The Royals fell to the A's 6-4 on June 14, 2025, extending their losing streak. Despite a late rally from Nick Loftin, Michael Wacha's struggles continued.
StatPro MLB Beat Reporter
Another day, another frustrating result at The K. The Kansas City Royals dropped their fourth consecutive game on Saturday, falling 6-4 to the Oakland Athletics in a contest that felt all too familiar. A promising start was undone by shaky starting pitching and a disastrous sixth inning, leaving a ninth-inning rally to fall just short and sending fans home wondering when this slide will finally end.
Nick Loftin sparked a late Royals rally with a two-run triple in the ninth, but the comeback fell short.
Things started off on the right foot when Salvador Perez drove in a run with a first-inning double, giving the home crowd an early jolt of energy. But the lead was short-lived. The A's, who snapped their own road losing streak with the win, answered back with home runs from Austin Wynns and Luis Urías off starter Michael Wacha. The real damage came in the sixth inning. After Wacha was pulled, reliever Steven Cruz entered a high-leverage situation and couldn't find the plate, issuing a bases-loaded walk before Max Muncy broke the game open with a two-run single. A late, ninth-inning triple from Nick Loftin brought the Royals within striking distance, but it was too little, too late.
The spotlight is squarely on the starting rotation right now, and particularly on Michael Wacha. His final line—5.1 innings, nine hits, five earned runs—continued a troubling trend. What was once a reliable veteran presence has become a point of concern, putting immense pressure on an already taxed bullpen. While Taylor Clarke's two scoreless innings were a welcome sight, the struggles of Wacha and the subsequent meltdown from the bullpen in the sixth highlight a growing problem for a team with playoff aspirations. Consistency from the mound is a must, and right now, it's missing.
So, where do the Royals go from here? In the immediate future, they'll hand the ball to Michael Lorenzen (4-6, 4.94 ERA) for the series finale, hoping he can be the stopper they desperately need. Looking bigger picture, the front office has options. Despite the big-league club's skid, the farm system remains a source of strength, with promising arms like Ben Kudrna and Blake Wolters, and the exciting 2024 first-rounder Jac Caglianone developing. This organizational depth could become crucial trade capital if the team decides it needs to acquire a proven arm to stabilize the rotation for a second-half push.
It's a tough stretch, no doubt about it. Four straight losses sting, especially when the starting pitching, once a bedrock, shows cracks. But the season is a marathon, not a sprint. All eyes now turn to Michael Lorenzen, who has the unenviable task of playing stopper tomorrow. A strong outing could be the deep breath this team desperately needs to reset and get back in the win column. Let's hope he's up to the challenge.
