How Royals ace Cole Ragans rebounded with 11-strikeout performance vs. Angels
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- Cole Ragans threw six innings and recorded 11 strikeouts in a 12-1 win.
- Ragans relied on an elevated four-seam fastball, inducing 18 whiffs per Statcast.
- Royals offense produced 14 hits and went 5-for-16 with runners in scoring position.
Kansas City Royals ace Cole Ragans had a distinctive look in his eyes from the moment he took the mound Saturday night against the Los Angeles Angels.
Ragans was out to dominate.
In the first inning, Ragans sat down the Angels in order. Los Angeles trio of Zach Neto, Mike Trout and Jo Adell each made a direct return trips to the dugout.
AndRagans was pumping high velocity. Neto went down swinging on a 98 mph fastball and Ragans reared back to retire Adell with a 99.2 mph heater.
It was that kind of night for the Angels. Ragans tossed six innings and recorded 11 strikeouts as he led the Royals to a 12-1 victory at Kauffman Stadium.
The Royals (10-17) welcomed the strong outing. Ragans struggled in his last start against the New York Yankees — allowing seven runs and eight walks — and took the loss at Yankee Stadium.
The outing in New York was a rough performance for Ragans, a 2024 All-Star pitcher. And it bothered Ragans. He characterized the night as unacceptable.
Ragans didn’t feel that way on Saturday. He was in full control as he notched double-digit strikeouts for the first time since Sept. 23, 2025 — also against the Angels.
Per Statcast, Ragans relied heavily on his four-seam fastball. He induced 35 swings and 18 whiffs with the pitch. His velocity also ticked 2.3 mph higher than average, and it made a significant difference.
Ragans stayed ahead in the count. He forced the Angels to make difficult swing decisions. He did not allow a walk in his six innings.
Angels outfielder Jo Adell did tag Ragans with a solo homer in the fourth inning. However, Ragans shook off the damage and kept pounding the strike zone. He proceeded to retire three of the next four hitters via strikeout.
Meanwhile, the Royals got the offense going. The Royals gave Ragans early run support. Salvador Perez belted his 307th career home run with a shot in the second inning. Perez is just 11 homers shy of breaking Hall of Famer George Brett’s franchise mark.
Perez grooved a 96.3 mph sinker into the left-field seats. He also added an RBI single in his next at-bat.
Royals third baseman Nick Loftin also recorded multiple RBIs. He drove home Jac Caglianone and Isaac Collins with a pair of RBI singles.
The Royals chased Angels starter Walbert Urena after 3 and 2/3innings. He allowed four runs on six hits and surrendered five walks.
Los Angeles dropped to 12-16 this season. The Royals look to earn their first series sweep on Sunday at The K.
Royals offense continues to elevate
It was only a matter of time before the Royals’ offense found its stride. On Saturday, the Royals took care of business early.
KC cashed in on a few mistakes. After Urena departed, the Royals took aim at the Angels bullpen as they scored four times down the stretch.
In the seventh inning, Vinnie Pasquantino drew a bases-loaded walk. Later, the Royals scored three runs against Shaun Anderson.
Michael Massey began the frame with an RBI single. However, the Angels allowed two additional runs to score following a defensive error. The three-run inning helped the Royals break the game open.
The Royals (10-17) have scored five or more runs in every game this homestand. And, they have done damage with runners in scoring position (RISP).
On Saturday, the club finished 6 for 18 in RISP and recorded 14 hits in the victory.
What’s next: Royals right-handed starter Seth Lugo (1-1, 1.15 ERA) will oppose Angels lefty Reid Detmers (1-2, 4.08 ERA) in Sunday’s finale. It will be the Royals’ first Sunday night game at Kauffman Stadium since 2016. First pitch is set for 6:20 p.m. Central Time.
