KC Royals have struggled in this crucial stat: ‘Little by little, we’re feeling better’
The Royals entered the final game of their first road trip with baseball’s worst batting average with runners in scoring position, and they were coming off a game that served as the height of frustration.
In an 8-5 loss to the Texas Rangers, the Royals combined for 20 at-bats with runners in scoring position and got four hits. That was the most such at bats for the Royals in a game six years.
The breakthrough came in the series finale when the Royals went 6 for 12 in those situations in a 10-1 victory.
The Royals figured it was a matter of time before at bats resulted in clutch hits, especially for a team whose hitters were among the league leaders in exit velocity.
“It’s so early in the year, so you have to keep moving forward,” shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. said. “Pitch by pitch, at-bat by at-bat.”
The Royals look to keep up the productive swings against the Atlanta Braves. The three-game series at Kauffman Stadium begins on Friday with a 7:10 first pitch. Saturday’s game is 3:10 and the finale Sunday at 1:10.
Against the Rangers, the Royals got a solo home run from Vinnie Pasquantino, but all other runs were manufactured in keep-the-line moving fashion.
In a three-run second inning, Nicky Lopez drove in Franmil Reyes from second, and MJ Melendez delivered the biggest hit of the game when his double scored two.
Later, Reyes, Edward Olivares and Michael Massey collected hits with runners in scoring position as part of the Royals most productive game of the season.
“Runners in scoring position success is very fluid,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “Failures come and go as the year goes on. We have to keep getting as many opportunities as we can.”
It had been a slog at the plate for many of the Royals over the season’s first two weeks, not just in RBI situations. The team was shut out in its first two games and three of its first six, wasting what had been excellent starting pitching.
But the 14 hits on Wednesday marked the first time this season the Royals strung together double digits in that department this season.
Individually, Pasquantino, who started the year 2 for 17, has gone 10 for 24 in his last seven games to raise his average to .293. Witt got his first three-hit game of the season on Wednesday — along with stealing three bases in a game for the first time in his career — and hit safely in all three games at Texas.
“It reminds of how we were in spring training, taking good at-bats,” Reyes said. “Little by little, we’re feeling better. It’s always good to see the team like that.”
Royals vs. Braves pitching probables
Friday: Charlie Morton (1-1, 4.35 ERA) vs. Brady Singer (1-0, 4.91)
Saturday: Bryce Elder (1-0) vs. Kris Bubic (0-1, 1.64)
Sunday: Kyle Wright (0-0, 12.00) vs. Zack Greinke (0-3, 3.31)