Why Royals starter Luinder Avila showed promise in series-ending win at Nationals
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- Luinder Avila pitched 5 2/3 innings, allowed one run and struck out five.
- Avila’s slider registered 18 swings and seven whiffs and was thrown 30 times.
- The Royals won 6-2 as Kansas City belted four solo homers and collected 11 hits.
Earlier this spring, Kansas City Royals manager Matt Quatraro said 24-year-old pitcher Luinder Avila had the potential to be a frontline starter.
The Royals have raved about Avila’s stuff since signing him as an international free agent in 2018.
It’s easy to see why the Royals fell in love with his metrics: Avila threw an upper-90s fastball, sharp sinker and go-to slider in his five-pitch arsenal.
He has shown flashes of dominance. But he has also struggled with his command, as most young pitchers do. This was the case during his start last week against the Houston Astros, when he allowed eight runs in just two-thirds of an inning to open the game.
Avila admitted in the aftermath that he was frustrated he couldn’t help the team five days ago — and he understood that he needed to be much better in his next start.
“I think he knows he’s good,” Quatraro said. “There’s no reason to keep dwelling on it. It’s over. I mean, that happens to everybody in the big leagues.”
That next start arrived Wednesday afternoon in the nation’s capital. He got another chance on the mound against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park. And this time he fired on all cylinders from the very beginning.
Avila was masterful across 5 2/3 innings. He allowed one run while scattering three hits and recording five strikeouts, and the Royals salvaged a 6-2 victory in the series finale.
“Last start was a really bad start,” Avila said via a translator. “This one was a little bit better. I’ve just got to keep working and keep making them better.”
In the first inning, Avila set the tone by striking out Nationals star James Wood. And he continued to show steady command, striking out three of Washington’s first four batters.
Holding the Nationals’ potent lineup at bay was no small feat: Washington came in averaging an MLB-best 5.47 runs per game.
Avila managed to do so with his wipeout slider: The pitch registered 18 swings and seven whiffs, per Baseball Savant. He threw the slider 30 times Wednesday and saw an increase in velocity.
“I was just thinking about throwing it harder,” Avila said. “I went inside with it and stayed to the middle. That’s exactly what I wanted to do in terms of the game prep.”
Avila’s second win this season. He was treated to ample run support as the Royals belted four early solo homers.
Royals’ offense provided some support
Rookie catcher Carter Jensen led off the game with a home run. Teammate John Rave homered in the second inning and Lane Thomas and Michael Massey pounded back-to-back homers in the third.
All four home runs were against right-handed starter Zack Littell. The veteran missed around the strike zone and the Royals took advantage. Littell would take the loss, allowing four earned runs on seven hits.
“I know he kind of goes right at guys,” Jensen said of Littell. “You know, he uses that splitter or changeup, whatever it is, and I got one up in the zone and was able to hit it out.”
For Thomas, it was his second home run in as many days. He bested his former teammates after two Nationals wins to open this series and the Royals improved to 30-45.
The Royals manufactured two more runs in the sixth. Isaac Collins hit into a fielder’s choice, driving in one, and Bobby Witt Jr. added an RBI single.
KC totalled 12 hits against the Nationals (39-36) on Wednesday. Jensen finished 4-for-4 and reached base five times. He has now hit safely in nine straight games since June 6.
Rave, who also tripled, had two hits in his first big-league start since being recalled from Triple-A Omaha on Sunday.
“I felt pretty good about my pregame work the past couple of days,” Rave said. “I tried not to overcomplicate it and get a good pitch to hit and put a good swing on it. And was able to get a couple of those today. So was happy to help the team win.”
The Nationals scored both of their runs in the bottom of the sixth. CJ Abrams had an RBI double and Dylan Crews singled in the other run.
The Royals’ bullpen was able to close it out. Matt Strahm relieved Avila in the sixth, and Lucas Erceg, John Schreiber and Alex Lange also made appearances.
“We’ve got to score runs and they’ve got to prevent them when we are ahead,” Thomas said. “You know, as long as we do that, two out of three days a series, I think we will be OK. That’s the key. It’s to win the series.”
What’s next: Royals left-hander Noah Cameron (3-4, 4.11 ERA) will start Thursday night’s I-70 series opener against the St. Louis Cardinals at Kauffman Stadium. He will oppose fellow lefty Matthew Liberatore (3-3, 4.71 ERA), with first pitch set for 6:40 p.m. Central Time.
This story was originally published June 17, 2026 at 3:20 PM.
