The Royals fall to the Yankees 6-3 on June 12, 2025, dropping to .500 despite a late Salvador Perez homer. Can KC bounce back from this tough loss?
StatPro MLB Beat Reporter
It was a classic case of too little, too late at The K on Thursday. After eight innings of offensive frustration, the Royals finally woke up in the ninth, but the damage was already done. A 6-3 loss to the New York Yankees not only sealed the series win for the visitors but pushed the Royals back to a .500 record, a frustrating milestone after a promising start to the season.
The Royals are now 4-6 in their last 10 games, with a collective 4.90 ERA during that stretch.
For much of the afternoon, it felt like the Royals' bats were on ice. Yankees starter Clarke Schmidt was masterful, carving through the lineup for six shutout innings with seven strikeouts. The game was essentially decided in a nightmare second inning where the Yankees hung a five-spot on starter Kris Bubic, fueled by a big two-RBI single from Paul Goldschmidt. Bubic battled but ultimately took the loss, surrendering five runs in 4.1 innings. Just when a shutout seemed inevitable, the ninth inning brought a spark. Salvador Perez launched his 9th homer of the year, a two-run shot that breathed life into the crowd. Vinnie Pasquantino, who had singled earlier, scored on the play, and Tyler Gentry later drove in another run with an infield single. It was a valiant effort, but the hole was just too deep to climb out of.
Thursday's loss wasn't just a single defeat; it was the culmination of a difficult stretch that has seen the team's momentum stall. Falling to 34-34 brings a psychological weight. The numbers tell the story of the slump: a 4-6 record over the last 10 games, accompanied by a bloated 4.90 team ERA and a .288 batting average that, while decent, hasn't produced enough timely hits. The late offensive flurry is a positive sign, but the starting pitching and overall consistency have been lacking. The team needs to find a way to stop the bleeding and avoid dipping into losing territory.
The struggles on the field are compounded by the lengthy list of names on the injured list. The team continues to miss key contributors like Michael Massey, Hunter Harvey, Lucas Erceg, and James McArthur, among others. With no new roster moves or positive injury updates on Thursday, the current squad will have to be the one to pull the team out of this funk. While the farm system boasts exciting depth, especially at catcher with prospects like Blake Mitchell and Carter Jensen, no cavalry is riding to the rescue just yet. The solution, for now, must come from within the clubhouse.
Dropping the series to a tough Yankees team and falling to .500 is a gut punch, there's no way around it. But the ninth-inning fight shows this team hasn't quit. The challenge now is to channel that late-game energy into a full nine innings. The Royals need to regroup, get a quality start from their next pitcher, and find a way to manufacture runs early. The next series is crucial to stop this slide and prove that this team's identity is that of a contender, not a .500 ballclub.
