The Royals are suddenly red hot on the road. How are they doing it?
The Kansas City Royals remain perfect on the road.
After a three-game sweep of the Texas Rangers this week, the Royals rolled into San Diego and earned a 6-5 victory over the Padres at Petco Park.
The Royals (38-38) earned their fourth consecutive win. They have scored 24 runs since their players-only meeting last Saturday.
Jonathan India led the way going 3-for-5 with three RBIs. Meanwhile, Michael Lorenzen allowed two earned runs in 5 ⅓ innings.
“We went through a tough stretch recently and we got swept at home the whole series,” India said postgame on the Apple TV+ broadcast. And you know, we felt that. We wanted to come on the road, show what we’ve got and play Royals baseball.”
The Padres (40-35) have lost six of their last eight games. Four Padres (Manny Machado, Luis Arraez, Jose Iglesias and Gavin Sheets) recorded RBIs.
Here are key takeaways from the game.
Royals continue power barrage
It took a while for the Royals to drive the baseball. Prior to their six-game road trip, the Royals ranked last in the majors with 46 home runs.
They were the lone team with less than 50 homers. However, things have changed quickly across the last four games.
Namely: The Royals have hit nine home runs in that span.
“Everyone is gritty,” India said. “We’re trying to find a way to win. ... We’re all putting good at-bats together and that’s what this team does. It’s impressive.”
On Friday, Bobby Witt Jr. blasted a solo home run to give the club a first-inning lead. India extended the margin with a three-run homer in the fifth inning.
Royals manager Matt Quatraro recently spoke about expanding leads throughout games. India provided the latest example against the Padres. His home run gave Lorenzen and the bullpen wiggle room to absorb a late San Diego surge.
“It’s always nice to get the lead,” Quatraro said during his postgame availability in San Diego. “When Bobby starts doing stuff — he hit the ball hard tonight — and when he starts doing that, we are going to be in a good spot.”
KC now has 55 total home runs this season.
Kyle Isbel shines defensively
Padres star Fernando Tatis Jr. was left speechless at the plate. In the fifth inning, Tatis hit a line drive that looked like extra bases.
Instead, outfielder Kyle Isbel made a terrific diving catch in center field. He raced in and corralled the sinking baseball.
The play was decisive.
The Padres had two runners on base. Lorenzen was making his third trip through the batting order and needed the defensive support. The diving catch kept the Padres from creating a bigger inning and allowed the Royals to keep a three-run lead.
Sam Long returns from injury
The Royals added a key piece back in their bullpen. On Friday, Sam Long returned from the 15-day injured list with left elbow inflammation.
Long dealt with elbow discomfort in early April. He tried to gradually pitch through the pain before ultimately being shut down. The injury didn’t require surgery as Long spent the following weeks resting his throwing arm.
The Royals turned to young relievers Steven Cruz, Evan Sisk and Jonathan Bowlan in his absence. Bowlan was optioned to Triple-A Omaha as the corresponding roster move.
Long had a tough start to the 2025 campaign. He posted a 12.86 ERA in seven appearances before heading to the injured list.
He missed 60 games before returning Friday. He posted six strikeouts in his last 4 ⅓ innings during his rehab assignment.
The Royals will slowly integrate Long back into the relief mix. He joins Angel Zerpa and Daniel Lynch IV as the three left-handed pitchers in the bullpen.
What’s next: Noah Cameron (2-2, 1.91 ERA) draws the start for the Royals on Saturday. The talented left-hander will oppose right-hander Dylan Cease (2-6, 4.69 ERA) at Petco Park.
This story was originally published June 20, 2025 at 11:53 PM.
