royals starter Brady Singer, who tossed six innings and recorded eight strikeouts.

Schreiber picked up his third victory. Royals reliever Colin Selby also set a record by becoming the 1,000th different player to appear for the Royals in franchise history.

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Here are more notables from Friday’s game:

Brady Singer strikes out eight

Singer produced another quality start on Friday night. The Royals right-hander battled a tough Rangers lineup that included a trio of former All-Stars in Semien, Corey Seager and Adolis Garcia.

And Singer held his own.

Singer allowed one run in six innings. He tossed 67 of his 105 pitches for strikes and produced eight strikeouts. The Rangers scattered four hits against him in the game.

“I didn’t want to walk anybody,” Singer said. “I’ll be honest with you, the last couple of outings I’ve had a few walks and I went in there going to attack the strike zone.”

In the third inning, Semien hit a two-out double into the center-field gap. Next, Seager hit an RBI single as the Rangers took an early 1-0 lead.

However, Singer recovered from the mistake. He retired nine of his last 10 batters faced in his start. He stamped Friday’s outing by striking out Garcia in the sixth inning.

“They were fouling a lot of stuff off,” Singer said. “I was able to make pitches when I needed to.”

Singer registered 24 swings and 11 whiffs with his slider. He also got 14 called strikes with his sinker in the game, per Baseball Savant.

Three Royals receive World Series rings

The Rangers came bearing gifts to Kauffman Stadium.

Prior to Friday’s game, Royals pitchers Cole Ragans, Chris Stratton and Will Smith were presented with their 2023 World Series rings. The trio spent time in the Rangers organization during their championship season.

Both Stratton and Smith remained with the Rangers last season. They played key roles in the Texas bullpen and arrived in KC this offseason.

Meanwhile, Ragans was acquired by the Royals in a midseason deal. He emerged as the Royals ace after posting a 2.64 ERA in 12 starts following the trade.

“That’s a really, really special moment,” Royals general manager J.J. Picollo said pregame. “It’s awesome that they are doing that for those three guys. … It is a really special thing for guys to see. That’s what we are all working for in our careers. Win a World Series.”

The Rangers defeated the Arizona Diamondbacks in the Fall Classic.

What’s next on the KC Royals schedule?

The Royals continue their weekend series against the Rangers.

Royals right-hander Michael Wacha will start against Rangers hurler Dane Dunning on Saturday night at Kauffman Stadium. Wacha owns a 4.24 ERA through six starts. In his last outing, he allowed four runs against the Detroit Tigers.

First pitch is set for 6:10 p.m. Central.