Nelson Velazquez receives a suspension letter from the Kansas City Royals management due to his reactions…
The Royals’ improbable 4-3 triumph over the San Diego Padres on Sunday was built on a series of firsts. Nelson Velazquez provided the game’s most electrifying moment when he banged his first triple as a Royal off the Boulevard sign in left-center field in the ninth.
The blast scored two and tied the game 3-3 at Kauffman Stadium. Nick Loftin then lifted a fly ball deep enough to right field for a game-winning sacrifice fly, his first career walk-off RBI.
The three-run ninth made Will Klein, in his third major-league game, a winning pitcher for — you guessed it — the first time. But he didn’t get the ball. “It’s pretty cool, I’m not going to lie,” said Klein, who pitched a 1-2-3 ninth. “But I think Nick’s got that one. My ball probably got tossed and scuffed somewhere.
” The Royals appeared to be a scuffed team entering the ninth. They trailed 3-1 and looked bad falling behind in the eight, when a wild pickoff attempt from reliever Angel Zerpa opened the door for a two-run inning.
Heading into a series against the AL Central-leading Cleveland Guardians, the Royals were facing the prospect of a season-long losing streak — and getting swept for the first time in 2024.
Then came the ninth inning. Vinnie Pasquantino led off with a single against Padres reliever Yuki Matsui and then Salvador Perez drew a walk.
