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Major Leagues
Join Date: Sep 2024
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⚾ October 2025 — Game 162: October Secured, the Finale Burns Away
👑 Sunday, October 05 • Game 3👑
The Royals close 2025 with a 12–5 loss before turning toward Cleveland.
Kansas City Royals at Atlanta Braves | Truist Park
Weather: Partly Cloudy, 73 degrees | Wind: In from left at 9 mph | Attendance: 38,353 | First pitch: 3:20 PM ET
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Pregame Memo (Manager's Desk)
Last night's victory completed the first job.
We had crossed the Wild Card threshold, secured a postseason berth, and taken the pressure of mathematical survival out of the regular-season finale. After the long September fall, that mattered. We had bent far enough to make October feel unlikely, then won the two games in Atlanta that finally pushed us across the line.
The remaining teams around the American League would settle the final seeding. Boston and Baltimore were still tied in the race behind us, and their results would determine the last Wild Card participant. We could only control one more game—our 162nd—and use it as both a chance to finish the Atlanta series cleanly and a final evaluation before setting the postseason roster.
This series had given us a legitimate test of our mettle. Atlanta had already secured the National League East and a first-round bye, but the Braves did not treat us like a club receiving a ceremonial passage into October. They played their regulars, attacked our pitching, and forced us to earn both wins.
Winning the finale would complete the sweep and send us into the Wild Card round on a three-game wave. Losing would not remove the berth, but it would leave one final warning about how quickly poor pitching can bury even a productive offense.
Bobby Witt Jr. returned to shortstop after working as the designated hitter Saturday. His controlled return had gone well, and giving him another defensive game offered a final check before postseason preparation. Austin Meadows remained in right, while Salvy caught, and Spencer Turnbull received the final start.
Turnbull's appearance carried two meanings. As the manager, I wanted innings and a clean exit before handing the bullpen its final regular-season assignment. As the general manager, I needed one more data point for an extension conversation and the postseason rotation.
Off the field, the lower-level coaching plan continued taking shape. James Smith accepted the offer to become hitting coach at DSL Fortuna, joining new pitching coach Simon Ferrer. That completes the new staff structure in Santo Domingo and gives both coaches the off-season to build relationships with the young players arriving from the international complex.
Figure 1. James Smith DSL Fortuna Hitting Coach Profile — Development-First Hire for Young Bats
Perspective: James Smith's staff profile shows why the organization selected him to complete the new coaching structure at DSL Fortuna.
The 54-year-old brings excellent player-development ability, a strong influence on mechanics, and an outstanding teaching grade in hitting—exactly the foundation needed for teenagers beginning their professional careers outside the international complex. His broader defensive, baserunning, and pitching instruction is limited, but the assignment is intentionally specialized. For the front office, Smith's hiring pairs a dedicated offensive-development voice with Simon Ferrer's pitching expertise, giving the Fortuna roster a more complete teaching environment as the Royals enter the 2025–26 offseason.
Two hitting-coach decisions remain elsewhere in the system. Ari Adut has earned consideration for an extension after two strong seasons at Columbia A, while Andy LaRoche's future at Northwest Arkansas AA appears less secure. I considered promoting Adut into a major-league base-coaching role because our baserunning was one of the season's clearest weaknesses, but the current coaches remain under contract for another year. That decision can wait. I'll have to improve the post-season base-running the hard way, patience. October cannot be a time for trying out new roles. Base-running will have to improve through playoff pressure now.
Atlanta Braves Series Snapshot
We entered the finale having already won the series. Friday's opener belonged to Luinder Avila, Devin Mann, Michael Massey, and a bullpen that recovered after Noah Cameron's back-to-back home runs. Saturday belonged to Jordan Montgomery and Dillon Dingler, whose three-run homer created the separation in the 8–3 Wild Card-clinching victory.
Atlanta remained dangerous despite losing the first two games. The Braves carried a 90-win roster featuring Ronald Acuña Jr., Michael Harris II, Matt Olson, Rafael Devers, Sean Murphy, and Jarred Kelenic. Their offense had already shown its power against our bullpen, and with the October playoffs approaching, they had no reason to soften their approach.
The series board placed Spencer Turnbull against AJ Smith-Shawver in the finale.
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Series Matchup Board — Game 3
• RHP Spencer Turnbull vs. RHP AJ Smith-Shawver
Turnbull recorded only two outs. He allowed five hits, six earned runs, one walk, and three home runs on 20 pitches. Acuña hit a two-run homer, Murphy followed with another two-run shot, and Orlando Arcia added the third two-run homer later in the inning. The loss moved Turnbull to 15–10 and raised his ERA to 4.36. His full-season contribution remains valuable, but this was the exact type of inning that complicates both an extension discussion and any argument for a postseason start.
