Steven Cruz picks up fifth save in win Monday

Kimbrel’s save was his first of the year and first with the Royals. Kansas City is the ninth franchise that Kimbrel has recorded a save with. He struck out two in a scoreless ninth inning to slam the door on the Tigers Saturday. Steven Cruz pitched in two of the last three games, which likely made him unavailable. Regardless of Cruz’ availability, Kimbrel has 441 saves in his career. He’s certainly in the mix for saves along with Cruz, who has five saves in his career, all coming this year with the Royals.

The good news is that the Royals opted to use Cruz with a four-run lead in the ninth inning. Given that he’s earned four of the team’s last five saves, it feels like he has a strong hold on the closer’s role. Yet, Max Muncy hit a long two-run homer off him in this ninth inning to make his night a bit more stressful than it needed to be.

Cruz came on with a one-run lead to protect in the ninth and made things interesting by allowing a one-out single to Jose Siri. Not to worry though, as he battled back to get Wade Meckler to ground into a fielder’s choice before retiring Mike Trout on strikes to end it. He appears to have supplanted Alex Lange as the team’s preferred option in the ninth inning and should probably be rostered in all mixed leagues at this stage.

There were some long at-bats, but Cruz managed to work a clean ninth inning for his third save of the season. All three of those saves have come in the last two weeks and he seems to have unseated Alex Lange for closing duties in Kansas City. Cruz seems up for the task with a 100 mph fastball and cutter that has some serious bite to it.

Cruz’s ERA is 4.62, which isn’t great. Matt Strahm (6.75), Lucas Erceg (5.26) and Alex Lange (6.00) do make it look better by comparison. Lange got the save on Saturday. Cruz struck out two batters Sunday, including winning a battle with Riley Greene to end the game. Cruz has a legitimate claim to being the best closing option for the Royals and at worst he should be considered next in line behind Lange.

Cruz, who stepped in with a two-run lead today after Daniel Lynch IV pitched a scoreless eighth, retired the other three batters he faced in the ninth. Cruz had just two holds in 32 appearances and has mostly worked in the fifth, sixth and seventh innings, so it was rather surprising to see him get the ninth today. Alex Lange was unavailable after working the previous two days, but Cruz still got the call over Lucas Erceg and Matt Strahm. Perhaps he’ll be next in line in the ninth if Lange’s inconsistency gets to be too much for the Royals.

Cruz surrendered four homers and eight runs over five innings in his first stint with the Royals this season. He’ll rejoin the bullpen.

Technically they “optioined” him per their X account. Cruz has allowed an MLB-high four homers out of the bullpen and carries a bloated 14.40 ERA. This feels like a “get right” demotion.

Royals manager Matt Quatraro took his foot off the pedal today. After using his second and third best relievers to keep the game close in the seventh and eighth, Quatraro declined to go to Lucas Erceg in the ninth. Erceg worked Wednesday, but it was just seven pitches and he’d had Monday and Tuesday off. With the Twins having probably the worst ninth-inning situation in the AL, it seemed very much worth it to try to keep it 2-1. Instead, in came Cruz, who also worked Wednesday and is only in the majors because of Carlos Estévez’s injury. The three homers from Matt Wallner, Kody Clemens and Josh Bell turned into a 5-1 game entering the bottom of the ninth. The Royals ended up not scoring, though again, Quatraro could have helped there. Letting Lane Thomas, who is terrible against righties, bat with two on and none out against Justin Topa produced a double play that doomed the Royals’ chances. One imagines Cruz will be sent down after this, especially since he’ll be unavailable Friday anyway.

Cruz gets the call to replace injured closer Carlos Estévez (foot) prior to Wednesday’s showdown against the Twins. The 26-year-old will operate in low-leverage spots for the Royals after making a career-high 47 relief appearances at the highest level last year.