3 Kansas City Royals to blame for Game 1 loss to Yankees: NYY wins MVP showdown

The Kansas City Royals were on the wrong side of a 6-5 scoreboard in Game 1 of the ALDS against the New York Yankees. It was a back-and-forth affair, true to expectations as an age-old rivalry is rekindled on the national stage. We couldn't have asked for a better product. Well, maybe we could've.

One of the major storylines from this game was the Ump Show. At least in Kansas City, as many Royals fans felt their team was battling more than just the Yankees on Saturday. I am not here to feed into conspiracies, but yeah, there were a few wonky calls in New York's favor. "Home cooking" and whatnot.

The Royals led at multiple points throughout the game, but an RBI single from Alex Verdugo of all people gave New York the lead in the bottom of the seventh. That was all she wrote, as the game ended with a four-out save from Yankees vet Luke Weaver.

This was not the worst possible outcome for Kansas City. It's clear the Royals can hang with the Yankees and it's only the first of what could end up being five games. Kansas City is a Game 2 upset away from winning home-field advantage and flipping the narrative.

Neither AL MVP candidate, Aaron Judge nor Bobby Witt Jr., recorded a hit in this game. That ought to change in the days to come. We are in for a competitive and hard-fought series, so buckle in, folks.

In the meantime, let's blame some Royals.

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3. Vinne Pasquantino couldn't come through in the heart of the order

Vinne Pasquantino's return from the IL for the Royals' Wild Card showdown with the Baltimore Orioles was a major storyline. From an incredible social media reveal to the immediate impact of Pasquantino's bat, it was a perfectly timed boost for one of the AL's hottest teams. The Royals mowed through Baltimore in two games to earn a ticket to New York.

Pasquantino, in all fairness, is still just a few games returned from a significant thumb injury. He fractured it in August and was able to pull off an unexpectedly quick turnaround, but that doesn't mean there isn't rust to shake off. It's only natural for the veteran DH to go through ups and downs.

Well, Saturday afternoon was a pretty severe downturn. Pasquantino went 0-for-4 with a strikeout. He happened to be the tying run at the plate with two outs in the top of the ninth inning against a beatable reliever. We can't realistically blame Pasquantino for failing to hit a home run with the game on the line, but he was the Royals' last hope and he did not deliver. That just compounds a game full of bad swings and general underperformance.

Pasquantino is typically a very disciplined hitter — he finished the regular season in the 96th percentile for strikeout rate (12.8 percent). He couldn't find the gaps in this game, however, and New York's bullpen collective was able to keep him guessing for much of the afternoon. He's due for better outings, but this was rough.

2. Michael Lorenzen coughed up the losing run so he's the scapegoat

We can pretty much blame the entire Royals pitching staff for this one. New York was able to answer every Royals run. Michael Wacha allowed four hits, three walks, and three earned runs through four innings, which ended his night early. That left a lot on the bullpen's plate. Kansas City's bullpen has been a strength during this second-half run, but the Yankees' offense is among the very best when it's rolling.

Angel Zerpa and Sam Long both allowed an earned run, but Michael Lorenzen allowed the go-ahead run to New York in the seventh inning. Unfortunately, that makes him an easy scapegoat. There are complicating factors — the go-ahead run was scored by Jazz Chisholm after he "stole" second base, in more ways than one. As in, he should've been called out, but the replay review center bungled the call.

A tough break, but in the wise words of 10-U baseball dads the world over, don't put yourself in a position to let the umps decide the game. Lorenzen allowed three hits in 1.1 innings, including two singles to Chisholm and Verdugo in that fateful seventh inning.

Lorenzen was in the All-Star game last season. He has bounced around the league quite extensively these last couple years, but he has found a comfortable home in Kansas City. He's a valued member of that bullpen with plenty of useful experience, but game flow and some bad luck worked against him in Saturday's loss. Now the Royals are in a hole they may never get out of.

1. Bobby Witt Jr. did not deliver on the hype in Game 1

This one is low-hanging fruit, but Bobby Witt Jr. is going to finish second in AL MVP voting behind Aaron Judge. It's easy to get lost in the shuffle during the regular season on the Royals, but many expected this October to serve as Witt's coming out party. He was excellent against Baltimore in the first round, but New York is a whole different ballgame — and the lights are much brighter in Yankee Stadium.

Witt put together an 0-for-4 stinker on Saturday, including a strikeout looking in the ninth inning in a one-run ballgame. One could quibble with that final strike call at the knees, but it was not far enough outside the zone to truly blame the ump. Under the circumstances, Witt has to swing and put lumber on leather. Taking a backward K up the gullet in a do-or-die ninth inning, when one solid swing can tie the game, is inexcusable. Again — don't put your faith in the umps' hands. It was a full count and it was a ball Witt should've gone after.

It's one game, so we can expect better outings in the future, but Witt thoroughly disappointed in a game that was practically begging for him to swing the tide in Kansas City's favor. There aren't many more explosive bats (or athletes in general) than Witt. If he could've gotten on base and caused some havoc, or just put one into the bleachers, we might've be prepping the Yankees obituary right now.

At just 24 years old, Witt is incredibly young to face this amount of pressure in October. But he has earned these high expectations with phenomenal play. We expect the best because we know he's capable of it.