Jake Arrieta allows three homers, Phillies’ offense goes quiet in series-opening loss to Royals

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- It has been 12 years since the Phillies played a series here at Kauffman Stadium, which means they found the Royals almost exactly as they left them.

In last place.

But Gabe Kapler sat in the visiting manager’s office Friday afternoon and cautioned against being fooled by the Royals’ record. Although they most certainly are in the throes of another rebuild only four years after winning the World Series, they have the makings of a promising core of position players. Take them lightly at your peril, Kapler insisted.

And then, on cue, the Royals proved him right.

Jake Arrieta served up three home runs, matching his career high, and the Phillies went hitless with runners in scoring position en route to a 5-1 loss, the seventh time in eight series that they have dropped the opening game.

“Just too many mistakes up in the zone,” Arrieta said. “Three mistakes got hit over the fence. Just need to be better.”

Alex Gordon, one of the last vestiges of the 2015 champion Royals, swatted a two-run home run in the first inning and a solo shot in the fifth. Jorge Soler, one of those players that the Royals hope will lead them back to glory, crushed a sinker that stayed up for sixth-inning solo homer to the waterfalls in center field, territory that once was reserved for Bo Jackson.

And when the Phillies had a chance to make a comeback, their rally was extinguished by Royals reliever Scott Barlow. He struck out Rhys Hoskins, Odubel Herrera and Cesar Hernandez in the sixth inning to bail starter Homer Bailey out of a two-on, none-out jam, then fanned the side on 14 pitches in the seventh to complete as dominant a performance as you'll see from a reliever.

So much for the Royals entering the game with the worst record in the American League (13-25) and the second-worst mark in the majors behind only the Marlins.

That sixth inning was particularly frustrating for the Phillies. They chased Bailey with back-to-back singles by Jean Segura and Bryce Harper. And after Barlow struck out Hoskins on a diving slider, J.T. Realmuto drew a walk to load the bases with one out.

But Herrera fouled off a curveball at his feet, then struck out on a 95-mph fastball in his eyes. Hernandez whiffed on three consecutive pitches, all curveballs, all low in the strike zone.

“I think Barlow threw the ball really well. I thought his stuff was pretty nasty," Kapler said. “Had an opportunity to score there in the sixth inning, bases-loaded situation, and obviously you want to put the ball in play. Weren’t able to do that and it hurt us.”

The Phillies finished 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position and left seven men on base.

Arrieta got in trouble in the first inning with a one-out walk to speedy Adalberto Mondesi and falling behind Gordon. He left a 3-1 cutter thigh-high and over the middle of the plate, and the Royals had a 2-0 lead.

The Phillies halved the lead in the fourth inning on a leadoff walk by Harper, Realmuto’s hustle double and an RBI groundout by Herrera. But Arrieta gave up Gordon’s second homer on an elevated sinker with two outs in the fourth inning.

“Gordon’s a pro,” Arrieta said. “If the ball is down, it’s a different story. But he made me pay for my mistakes."

When Soler went deep in the sixth, it marked the first time in almost four years -- since May 29, 2015, also against the Royals, albeit in their salad days -- that Arrieta allowed three homers in a game.

It also turned Kapler's pregame comments into something of a prophecy.

"The Royals are a talented group," he said. "They can run the bases, and they can take advantage of weaknesses. They play really good defense. They are a team that we need to be ready for, and I think we've worked to address that."

Not enough, apparently.