Smith-Shawver allowed Meadows' three-run homer in the first but settled afterward. He worked 3.1 innings, allowing two hits and three runs before leaving injured. Trevor Richards followed with 2.2 perfect innings and five strikeouts, shutting down any immediate Kansas City comeback.
Game Day Log — Royals vs. Braves (Game 3)
Inning-by-Inning Beats (Dugout View)
1st Inning
Massey walked with one out, and Bobby followed with a sharp single. Meadows then jumped on Smith-Shawver's pitch and drove a three-run homer 376 feet to left.
Three batters had put us ahead 3–0 before Atlanta's lineup came to the plate. It looked like the continuation of the previous two nights: early pressure, clustered offense, and another chance to control the game. Turnbull never found the shutdown inning.
Nacho Alvarez Jr. walked. Devers flew out, but Acuña hit a two-run homer. Harris grounded out, giving Turnbull two outs with the lead still intact. Then Olson singled. Murphy hit another two-run homer. Kelenic singled, and Arcia followed with a third two-run shot.
Six runs. Five hits. Three home runs.
Cameron entered and retired Luis Vázquez, but the game had flipped from 3–0 Royals to 6–3 Braves before the first inning ended.
2nd Inning
We went in order against Smith-Shawver.
Cameron answered with a clean frame, striking out Alvarez and retiring Devers and Acuña. The bleeding stopped immediately, but the offense needed to overcome a three-run deficit.
3rd Inning
Massey, Bobby, and Meadows were retired in order.
Cameron hit Harris to begin the bottom half. Olson singled, moving Harris to third, and Murphy brought him home with a sacrifice fly. Cameron retired Kelenic and Arcia, but Atlanta had extended the lead to 7–3.
4th Inning
Salvy flew out before Smith-Shawver left with an injury. Trevor Richards entered and struck out Payton and Arroyo.
Bernardino replaced Cameron and gave us the clean inning we needed, retiring Vázquez, Alvarez, and Devers.
5th Inning
Richards retired Mann, Isbel, and Garcia in order. We had not recorded a hit since Meadows' first-inning homer.
Acuña singled in Atlanta's half, but Bernardino retired Harris, Olson, and Murphy. The deficit remained four.
6th Inning
Richards struck out Massey and Meadows around Bobby's fly ball. His relief appearance had completely shut down the middle of the lineup.
Kelenic singled against Bernardino and stole second after Huascar Brazoban entered. Brazoban retired Arcia and Vázquez, but Alvarez doubled Kelenic home with two outs. Atlanta led 8–3.
7th Inning
Salvy singled to begin the inning, but Arroyo grounded into a double play after Payton struck out.
Brazoban struck out Acuña, then Harris doubled, and Olson hit a two-run homer. Murphy flew out, but Kelenic walked, and Arcia singled. Fernando Cruz entered with two runners aboard. He walked Vázquez, loading the bases, and Alvarez followed with a two-run single. Cruz finally retired Devers, but Atlanta had scored four in the inning. The lead had grown to 12–3.
8th Inning
We mounted our best opportunity since the first. Mann walked, Isbel singled, and Garcia singled to load the bases with nobody out. Atlanta brought in Colin Poche. Massey grounded into a force play at home. Bobby flew out. Meadows grounded out. Bases loaded, nobody out, no runs.
It was an inning that belonged in the season-long file: traffic created, pressure established, opportunity lost.
Cruz then retired Acuña, Harris, and Olson in order.
9th Inning
We made one final push. Payton singled with one out, and Arroyo followed with another. Mann singled to load the bases, and Atlanta went to A.J. Minter. Isbel singled home Payton. Garcia walked, forcing Arroyo home. The score moved to 12–5, and the bases remained loaded. Massey flew out. Bobby flew out. Three runners remained aboard as the regular season ended.
No comeback, but not a quiet exit either.
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Final
Royals 5, Braves 12
Royals (9 H, 0 E) | Braves (13 H, 0 E)
Player of the Game: Matt Olson
Notable Royals: Meadows drove in three with his fourth home run. Isbel finished 2-for-4 and supplied the ninth-inning RBI single. Garcia added the final RBI with a bases-loaded walk, while Bobby, Salvy, Payton, Arroyo, and Mann each collected a hit.
Notable Braves: Atlanta hit four home runs. Acuña, Murphy, and Arcia each went deep in the six-run first, while Olson hit his 50th homer in the seventh. Olson finished 3-for-5 with two runs and two RBIs. Alvarez drove in three, Murphy drove in three, and Arcia and Acuña each added two.
