LUCAS ERCEG NEWS

Bobby Witt Jr. and Cole Ragans lead the Royals over the Orioles 1-0 to open an AL Wild Card Series

Bobby Witt Jr. hit an RBI single in his playoff debut to back Cole Ragans’ six sharp innings and help the Kansas City Royals return from a nine-year postseason absence with a 1-0 v...

OCTOBER 1 • ASSOCIATED PRESS

Snags 14th save Erceg earned the save in Thursday's 7-4 win over the Nationals, striking out one in a perfect ninth inning.

Impact Erceg's now converted his last six save opportunities, allowing just one earned run while striking out 13 over 10.2 innings in that span. The 29-year-old right-hander's ERA is down to 3.36 with a 1.05 WHIP and 72:16 K:BB across 61.2 innings between the A's and Royals this season.

SEPTEMBER 27 • ROTOWIRE

Frazier's pinch-hit, 2-run single lifts the Royals to a series sweep of the Nationals

The Kansas City Royals completed a series sweep with a 7-4 victory over the Washington Nationals

SEPTEMBER 26 • ASSOCIATED PRESS

Earns 13th save Erceg struck out one in a perfect ninth inning to earn the save in Wednesday's 3-0 win over the Nationals.

Impact Erceg was summoned for the second straight game and locked down his 13th save on just 12 pitches. According to Anne Rogers of MLB.com, the 29-year-old secured the Royals' franchise-record 26th consecutive scoreless inning. He has converted all five of his September save attempts and owns a 3.41 ERA, 1.07 WHIP and 71:16 K:BB across 60.2 innings this season.

SEPTEMBER 26 • ROTOWIRE

Royals ride bullpen to 3-0 win over Nationals after Lorenzen's early exit

Five Kansas City relievers pitched 6 2/3 innings of two-hit ball after starter Michael Lorenzen’s early exit, Robbie Grossman hit a two-run single, and the Royals held on to the se...

SEPTEMBER 26 • ASSOCIATED PRESS

Royals seize on throwing error in 10th to beat Nationals 1-0 and hold on to 2nd AL wild card

Kyle Isbel snapped Kansas City’s 27-inning scoreless streak by sprinting home on a throwing error in the 10th inning, Cole Ragans gave up three hits in six innings, and the Royals...

SEPTEMBER 25 • ASSOCIATED PRESS

Secures save in extras Erceg picked up the save Tuesday against the Nationals, pitching a clean inning with two strikeouts.

Impact The Kansas City right-hander made quick work of Washington in the bottom of the tenth inning, firing nine strikes out of his 12 total pitches. Since joining the Royals on July 31, Erceg has been a stalwart, collecting nine saves while pitching to a 3.13 ERA, 0.91 WHIP and 29:3 K:BB across 23 innings. Overall, he now sports a 3.47 ERA, 1.09 WHIP and 70:16 K:BB with 12 saves over 59.2 total innings this season.

SEPTEMBER 25 • ROTOWIRE

Takes extra-inning loss Erceg (2-6) allowed two runs (one earned) on three hits and a walk while striking out two over 1.2 innings, taking the extra-inning loss versus the Tigers on Tuesday.

Impact Erceg's six-inning scoreless streak came to an end as he faltered in the 10th inning after he kept the game tied in the ninth. He also ended August in rough form, but he's generally brought some stability to the Royals' bullpen since they acquired him from the Athletics. For the year, Erceg is at a 3.53 ERA, 1.11 WHIP and 68:16 K:BB while earning 11 saves, 18 holds and five blown saves over 58.2 innings.

SEPTEMBER 18 • ROTOWIRE

Meadows gives Detroit lead with broken-bat single in the 10th, Tigers hold on to beat Royals 3-1

Parker Meadows hit a broken-bat single in the 10th inning to give Detroit the lead, moments after Trey Sweeney had been given third base because of a balk, and the Tigers went on t...

SEPTEMBER 18 • ASSOCIATED PRESS

Bobby Witt Jr. passes 100 RBIs for the season as the Royals beat the Pirates 5-1

Bobby Witt Jr. drove in his 100th run of the season with a solo homer in the first inning, and the Kansas City Royals beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 5-1

SEPTEMBER 14 • ASSOCIATED PRESS

Lucas Erceg on his entrance, Royals' success | 09/11/2024 Lucas Erceg joins Intentional Talk to discuss his entrance, the Royals' 2024 season, being a former hitter in the minors and more

SEPTEMBER 11 • MLB.COM

Secures save Sunday Erceg allowed a hit and struck out one in a scoreless inning while earning a save against the Twins.

Impact Erceg worked around a leadoff single by Christian Vazquez to close out the 2-0 win. After blowing two straight save chances and allowing seven runs over three appearances, Erceg has now converted three consecutive saves. He's now 11 for 16 in save opportunities with a 3.67 ERA over 54 innings. Of those 11 saves, eight have come since his Royals debut July 31.

SEPTEMBER 9 • ROTOWIRE

Wacha tosses 7 innings of 4-hit ball, Royals top Twins 2-0 for sweep of closest AL wild-card pursuer

Michael Wacha pitched seven innings of four-hit ball, Garrett Hampson and Salvador Perez drove in runs and the Royals beat the Twins 2-0 on Sunday to complete a series sweep

SEPTEMBER 8 • ASSOCIATED PRESS

Perfect inning for 10th save Erceg struck out one in a perfect inning to earn the save in Saturday's 4-2 win over the Twins.

Impact Erceg was able to protect the two-run lead the Royals established in the eighth inning. It's his second clean outing in a row after struggle in three straight appearances from Aug. 28 to Sept. 3, which included one outing cut short when he was hit on the hand by a batted ball. He's up to 10 saves -- including seven as a Royal -- while posting a 3.74 ERA, 1.09 WHIP and 61:15 K:BB through 53 innings between Kansas City and Oakland this year.

