It was a tough night at the office for the Kansas City Royals.

The Royals got a look at premier MLB ace Ranger Suarez on Saturday night at Kauffman Stadium. Suarez, who returned from the 15-day injured list after lower back tightness, didn’t miss a beat in guiding the Philadelphia Phillies to an 11-2 victory.

It was a night made worse by other results around the AL Central, with a month and change to go in the regular season.

First, for Saturday’s game, Suarez allowed one run in five innings. He picked up his 11th victory by limiting the Royals to four hits and striking out six batters.

“He was tough,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “You know, he was locating like crazy. … Any time we were looking for a fastball, he threw a change, and vise-versa. You’ve got to tip your cap to how he pitched.”

The Phillies did their damage against Royals starter Brady Singer.

Catcher J.T. Realmuto belted a three-run homer in the sixth inning as Philadelphia took a four-run lead. It was his ninth home run.

Singer dealt with a lot of traffic on the basepaths. He allowed five runs and 11 hits in five innings. Phillies trio Trea Turner, Bryce Harper and Austin Hays recorded RBIs in the victory.

“I had to compete,” Singer said. “I had some traffic throughout the whole game, but I felt like I made some good pitches when I needed to. And, obviously, they capitalized on a few of those pitches.”

Singer suffered his ninth loss. The Phillies collected 18 hits to even the three-game series.

In the eighth inning, Realmuto capped the victory with a second three-run homer. This time, he clobbered an 85.4 mph changeup off Royals reliever Chris Stratton.

Realmuto finished with a career-high seven RBIs.

“They beat us up pretty good,” Quatraro said. “But we did not do the things we can control as well as we can do them. Some of it is on us and some of it you’ve got to credit them.”

Royals designated hitter Freddy Fermin accounted for the lone offense. He hit an RBI single in the fifth inning and a sacrifice fly in the seventh.

KC dropped to 72-57.

Missed previous Royals coverage?

Game 1: Royals begin difficult 20-game stretch with home win

Personal Best: Salvador Perez, Hunter Renfroe reach career milestones against Phillies

Here are more notables from Saturday’s game:

Royals run themselves out of scoring chance

The Royals let a few opportunities slip against the Phillies.

In the third inning, outfielder Dairon Blanco got aboard with a leadoff walk and represented the second baserunner of the game. Kyle Isbel moved Blanco into scoring position with a sacrifice bunt.

However, Blanco wouldn’t advance further. As the lineup flipped over, third baseman Maikel Garcia hit a ground ball weakly back to Suarez. Blanco failed to advance on contact and remained at second.

The Royals now faced a two-out situation. Blanco still represented the tying run as KC star Bobby Witt Jr. stepped to the plate.

Witt wouldn’t get a chance to drive the runner in. Instead, Blanco attempted to steal third base and was thrown out to end the inning.

“That’s completely on me,” Quatraro said. “I need to put the red light on there and I didn’t. We need to let Bobby hit there, but that’s my responsibility.”

KC defense faltered too …

Later, the Royals struggled in the field.

There was a misplay in the sixth inning where second baseman Michael Massey and right fielder Hunter Renfroe allowed a ball to drop between them.

“(Renfroe) and I were going at it and no one called it,” Massey said. “And then I called it late. Felt like I heard something out there and he didn’t end up calling it, actually. So that’s my fault. Got to do a better job listening for him.”

Later, Phillies second baseman Bryson Stott lined a single that took a funny hop in front of Massey. Both plays led to Realmuto’s home run.

“That’s what good teams do right,” Massey said. “They take advantage of your mistakes and, you know, make you pay for it.”

Postseason update

The Royals lost ground in the American League Central on Saturday night.

Both the Cleveland Guardians (74-55) and Minnesota Twins (72-57) won their respective games. As a result, the Royals fell two games behind the Guardians for first place in the American League Central.

On Monday, the Royals and Guardians will begin a critical four-game series at Progressive Field. The Twins are now tied with the Royals in the divisional standings. Minnesota defeated the St. Louis Cardinals at home.

In the AL Wild Card picture, the Royals slid to the final playoff spot. They are 3.5 games ahead of the Boston Red Sox (67-61) after both teams lost on Saturday.

What’s next on the KC Royals schedule?

The Royals finish their six-game homestand against the Phillies. KC ace Seth Lugo will start on Sunday afternoon.

Lugo is tied for the MLB lead with 14 wins this season. He owns a 3.04 ERA in 13 home starts at Kauffman Stadium.

The Phillies are expected to start left-hander Kolby Allard, who has a 3.46 ERA in three appearances (two starts) this year.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) – Community members came together to honor Civil Rights activists in the past and present of Jackson County, Missouri, as 100 names were added to a historic monument.

Jackson County, Missouri, Legislator Venessa Huskey has announced that the names of those who have made significant contributions to Civil Rights in the area were added to the Monument to Freedom, Justice & Courage during the Honoree Celebration & Recognition Ceremony.

Huskey noted that the event took place at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 24, at the Leon Jordan Memorial Park, 31st and Benton Blvd.

The Legislator indicated that the monument has space for 500 memorial plaques – a total of 1,000 honorees. Up to 100 individuals are chosen to be added to the monument each year. It was erected in 2014. This year was also the third installment of names.

Community leaders said the Leon Jordan Memorial Statue is believed to be the first public monument built in honor of an African-American leader in the Show-Me State. It is also the first public monument to be designed and built by an African American artist in Missouri.

Copyright 2024 KCTV. All rights reserved.

Flory Bidunga

Center | Kansas

Height: 6’10” | Weight: 220 lbs 

2025 Draft Age: 20.09

Although he’s an undersized big from a height standpoint, Bidunga makes up for it with great length and elite athleticism. He’s naturally gifted from a physical standpoint and is well-developed for his age. He’s one of the most athletic frontcourt players in the country and has an NBA-ready frame that still has more room to add strength and bulk. 

What makes Bidunga special is how well he moves at his size. Not only can he bully players with his strength, but he’s also incredibly fluid and mobile. The Kansas freshman is an elite rim runner who gets out in transition and makes things happen. His top speed is unmatched for a player of his size. 

In both transition and halfcourt settings, Bidunga is an incredible lob threat. He spaces the floor vertically with his effortless bounce and dominant explosiveness. He moves with assertiveness and great mobility when diving to the rim. While Bidunga isn’t super effective yet at putting the ball on the deck and getting to the rim on his own, he’s fantastic at establishing position and getting the ball in the post. He boasts good footwork and can overpower defenders. The Kansas prospect is a good scorer once he’s gotten deep in the post and loves the lefty hook — leveraging his dominant hand. 

Bidunga is not a floor spacer as of today and his free throw shooting hasn’t been great to this point. But he still brings a ton to the table even with a more traditional big skillset. He can step out and knock down shorter midrange shots, but his game is generally predicated around the paint. He’s a phenomenal rebounder on both ends of the floor and plays with great energy when crashing the boards. 

On the defensive end, Bidunga is a very good shot blocker with his athleticism and natural feel from a timing standpoint. He sometimes gets lost defensively, so he needs to become more disciplined as a team defender. Even then, his physical tools allow him to be disruptive on that end, as long as he doesn’t get in foul trouble.

The former five-star recruit has only been playing basketball in the United States for a few years. He is originally from Congo, Africa and is still rapidly improving. Bidunga plays with energy, effort and hustle while also radiating positive energy. He is a great team player and is just now scratching the surface of his potential. 

Late First-Round Pick in 2025 NBA Draft.

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