The game turned on two pitches, a possible strike ignored by the umpire and a lifeless slider tattooed by a Chicago White Sox batter. Danny Duffy threw both. Alexei Ramirez only swung at one. He unleashed a three-run homer in the fourth inning that proved to be the decisive strike Saturday night in a 6-1 Royals loss.
With a pair of runners aboard and none out, Duffy pumped two strikes to pull ahead of Ramirez. The game was scoreless and Duffy had cruised through his first three innings. He has found himself in competition with Kris Medlen for the last spot in Kansas City’s playoff rotation, and he fired a 95-mph fastball, low and inside, right at Ramirez’s knees.