Daniel Lynch's Josh Naylor Statement After Striking Out Mariners First Baseman

Daniel Lynch's Josh Naylor Statement After Striking Out Mariners First Baseman

The Kansas City Royals picked up another impressive victory on Sunday afternoon, defeating the Seattle Mariners to pull off a three-game series sweep. It has been a disappointing season for Kansas City thus far, as the Royals sit just 15–19 despite the recent surge.

While their record has them fourth in the American League Central standings, they are just 2.5 games back of the first-place Guardians, who lost to the Athletics on Sunday. This, combined with Kansas City’s internal confidence, has the team feeling good about not only where they are, but where they could end up.

Relief pitcher Daniel Lynch echoed that sentiment following Sunday’s game as he picked up his third career MLB save. A starter for much of his career, Lynch has transitioned to a bullpen role the last few seasons and got an opportunity to nail down a save on Sunday.

Facing four hitters, Lynch struck out three of them, including slugging first baseman Josh Naylor. This was a bit of a full-circle moment, as Naylor was the first punch-out Lynch recorded in his career back in 2021. The 29-year-old left-hander reflected on this and more after the game.

“He was a great hitter then, and he’s still a great hitter now,” Lynch said of Naylor. “I just tried to attack and make pitches. Thinking back on that day, I’m just thankful that God put me in this position, and thankful that I get these opportunities that I’ve dreamed about my whole life.”