Arizona Diamondbacks vs Kansas City Royals Match Player Stats On Oct 01, 2017

The Sports Xchange
Oct 1, 2017

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Jeremy Hazelbaker hit a three-run homer in the fifth inning as the playoff-bound Arizona Diamondbacks routed the Kansas City Royals 14-2 on Sunday.

The Diamondbacks will host the Colorado Rockies on Wednesday in the National League wild-card game. The winner will advance to play the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL Division Series beginning Friday in Los Angeles.

For the Royals, it was an emotional sendoff to four of their star players.

Eric Hosmer, Mike Moustakas, Lorenzo Cain and Alcides Escobar, all eligible for free agency and integral parts of the 2014-15 clubs that went to back-to-back World Series, were pulled in the fifth inning as the Kauffman Stadium fans showed their appreciation by giving them a standing ovation.

It almost certainly will be their final time to play together after being teammates for nearly seven years.

Hosmer homered in the first inning, his 25th of the season, to match his career high, but that was the Royals' highlight.

The Diamondbacks scored 10 runs in innings five, six and seven to take a commanding lead.

Gregor Blanco, who played in 2010 for Kansas City, had three hits and two walks, scored three runs, swiped three bases and had a RBI.

Ildelmaro Vargas, who entered the game in the third inning, went 3-for-4 with four RBIs and scored three runs.

Chris Iannetta also homered in the second inning as the Diamondbacks finished with 220 home runs, a season franchise record.

Royals starter Jason Vargas (18-11) was pulled after four innings plus four batters, allowing six runs and six hits while striking out four and walking four. He was pulled after Hazelbaker's three-run homer.

Vargas ended up tied for the big league lead in victories.

Diamondbacks starter Robbie Ray, who turned 26 on Sunday, was removed after 23 pitches and 1 2/3 innings as manager Torey Lovullo wants to make sure he is available if needed for the Wednesday game.

With the victory, Louvullo has a 93-69 record, the best record by a Diamondbacks manager in his first 162 games.

Anthony Banda (2-3) took the loss, giving up a run in 1 1/3 innings.

NOTES: INF Chris Owings, who missed 33 games with a broken right middle finger, will play in an Instructional League game Monday and is a possibility to be added to the Diamondbacks' postseason roster. ... Royals C Salvador Perez and Diamondbacks OF David Peralta refused to leave the field after the national anthem in a friendly stare down contest. The umpires finally shooed the two into the dugouts with Peralta relenting first. That delayed the start of the game by one minute. ... Diamondbacks RHP Zack Greinke and Rockies RHP Jon Gray are the Wednesday probables.