Home finally sweet for Kansas City Royals as Greinke collects first victory of season
Not much has gone right for the Royals season, but on this night it all came together in a 6-0 victory over the Baltimore Orioles.
Five pitchers combined to give the Royals their first shutout. They banged out 13 hits and played superb defense. It added up to a performance that broke a 10-game losing streak at Kauffman Stadium, one short of matching the club record.
The Royals, who improved to 8-23, won at home for just the second time in 2023.
“They feel good and deserve to feel good right now,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “Clearly, the best game we’ve played all around, pitching, defense and timely hitting.”
All in a tidy 1 hour, 59 minutes, the Royals’ first sub-2 hour game this season.
Credit the pitching for that brisk pace. Starter Zack Greinke needed only 44 pitches to pick up his first victory of the season. He struck out three, walked none and surrendered three singles.
A reduced pitch count wasn’t necessarily the thought entering the game. Greinke had thrown at least 71 pitches in each of his previous outings.
But as the game unfolded, Quatraro considered several factors.
“Multiple reasons,” the KC manager said. “What we had in the bullpen available tonight. We felt good about how we matched up the rest of the game, as well as being in the middle of a 16-game stretch and trying to manage innings.”
Greinke told Quatrao he could continue, and it was the manager’s call to make the switch to the bullpen.
“Trying to win games,” Greinke said. “Bullpen’s been pitching great. Starters haven’t been doing as good.”
And when it came to the bullpen, they all pitched in. Taylor Clarke, Aroldis Chapman, Amir Garrett — who turned 31 Wednesday and received a cake from teammates after the game — and Josh Staumont each chipped in a scoreless inning and the Royals had the shutout in hand.
According to the Royals, Greinke became the first player since the Braves’ Greg Maddux in 2003 to complete a start of at least five innings and throw 44 or fewer pitches.
“That is amazingly efficient,” Quatraro said.
Line kept moving
Vinnie Pasquantino led the way at the plate, but several joined him.
His solo home run opened the scoring in the fourth inning, and he added a pair of RBI doubles.
“Just trying to lock in tonight like I do every night,” Pasquantino said. “Nothing different. ... It was a good night, but it’s the same thing I say after losses. We play tomorrow.”
Nick Pratto added three hits and Kyle Isbel and Michael Massey each had two.
“I thought we were swinging at really good pitches,” Pratto said. “We weren’t expanding the zone.”
Nor were the Royals striking out. This marked the first game this season in which no Royals hitters whiffed.
To Quatraro, the biggest swing of the game wasn’t a hit, but rather Maikel Garcia’s sacrifice fly that drove in the first of four runs in the seventh to break it open.
“To make it 3-0 there, that was a big run,” Quatraro said.
Flashing the leather
Pratto turned in some nifty glove work at first base.
In the first inning, he made a diving stop and a leaping catch. And the fourth inning ended when he dove to snare Kyle Stowers’ one-hopper for the final out.
“Those happen so fast you just react to where the ball goes,” Pratto said.
Next up
The Royals and Orioles complete their three-game series Thursday with a 1:10 p.m. contest. Right-hander Jordan Lyles (0-5, 6.11) is scheduled to start for the Royals and right-hander Grayson Rodriguez (1-0, 4.07) for the Orioles.
The Royals’ longest homestand of the season continues Friday, when the Oakland A’s visit for three games. The Royals and Chicago White Sox play a four-game series starting Monday.
This story was originally published May 3, 2023 at 8:46 PM.