Kansas City Royals’ early offensive struggles have started at the top (of the lineup)
First baseman Vinnie Pasquantino squared to bunt Sunday in the sixth inning of the Royals’ 7-4 loss to the Twins, just trying something to get on track.
Pasquantino instead bunted the ball right back to Twins starting pitcher Joe Ryan, who recorded an easy out. It was part of an 0-for-4 day for Pasquantino, who was batting third.
The two batters ahead of him in the lineup also went hitless. Leadoff batter MJ Melendez was 0 for 3 with a walk and Bobby Witt Jr. was 0 for 4. The trio of young hitters is a combined 1 for 29 through the season’s first three games, and the Royals’ record is a dismal 0-3.
“You definitely don’t want to start 0-3, but you’ve just got to keep learning and keep moving forward,” Witt said. “It may not look like it, but we’re not trying to get out out there. So we’re just going to keep pushing and keep going.”
At least it’s still early in the year. A three-game hitless streak in July looks and feels different for a player than one to start the season.
Royals infielder Matt Duffy, 32, said that’s especially true for his younger teammates.
“The beginning of season is tough,” Duffy said. “Every guy individually is trying to get the first one. That first ground ball, the first hit. Once you get that out of the way, you can kind of (say), ‘OK, now we’re into the season got the jitters out of the way.’
“(It was a) little tough first two games (of the Twins series), but some adjustments were made today and that’s kind of what you look for with a young team, especially.”
A year ago, Witt was hitting .107 after the first week of the season but finished with 20 home runs, 80 RBIs and 31 doubles.
“I think the past two, three years I’ve started off slow, so I’ve got to keep pushing forward,” he said. “I know the guys in here are going to keep working and keep doing our thing.”
One positive sign for Witt, 22, Melendez, 24, and Pasquantino, 25, is each drew a pair of walks in the opening series.
Duffy said he has a simple message for the young hitters: It’s a long season.
“I mean, if you’re in it all the way, you’re playing to Halloween,” Duffy said. “So it can be difficult to do that, to take a breath, take a step back. I think especially with a young squad like we have, what you look for are adjustments being made, and small improvements for each guy and as a group.
“That’s a good (Minnesota) team over there. It’s a good litmus litmus test of where we’re at as a team and what we need to improve on, so I think that’s what you try to do is just focus on, ‘How do I get better today? How do we get better today and what do we need to improve on?’ We’re gonna see them again. And that’ll be another test of how far we’ve come.”
Before then, the Toronto Blue Jays will be at Kauffman Stadium on Monday for the start of a four-game series.
“We can all get upset about it but we’ve got to keep moving forward,” Witt said, “and now it’s on to Toronto.”
