KANSAS CITY -- For a team trying to get its offense going, 40-degree weather at night with cold rain drizzling down isn¡¯t the most ideal atmosphere for the bats to heat up.
But on Friday night, the Royals did just enough to take advantage of mistakes, see the hits fall early and break it open late -- all leading to an 8-2 series-opening win over the Orioles at Kauffman Stadium.
With rain falling pretty much all game, Kansas City knocked 11 hits, three more than what the offense had the past two games combined. Paired with Seth Lugo¡¯s six strong innings, allowing two runs (one earned) in his first quality start of the year, and the Royals¡¯ bullpen locking things down late, this was a complete team win.
¡°We¡¯re getting better every day,¡± Bobby Witt Jr. said, ¡°and that¡¯s all there is to it.¡±
The Royals have had an up-and-down offense to begin 2025. Entering Friday, the unit averaged 3.83 runs per game, inflated because of an 11-run rout in Milwaukee, but no hitter has really gotten off to a hot start beyond Maikel Garcia, who knocked in another three runs against the Orioles.
This early, though, a lot can change in one game. A lot can change in one inning; the Royals went from a close, one-run game late and using their best relievers in Hunter Harvey and Lucas Erceg to a five-run eighth inning and turning to Chris Stratton to close it out in the ninth.
Vinnie Pasquantino¡¯s two-hit game brought his average from .167 to .217. His bases-clearing bloop single that broke the game open in the eighth nearly doubled his RBI total (now seven), and he became the first Royals hitter with a three-run single since George Brett against the Twins at then-Royals Stadium on June 20, 1985.
¡°The worst thing you can do is look at the scoreboard,¡± Pasquantino said. ¡°... You don¡¯t want to look up and [the number begins with] less than a one, a one or a low two. But we¡¯ve gotten to a point where we know what our team is like, and I¡¯m going to be in there, so I got to do what I can to help this team win. I can¡¯t worry about my numbers.¡±
¡°It can change,¡± Pasquantino continued, snapping his fingers, ¡°like that.¡±
Witt is hitting .241 with a .643 OPS through seven games now. But three of his five hardest-hit balls so far this year have been outs, including his 106.6 mph lineout in the third inning.
And what doesn¡¯t concern the Royals is this: It¡¯s only been a week. Friday marked Game No. 7 of the 162-game slate.
¡°I always feel this way at the beginning of the season -- it¡¯s magnified,¡± general manager J.J. Picollo said before the series opener against Baltimore. ¡°If you go through a 2-4 stretch in the middle of July, and you don¡¯t pitch well and don¡¯t swing the bats well, it just sort of blends. But when it¡¯s the start of the year, it¡¯s a little bit more magnified. What we need to do as a staff is just keep things in perspective for our players and remind them -- and they know it. We started out the same way last year. They know it. We just got to get it going and get some rhythm going.¡±
Picollo is right; the Royals did start out 2-4 in 2024, then returned home for a perfect 7-0 homestand en route to a postseason appearance and American League Wild Card Series win over these Orioles.
The Royals will, eventually, need strong offense up and down the lineup. They had luck on their side on Friday, especially early. Salvador Perez¡¯s double dropped in front of Orioles left fielder Heston Kjerstad. Shortstop Gunnar Henderson made an error that led to a run in the fourth.
And Kansas City will have to get production from the bottom of the order, especially from MJ Melendez, who has one hit this year, and Hunter Renfroe, who has six strikeouts in 18 at-bats. Expectations are high on Melendez and Renfroe in particular because the Royals weren¡¯t able to land a corner outfielder and power bat this offseason.
But again, the club is preaching patience.
¡°There¡¯s nobody in this room that expects more out of those two than they do themselves,¡± Picollo said of Melendez and Renfroe. ¡°¡ Nobody needs to remind them of what¡¯s going on. They know exactly what¡¯s going on. Our job right now is to help in any way we can, be supportive.
¡°We¡¯re not going to panic over these six games. What any one individual is or isn¡¯t doing. It¡¯s just too small of a sample to get worked up over anything.¡±