Royals take advantage of a 10th-inning error to beat Nationals 1-0 and hold onto 2nd AL wild card spot

Kyle Isbel ended Kansas City’s 27-inning scoreless drought by racing home on a throwing error in the 10th inning, while Cole Ragans allowed three hits over six innings.

The Royals secured a 1-0 victory against the Washington Nationals on Tuesday night, maintaining their position for the second American League wild card.

Isbel, serving as the automatic runner to start the 10th, advanced to third base on Bobby Witt Jr.’s infield single to shortstop and scored due to Nasim Nuñez’s errant throw to first base, thereby halting Kansas City’s seven-game losing streak.

“It’s a bit of a relief,” Ragans remarked. “We understood that it would likely take a game like this to get us back on track.”

Both Kansas City and Detroit stand at 83-74, with the Royals holding the tiebreaker advantage. Each team is two games ahead of Minnesota.

After three consecutive games without a hit with a runner in scoring position, the Royals managed to go 2 for 11 in such situations on Tuesday, although they did not score any runs.

“There’s certainly frustration, but tonight felt more like disbelief,” stated Royals manager Matt Quatraro. “We know we are too talented a team for this to persist for an extended period.”

Kyle Finnegan (3-7) managed to navigate the 10th inning without further issues, but the Nationals suffered their seventh loss in eight games.

“Our defense was solid until that one moment,” commented Nationals manager Dave Martinez. “It really came down to a single play, execution, and our inability to make contact with the ball.”

Lucas Erceg delivered a flawless performance in the 10th inning, securing his 12th save and ninth with the Royals by striking out Joey Gallo for the final out, following Gallo's near home run that veered just foul of the right-field pole on a 3-2 pitch.

"You can never assume that the runner will be left on base," Quatraro remarked regarding Erceg, who was acquired by Kansas City from Oakland during this year's trade deadline. "However, you certainly feel optimistic about the situation."

Ragans recorded six strikeouts in his fourth consecutive outing of six or more innings, bringing his September ERA down to 1.08.

Kris Bubic successfully prevented a run from scoring on third base in the seventh inning, while Sam Long contributed a scoreless eighth. Angel Zerpa (2-0) then completed a perfect ninth inning, leading the game into extra innings.