SEPTEMBER 8 • ROTOWIRE

Bounces back to notch save Erceg picked up a save against the Guardians on Wednesday, striking out one batter in a perfect ninth inning.

Impact Erceg had a rough outing Tuesday, giving up three runs over two-thirds of an inning. Kansas City manager Matt Quatraro went right back to the right-hander in a save situation one day later, and Erceg responded by retiring the side in order on 15 pitches. That bodes well for his chance of continuing as Kansas City's closer despite entering Wednesday amidst a rough stretch during which he went 0-2 with two blown saves while giving up seven runs across two innings over three appearances.

SEPTEMBER 5 • ROTOWIRE

Struggles in return to mound Erceg (hand) allowed three runs on two hits and struck out two over two-thirds of an inning during Tuesday's 7-1 loss to the Guardians.

Impact Erceg loaded the bases with two singles and a hit batsman in the top of the eighth inning. James McArthur then walked in one run and gave up a two-run single to Steven Kwan, with all three runs on Erceg's line. Erceg has been charged with seven runs across two innings over his last three appearances, a disappointing turn of events after his 15.1-inning scoreless streak from July 22 to Aug. 26. Overall, he has a 3.88 ERA, 1.14 WHIP and 59:15 K:BB over 51 innings while logging eight saves and 18 holds between the Royals and the Athletics this year. Prior to his hand issue, Erceg had been operating as the Royals' closer, but if his performance continues to be poor, the job could be once again up for grabs.

SEPTEMBER 4 • ROTOWIRE

Deemed day-to-day Erceg (hand) is dealing with soreness and swelling but is considered day-to-day, Joel Goldberg of Bally Sports Kansas City reports.

Impact Erceg injured his throwing hand trying to field a comebacker during Thursday's game against the Astros and was removed from the contest. While the issue doesn't seem to be anything long-term, it could open up save opportunities for James McArthur, Sam Long or John Schreiber in the coming days.

AUGUST 30 • ROTOWIRE

Playoff-contending Royals lose 1B Vinnie Pasquantino for rest of regular season to broken thumb

Royals first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino will miss the rest of the regular season after breaking his right thumb while trying to make a play at first base in the eighth inning of th...

AUGUST 30 • ASSOCIATED PRESS

Astros take advantage of two errors in 4-run eighth to beat Royals 6-3

Zach Dezenzo drew a go-ahead bases-loaded walk and the Houston Astros took advantage of two Kansas City errors in a four-run eighth inning to beat the Royals 6-3

AUGUST 30 • ASSOCIATED PRESS

Exits after comebacker Erceg exited Thursday's game against Houston after fielding a comebacker with his bare hand, Joel Goldberg of Bally Sports Kansas City reports.

Impact Erceg was attempting to field a groundball for a potential double play, but he was unable to catch the ball cleanly and injured his hand. The nature and severity of the issue are unclear, though his potential absence would reopen the closer role in Kansas City.

AUGUST 30 • ROTOWIRE

Saddled with loss, blown save Erceg (2-4) took the loss and a blown save Wednesday against Cleveland, allowing one earned run on three hits while striking out one in a single inning.

Impact Erceg was called upon to protect a two-run lead in the seventh with zero out and two runners on base. Erceg allowed three RBI-singles in the inning, resulting in a blown save and eventual loss. The 29-year-old had not allowed an earned run since July 21 before Wednesday's appearance, snapping a 15-inning scoreless streak during which he notched six saves and seven holds with an elite 18:1 K:BB. Erceg's dominance over that stretch has granted him ample breathing room as the Royals closer, even after Wednesday's lackluster appearance.

AUGUST 29 • ROTOWIRE

Erceg's scoreless streak ends in late-inning loss vs. Guards CLEVELAND -- Lucas Erceg had inherited 11 baserunners since becoming a Royal entering Wednesday afternoon and had stranded all of them. In 1...

AUGUST 28 • MLB.COM

Guardians rally for 7-5 victory over Royals, reclaim sole possession of first place in AL Central

Rookie Jhonkensy Noel singled home Josh Naylor with the go-ahead run in the seventh inning and the Cleveland Guardians rallied for a 7-5 win over the Kansas City Royals, reclaiming...

AUGUST 28 • ASSOCIATED PRESS

Collects eighth save Erceg recorded his eighth save of the season in the first game of Monday's doubleheader sweep of the Guardians, walking one batter in a scoreless ninth inning.

Impact The right-hander got only seven of his 14 pitches over the plate, and Erceg got some help from his defense when Maikel Garcia made a leaping grab on a one-out David Fry liner that might have brought home the tying run. Erceg has converted all five of his save chances since joining the Royals, and he hasn't walked a batter since July 21, going 14.1 innings between free passes with a 0.00 ERA, 0.42 WHIP and 18 strikeouts.

AUGUST 27 • ROTOWIRE

Nails down seventh save Erceg gave up a hit and struck out one in a scoreless ninth inning Friday to record his seventh save of the season in a 7-4 win over the Phillies.

Impact The 29-year-old has staked a strong claim to the closer job in Kansas City, securing four of the team's last five saves and posting a 0.00 ERA, 0.44 WHIP and 15:0 K:BB through 11.1 innings since being acquired by the Royals at the trade deadline. James McArthur has turned things around in August with a 1.08 ERA, 1.08 WHIP and 8:1 K:BB in 8.1 frames, but looking more comfortable in a lower-leverage role isn't going to get him back in the ninth-inning mix unless Erceg stumbles.

AUGUST 24 • ROTOWIRE