Royals’ Hosmer is on a hot streak

Eric Hosmer leaned his forearms across the dugout railing at O.co Coliseum for three consecutive games in August, studying his opposition and prepping himself for a late-season renaissance.

When Hosmer fractured his hand, he was in the midst of a revival for the Royals. He had slumped all summer long, wasting at-bats and whiffing on pitches outside the strike zone. Just as he started to catch fire, a fastball from Jon Lester collided with his right hand on July 20. Eleven days later, he landed on the disabled list.

The injury deflated Hosmer. Hitting coach Dale Sveum gave him an assignment to keep him busy. Watch the other team’s power hitters, he told Hosmer. Watch how they all look the same.

Hosmer’s swing involves a series of moving parts, and glitches can occur at several different stages. But Sveum wanted to remind him that all good hitters arrive at an identical position before they make contact. He instructed Hosmer to focus on getting to that point.

“It’s productive, I guess, going to the D.L.,” Hosmer said after a three-hit night, including a game-tying home run, in a 6-3 victory over the White Sox. “Or, in my case, at least.”

The Royals could reap the benefits. As the club prepares for the playoffs, lining up for a likely Wild Card game against the Athletics, Hosmer has caught fire. At times in the past week, Kansas City has seen quality at-bats from Hosmer, Billy Butler, Alex Gordon and Salvador Perez – the purported heart of their lineup. The team requires their presence to extend their October run.

In his last six games, Hosmer has gone 13-for-29, batting at a .448 clip, with six doubles and Thursday’s homer. He raised his on-base plus slugging percentage to .729, the highest its been since May 20.

To hear manager Ned Yost tell it, Hosmer has shortened his swing and quickened his bat’s path to the baseball. The results are obvious.

After a two-out double in the first by Lorenzo Cain, who also smacked four hits, Hosmer grounded a fastball from Chicago starter Jose Quintana back up the middle.

Five innings later, Quintana tested Hosmer with a pair of curveballs. He passed on the first. He slashed his bat through the zone on the second and belted the pitch over the right-field fence. It was his ninth homer of the season and his third this month.

“You can make your season in the postseason,” Hosmer said. “I think everyone’s put their season behind them. A lot of guys on the offensive side haven’t had the numbers they’ve wanted all year. But we realize as a team, we have a chance to do something pretty special.

“It’s time to leave your egos at the door, try to do something for the team and try to bring something for a city that hasn’t happened in a long time.”

This story was originally published September 26, 2014 at 12:05 AM with the headline "Royals’ Hosmer is on a hot streak."