How Royals scored early, added on & then held on to win series opener in Seattle
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Royals scored four first-inning runs to give Cole Ragans a healthy early lead.
- Lane Thomas delivered an eighth-inning go-ahead RBI single to drive home Salvador Perez.
- Lucas Erceg earned his eighth save after Matt Strahm and he finished the eighth and ninth.
It’s a new month and the Kansas City Royals did something on Friday night that they haven’t done much of during the 2026 season.
The Royals gave left-handed starting pitcher Cole Ragans a healthy lead. They scored four first-inning runs, gave away the lead, then recovered for a 7-6 series-opening victory at T-Mobile Park.
“It was a really exciting game all the way through,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said.
In the eighth inning, Royals pinch-hitter Lane Thomas, who handles left-handed pitching well, hit an 88.4 mph changeup from Mariners reliever Jose A. Ferrer into center field. The clutch single drove home Royals star Salvador Perez as the go-ahead run.
It was Thomas’ fourth game-winning RBI in as many days. On Sunday, he hit a walk-off three-run homer as the Royals defeated the Los Angeles Angels at Kauffman Stadium.
“Yeah, you just got to get that run in,” Thomas said. “You know, however it happens. Different guys throw different stuff, but (I’m) just trying to drive that run in however I can.”
The Royals improved to 13-19. It’s their second victory in a one-run game this season. Seattle fell to 16-17.
Here’s how Friday’s game unfolded:
The Royals came into Seattle as the worst team in Major League Baseball in first innings. They’d batted a combined .189 with a .506 OPS (on-base plus slugging) in the first innings of games this season.
To put this in perspective, the KC offense had just scored four runs in first innings, combined, all year. The Royals trailed the San Diego Padres and Boston Red Sox as the lone MLB teams that hadn’t scored at least 10 or more runs in the first inning of games in 2026.
The Royals matched their first-inning total for all of 2026 on Friday. Maikel Garcia and Bobby Witt Jr. began the game with back-to-back singles. This paved the way for Vinnie Pasquantino and Salvador Perez to drive them in.
Pasquantino hit an RBI single and Perez laced a two-run double off Mariners starter Bryan Woo. It was Perez’s sixth hit with runners in scoring position this season.
“Really good at-bats to start the game ...” Pasquantino said. “It was a lot of good contact, balls falling for us, and we did a nice job.”
KC would add another run a few batters later. Isaac Collins hit a double of his own and the Royals took a 4-0 lead.
But then, they couldn’t maintain it.
Ragans did what he could against a potent Mariners lineup. He surrendered a two-run homer to Mariners star Julio Rodriguez in the first inning; it was one of three homers Ragans allowed on the night.
The Royals All-Star pitcher tossed 56 of 95 pitches for strikes. He relied heavily on his four-seam fastball to stay ahead of the Mariners’ lineup. The heater registered 27 swings and eight whiffs, per Statcast.
“It’s a mixed bag, I guess,” Ragans said of his outing. “I gave up a homer in the first (to Rodriguez) as I hung a changeup. The other two homers, I liked the pitch. You know, sometimes you’ve just got to tip your cap.”
However, both teams took advantage of the long ball. Pasquantino, who didn’t start the last two games due to low back tightness, hit a solo homer in the sixth inning and Jac Caglianone followed with his third homer as well.
The Royals needed the key insurance runs. Every time the Mariners got close, the club found a way to keep them at arm’s length.
Ragans departed with a slim lead. Meanwhile, the Royals’ bullpen had to cover eight outs and gave up the lead.
“Offense really picked me up there,” Ragans said. “They came out swinging it. I’ve got to be a little bit better about getting ahead, but the boys had my back there.”
Nick Mears prevented further damage in the sixth. But Royals lefty Daniel Lynch IV gave up a game-tying, two-run homer to Rodriguez with two outs in the seventh.
Thomas picked up his teammates in the eighth inning. His RBI single set the stage for Royals relievers Matt Strahm and Lucas Erceg to close out the game. Erceg, who celebrated his 31st birthday, earned his eighth save.
“It’s a big win,” Strahm said. “And even better to celebrate a birthday on a win than a loss. So I think either way we were having cake. The cake’s gonna taste better.”
What’s next: Royals right-hander Seth Lugo (1-1, 2.63 ERA) will start Saturday’s game at T-Mobile Park opposite Mariners righty Emerson Hancock (2-1, 3.86 ERA). First pitch is set for 8:40 p.m. Central Time.
This story was originally published May 1, 2026 at 11:40 PM.