Kansas City left seven runners aboard and stranded the bases loaded in both the eighth and ninth innings.
Winning Pitcher: Trevor Richards, 4–2
Losing Pitcher: Spencer Turnbull, 15–10
Code:
Kansas City Pitching Scoreline
Pitcher Dec IP H R ER BB K HR PI ERA
S. Turnbull L (15-10) 0.2 5 6 6 1 0 3 20 4.36
N. Cameron 2.1 1 1 1 0 2 0 43 4.12
B. Bernardino 2.0 2 1 1 0 0 0 28 3.92
H. Brazoban 1.2 4 4 4 1 1 1 36 6.80
F. Cruz 1.1 1 0 0 1 1 0 27 4.80
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Front Office Note / Takeaways
This Atlanta series still counts as a successful final test. We won two of three against a 91-win division champion and clinched October on their field. The finale exposed weaknesses, but it did not erase the work from the first two games. The postseason berth was already secure. That changes the emotional weight of the loss, but not the evaluation. We finished the regular season at 85–77 and now move into a Wild Card series against Cleveland. We went 3–10 against the Guardians during the regular season. The next two days must be used to build a rotation, bullpen sequence, and lineup specifically for an opponent that repeatedly controlled us. From this point forward, there are no development innings, sample-building starts, or long-view explanations. Every decision must serve the next game.
• Meadows supplied the ideal opening swing. His three-run homer gave us immediate control. The offense did what it needed before Turnbull took the mound.
• Turnbull's final start was a severe setback. Six earned runs and three home runs before recording the third out. His season still includes 15 wins and valuable rotation flexibility, but this outing weakens his case for a playoff start.
• Cameron stabilized the first inning but allowed another run in the third. His postseason role remains difficult to define after an inconsistent finish that included both useful length and damaging home runs.
• Bernardino gave us two steady innings. One run was charged after Brazoban inherited Kelenic, but Bernardino stopped Atlanta's early surge and covered the necessary length.
• Brazoban's postseason case remains fragile. Four hits, four earned runs, one walk, and Olson's homer. He has not provided enough late-season reliability to receive an automatic October role.
• Cruz prevented further damage after inheriting traffic, then finished with a clean eighth. Two inherited runners scored on Alvarez's single, but Cruz also gave us 1.1 innings without an earned run charged to his line.
• The bases-loaded failures were the offensive story after the first. We loaded them with nobody out in the eighth and scored none. We loaded them again in the ninth, scored two, and left three aboard.
• Bobby completed another full game at shortstop. He went 1-for-5 and handled the defensive workload without a reported setback. That is more important than the box-score line entering the Wild Card round.
The regular season is complete. We reached October.
Now we have to prove we belong in it.
Around the League
Boston claimed the final American League Wild Card position after finishing tied with Baltimore. The Red Sox gained the advantage through their 2–1 series win over Tampa Bay, while Baltimore dropped two of three to Minnesota and saw its season end outside the playoff field.
Houston reliever Franny Cobos will miss the remainder of the season with a torn flexor tendon in his elbow. He finished with a 5.94 ERA over 16.2 innings.
Nick Castellanos hit for the cycle as the Dodgers defeated Colorado 7–5. He doubled in the second, singled in the fourth, homered in the sixth, and completed the cycle with a ninth-inning triple.
Within the Royals system, Columbia reliever Brandan Bidois won the Carolina League Outstanding Pitcher Award unanimously. Bidois made 14 relief appearances, earned three saves, struck out 81 over 68.2 innings, and finished 5–0 with a 1.31 ERA. Fellow Fireflies pitcher Josh Hansell placed third in the voting.
Player - Team - First Place - Total Points
Brandan Bidois - Columbia Fireflies - 12 - 84
Fran Oschell - Fredericksburg Nationals - 0 - 44
Josh Hansell - Columbia Fireflies - 0 - 28
Raimy Rodriguez - Fayetteville Woodpeckers - 0 - 21
Pablo Aldonis - Fredericksburg Nationals - 0 - 10
Michael Caldon - Augusta GreenJackets - 0 - 7
Reggie Crawford - Myrtle Beach Pelicans - 0 - 5
Santiago Peraza - Lynchburg Hillcats - 0 - 5
The farm system closes 2025 with individual awards and new coaches in place. The major-league club closes it with a postseason ticket.
The next entry begins in Cleveland.
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👑 FOR THE CROWN — ALWAYS 👑
Kansas City Royals | Regular Season 2025 - Game 162
(OOTP25 Royals Journey — GM/Manager's Dual Log)
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