The Kansas City Royals have a problem, and it’s one that the rest of the league shares.
How do you pitch to Kyle Stowers? After all, over his past 10 at-bats, the Miami Marlins’ All-Star has blasted five home runs and racked up 11 RBIs.
That includes a walk-off, two-run homer in the 10th inning on Friday night, giving the Marlins an 8-7 win over the Royals.
The second game of the series is set for Saturday, and that gives the Royals little time to figure out Stowers.
“What he’s doing is special,” Marlins manager Clayton McCullough said of Stowers. “Kyle is easy to root for because of how humble he is and how hard he works.”
Stowers, who has three walk-off hits this year, is putting up some great numbers in his age 27 season, hitting .298 with 21 homers, 59 RBIs and a .935 OPS.
“I’m at a loss for words,” Stowers said after Friday’s game. “It’s getting crazier and crazier.”
Stowers is a big reason why the Marlins are 20-10 over their past 30 games, with his stellar play helping Miami overcome plenty of adversity.
For example, just prior to Friday’s game, the Marlins announced that starting third baseman Connor Norby is expected to miss up to eight weeks after undergoing surgery on his left wrist over the All-Star break.
Besides Stowers, the Marlins have another big bat in Agustin Ramirez, who leads National League rookies in homers (14), RBIs (42), runs (41) and extra-base hits (35).
As for the Royals, even in defeat, they got some good news on Friday.
First of all, All-Star shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. has at least one hit in 16 of his past 17 games. He also stole his 26th base of the season on Friday. That’s six short of his total from last season and more than halfway toward his career high of 49 set in 2023.
Secondly, rookie left fielder John Rave — who has struggled all season — hit the first two homers of his big-league career. He also drove in four runs and escaped injury while making a running catch and colliding with center fielder Kyle Isbel.
In addition, Adam Frazier — acquired on Wednesday in a trade with the Pirates — had a two-out, two-run, pinch-hit double in the 10th inning that looked like the game-winning hit. That is, until Stowers came to the plate in the bottom of the frame.
Still, the Royals are thrilled about the return of Frazier, who played for the Royals in 2024.
“Adam provides a lot of leadership,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “He instills confidence in the guys. He is versatile and gives you professional at-bats with tons of contact. You can put him in any situation.”
Frazier, a lefty hitter, could start on Saturday when the Marlins pitch right-hander Cal Quantrill (3-8, 5.62 ERA).
Quantrill is 6-0 with a 2.96 ERA in 10 career appearances against the Royals, including seven starts. Against the rest of the majors, Quantrill is 40-42 with an ERA of 4.23.
The Royals will start right-hander Michael Wacha (4-9, 3.74). Wacha is 4-1 with a 3.66 ERA in six career starts against Miami.
The Royals, however, are just 8-11 when Wacha pitches, including four straight losses. Wacha has lost five of his past six decisions.
–Field Level Media
