Royals’ offense erupts with fireworks in series-opening win vs. Diamondbacks
Fans who attended Chase Field on Friday night were promised fireworks in celebration of the Fourth of July.
Little did they know their ticket would include an additional show.
The Kansas City Royals rolled into town sitting on a powder keg. Their dormant offense needed the right environment to ignite and the right player to light a spark.
Vinnie Pasquantino answered the call in the Royals’ 9-3 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks. He hit two home runs and recorded a career-high six RBIs.
The rest of the Royals followed suit.
“I think we did a nice job of carrying over what last night was,” Pasquantino told Joel Goldberg of FanDuel Sports Network Kansas City. “A lot of good at-bats last night and a lot of good at-bats tonight. We are pretty happy with the results the last two nights. It’s a quick turnaround and we will be back out here tomorrow.”
KC attacked D-backs starter Eduardo Rodriguez. All nine Royals starters recorded at least one hit. Pasquantino hit a three-run homer in the first inning and followed with a two-run shot in the fourth.
Mark Canha, who was homerless in 106 at-bats, went deep in the fifth inning. It was his first homer as a member of the Royals.
“He’s been working hard,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro told reporters in Phoenix. “We know the results haven’t been what he wants, but he has been putting in a ton of work. (Royals assistant hitting coach) Joe (Dillon) was just telling me yesterday how much it’s starting to click in the cage.”
Rodriguez allowed nine runs (eight earned) in 4 ⅓ innings. He surrendered 12 hits despite racking up seven strikeouts. The Royals took advantage of missed locations and gave lefty starter Kris Bubic some much-needed run support.
“He (Rodriguez) is a guy that is around the zone a lot and you just try to find some pitches that you feel comfortable being aggressive with. We were able to do that to him tonight,” Pasquantino said. “It was an all-around good night off of him.”
Bubic didn’t need much to corral the D-backs’ offense. He allowed two earned runs and worked out of potential trouble on several occasions.
“The more depth that we have, the better it’s going to be,” Pasquantino said.
Arizona scored two runs in the first inning. Josh Naylor and Eugenio Suarez were responsible for the runs scored. Later, Suarez hit his 28th homer of the season.
From there, Bubic earned a quality start as the Royals (42-47) won their third game in four days.
“We just found a way,” Bubic said. “Found a way to get through seven innings and ... the offensive production definitely helped me feel like I could settle in.”
The D-backs (43-45) dropped their third consecutive game. KC is now 3-2 on its seven-game road trip.
Here are more takeaways from the game:
Kris Bubic adds to All-Star resume
The Royals will learn which players made the 2025 American League All-Star team on Sunday afternoon. Major League Baseball will announce the All-Star reserves at 4 p.m. Central on ESPN.
Bubic hopes to hear his name called.
The Royals left-hander has broken out this season. He was inserted back into the starting rotation after returning from Tommy John surgery last year. Prior to Friday’s game, Bubic entered with the seventh-best ERA in the majors.
It’s possible the Royals get four players in the Midsummer Classic. Bobby Witt Jr. is likely to make his second All-Star appearance at shortstop. Maikel Garcia and Carlos Estévez are also in the conversation.
Jac Caglianone looks to find rhythm
MLB pitchers have a book on Royals rookie Jac Caglianone. The superstar phenom is receiving a steady diet of off-speed pitches.
Caglianone had one hit in his last 43 plate appearances entering Friday’s game. He made hard contact but the stretch included 11 strikeouts. At times, Caglianone seemed frustrated by his lack of results.
In the first inning, Caglianone reached with a single. He finished 2-for-5 and generated a lot of solid contact.
What’s next: The Royals continue their three-game series against the D-backs on Saturday afternoon. Michael Wacha (4-8, 3.62 ERA) will oppose Ryne Nelson (4-2, 3.61 ERA).
This story was originally published July 4, 2025 at 11:38 PM.
