‘It’s who we’re’: KC displays fight, coronary heart in W

KANSAS CITY — As rapidly as Nicky Lopez singled up the heart in the bottom of the eighth inning Monday night, Royals first-unsightly coach Rusty Kuntz used to be at Lopez’s side, whispering the details of what Lopez main to originate to glean in scoring situation for Salvador Perez.

On Astros reliever Yimi García’s low and out of doorways slider to Perez, Lopez used to be off and working for his third stolen unsightly of the sport, offering the tempo and baserunning the Royals main of their sequence opener in opposition to Houston.

The Royals’ catcher delivered an opposite-self-discipline single to achieve Whit Merrifield from third and Lopez from 2nd in the Royals’ 7-6 consume over the Astros on Monday night at Kauffman Stadium, snapping Kansas City’s four-game losing budge.

After struggling a sweep by the Cardinals in three tricky losses this weekend, this used to be the roughly game the Royals main to consume.

“We talked about it sooner than the sport and made certain guys understood: It’s who we’re,” supervisor Mike Matheny acknowledged. “Don’t lose peek of it. We performed three games that I felt had been very uncharacteristic the final sequence. We didn’t show the roughly fight. It wasn’t savor us. We squawk about groups having brief memories, it’s quite exceptional how these guys neglect about the final one and attain relief and hang going.”

Perez delivered the sport-a hit hit, but it undoubtedly used to be Lopez who had his palms — and legs — everywhere in the attach Monday night’s game. The shortstop stole three bases in the final two innings to achieve the proceed-forward urge in the seventh and game-a hit urge in the eighth. It used to be Lopez’s first occupation multi-consume game and the 2nd three-consume game this season for the club, joining Merrifield on June 19 in Boston.

“That’s the Kansas City Royals’ game for as lengthy as I could maybe also be aware,” Astros supervisor Dusty Baker acknowledged. “No longer easiest are they aggressive, but they bought tempo. They’re main the sector in stolen bases.”

Earlier than he could maybe compose a urge, Lopez main to purchase a urge far from the Astros. After Royals starter Carlos Hernández — who gave up four runs in six-plus innings — exited with a runner on 2nd unsightly with no outs in the seventh inning, reliever Jake Brentz struck out Jason Castro after which bought a floor ball to Lopez.

The unhurried-rolling ball allowed Lopez to discover the runner taking off for third, so he flipped the ball to Emmanuel Rivera for the fielder’s replace out. And it paid off when Jose Altuve lined his third single of the night sooner than Brentz could maybe pause the frame with out a urge scored.

“Earlier than that at-bat, I advised Rivera, ‘Hey if he runs, I’ll attain to you with it,’” Lopez acknowledged. “I’m ragged to taking half in 2nd unsightly, so it used to be roughly savor a 2nd-unsightly flip.”

That play saved the sport tied when Lopez came to bat in the bottom of the seventh. He worked a five-pitch leadoff stroll in opposition to reliever Ryne Stanek, then promptly stole 2nd unsightly.

Then he stole third unsightly.

Carlos Santana poked a single that beat the drawn-in and shifted infield, scoring Lopez easily and giving the Royals the lead.

“He’s getting smarter on the bases,” Matheny acknowledged. “He’s trusting Rusty more. Rusty Kuntz is particular with how he prepares these guys and what they’re taking a discover for. … It’s that roughly neat basestealing, neat baserunning that Rusty brings that these guys have an interest to study.”

After the Astros re-tied the sport on Aledmys Díaz’s RBI single in the eighth, Kuntz used to be next to Lopez again in the bottom of the frame, atmosphere him as much as glean to 2nd for Perez’s game-a hit knock.

“Nicky has been exceptional,” Perez acknowledged. “Especially this day, will get to 2nd unsightly, ‘OK, I purchased to glean to third unsightly. I purchased Salvy and Carlos in the aid of me.’ Issues savor that. He is aware of what he can originate and can’t originate …

“My job is bringing those guys in.”

The Royals stole four bases Monday night, including the three from Lopez and one from Merrifield for his Major League-main 34th of the season.

“I used to be ready to glean the golf green gentle, and every and every pitch, [Kuntz] does a legit job of whispering in my ear what to discover for,” Lopez acknowledged. “We bought to perfect counts and ideal opportunities to urge, and he acknowledged, ‘Hey, in case you bought it, proceed.’ I study from the easiest. [Kuntz] is aware of his stuff.

“And in case you study Whit consume all those baggage, you roughly consume a thing or two. No pun supposed.”