Nine pitchers, one shutout: How the Royals made history against the Braves with a 1-0 victory

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — With a rash of injuries to his starting rotation, Royals manager Matt Quatraro put together a plan to rely exclusively on his bullpen when Kansas City played the Atlanta Braves in their series finale on Wednesday.

He never could have imagined nine relievers would execute it so perfectly, nor tie a major league record in the process.

But by the time struggling reliever Sam Long escaped a two-on, no-out jam by retiring three straight Braves in the top of the 10th, and Salvador Perez slapped a single to right to score MJ Melendez in the bottom half and give the Royals a 1-0 win, they had done exactly that: tied a big league record by using nine total pitchers in a shutout.

The only other club to use that many in a shutout was Cleveland, which also did it in a 10-inning game in 2016.

“Not only did they pitch incredibly well today,” Quatraro said, “but they had a huge workload these last four or five days. I can't credit them enough, and keeping in the right frame of mind down there, and just the plan these guys had to execute.”

The nine Royals pitchers combined to allow five hits and one walk while striking out 10.

Long finished off — he of the 7.40 ERA this season — to earn the victory. It came 2 hours, 38 minutes after fellow reliever Angel Zerpa, pitching on no rest, breezed through the first inning and into the second to set the tone.

Jonathan Bowlan was the only Royals reliever to retire more than three batters, going two full innings. John Schreiber struck out the side in the fourth. Hunter Harvey escaped a two-on, no-out jam in the sixth. And the two primary Kansas City closers, Lucas Erceg and Carlos Estévez, made some important pitches and plays in the late innings.

Erceg allowed a pinch-hit single to Drake Baldwin with one out in the eighth, then watched pinch runner Luke Williams swipe second base. But he bounced back to retire Jurickson Profar and Matt Olson and keep the game scoreless.

Estévez managed to snare a liner by Michael Harris II that appeared destined for a one-out single in the ninth.

“I'm glad he caught it,” Quatraro said. “You're going to throw a shutout, you need some good defense behind you.”

They certainly needed them the way Joey Wentz was pitching for the other side.

Wentz, who was claimed off waivers by the Braves earlier this month, allowed one hit and three walks over 6 2/3 innings with seven strikeouts in a return home. Wentz was born in Lawrence, Kansas, and played at Shawnee Mission East High School in the Kansas City suburb of Prairie Village, where had one of the best prep baseball careers in Kansas history.

The Braves drafted Wentz in the first round in 2016, but he has largely failed to live up to expectations. He has bounced around several clubs, including Pittsburgh and Minnesota this year, and had a 5.76 ERA heading into his fourth start for Atlanta.

“We never could solve him,” Quatraro said.

Yet they didn't need to the way the Kansas City bullpen was performing.

The Royals had the luxury of relying on their relievers with a day off Thursday before their series this weekend in Toronto. And they needed to rely on them with injuries beginning to take their toll on their starting rotation.

Cole Ragans, an All-Star last year, has been on the injured list with a left rotator cuff strain, and Michael Lorenzen recently joined him with a left oblique strain. Then on Monday, the Royals announced that All-Star left-hander Kris Bubic would be placed on the IL with his own rotator cuff injury, one likely to end his season.

So, it fell upon a Royals bullpen that wound up with only one player — Thomas Hatch — still available by the time Perez singled off Daysbel Hernández in the 10th inning to give Kansas City the victory.

“It wasn't easy. There was danger at times there,” Quatraro said. “But you go backwards and see what Sammy did there, and to really execute — that was enormous. But even more so than the 10 shutout innings, the workload they have had and they way they responded, especially a day game after a night game.”

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Kansas City Royals' Salvador Perez hits an RBI single to win the baseball game during the 10th inning against the Atlanta Braves, Wednesday, July 30, 2025, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

Kansas City Royals' Salvador Perez celebrates as he runs to first after hitting an RBI single to win the baseball game during the 10th inning against the Atlanta Braves, Wednesday, July 30, 2025, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. (7), relief pitcher Hunter Harvey, center, and Freddy Fermin meet on the mound during the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Atlanta Braves Wednesday, July 30, 2025, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Angel Zerpa throws during the first inning of a baseball game against the Atlanta Braves, Wednesday, July 30, 2025, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

Kansas City Royals relief pitcher Steven Cruz throws during the seventh inning of a baseball game against the Atlanta Braves Wednesday, July 30, 2025, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Coach Steve Kerr spoke with Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga during the morning shootaround Thursday about the player's situation being out of the rotation for more than a month now with expectations he will be traded before the deadline next month.

“We talked this morning and that’s all private,” Kerr said. “I will keep coaching him, he’ll be part of the team, he’ll be here. It is what it is.”

Kerr discounted any issues between them as being reason Kuminga has reportedly requested a trade from the team after not being used in the last 14 games since Dec. 18 and 17 of 18 — though he has been listed as injured for nine games this season.

“Our relationship is fine,” Kerr said before Golden State's 126-113 win over the New York Knicks. “There's not a whole lot I can say about the other stuff. It is what it is, difficult situation for everybody and part of this league, part of the job. We just keep moving forward.”

Kuminga has been training much of the time on his own, shooting on the Warriors’ practice floor out of the eyes of fans at Chase Center. He wears a black hood over his head on the end of the bench during games. Perhaps Kuminga and the Warriors weren't a great fit from Day 1 — not that it's his fault — and he might be eager to leave and start fresh elsewhere. If so, the Golden State brass might want to make sure he doesn't get hurt before trying to trade him.

Yet nobody has taken issue with his work ethic, at least not publicly. Kuminga, selected seventh overall in the 2021 draft, has been known to stay long after games shooting on the arena's main floor.

“It’s not a distraction at all. It’s a very unique situation but our job is just to keep playing, keep winning, it’ll resolve itself one way or the other,” Stephen Curry said.

The 23-year-old from the Democratic Republic of the Congo has appeared in just 18 games total with 13 starts, averaging 11.8 points, 6.2 rebounds and 2.6 assists.

On Sept. 30, he agreed to a two-year contract that could be worth up to $46.5 million if the team were to exercise its option for 2026-27. Kuminga had had a $7.9 million qualifying offer in hand since June 29 but was also weighing other options and he missed media day.

He has long had the support and confidence of teammates — like Jimmy Butler saying he has been having Kuminga over and continuing to encourage him.

“We love JK in this locker room, that's not going to change,” Butler said postgame. “If he happens to not be in here, we'll still rock with JK. I speak for everybody. We love the guy. I wish him the best here, I wish him the best wherever. It doesn't change. We don't listen to the noise, I hope he don't listen to the noise he keep coming here with a smile doing what he's supposed to do and being the ultimate pro.”

Kuminga missed much of last season with a right ankle injury. He averaged 15.3 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2.2 assists in 24.3 minutes over 47 games with 10 starts. He also scored 15.3 points per game over eight playoff games while shooting 48.4% from the floor and making 40% of his 3-point attempts. That included a career-best 30-point performance in Game 3 of the Western Conference semifinals against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Kerr said the uncertainty around Kuminga's future “won't be a distraction.”

“Jonathan's a great young guy, his teammates like him,” Kerr said. "He's handling himself well.”

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA

Golden State Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga, middle, sits near the team bench during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the New York Knicks in San Francisco, Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

Golden State Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga (1) and Utah Jazz center Oscar Tshiebwe (34) swap jerseys after the Warriors defeat the Jazz during an NBA basketball game, Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Justine Willard)