Final Score: MIN 0 | KC 11
Overall Record: 1-2
Winning/Losing Pitcher
- W: Brady Singer (1-0 | 0.00 ERA)
- L: Bailey Ober (0-1 | 54.00 ERA)
Royals Player(s) of the Game
Bobby Witt Jr.
3-5, Solo HR, 3B, RBI, 2 Ks
What a superstar. What a player. Finishing a double shy of the cycle, Bobby Witt Jr. proved why he is worth the 7 year/$288 Million extension he signed this offseason. He is off to a roaring start in 2024, with six hits in the first three games, five of which being extra base hits. With all that, he’s ballooned his batting average to .545 with a 1.888 OPS(!!!). Of course this can’t be what we expect every game, but when Bob gets comfortable, who knows what the ceiling of this team could be. He’s as advertised ladies and gents, and I can’t wait to see what else the show has in store.
Salvador Perez
3-5, 3-Run HR, 4 RBI, 2 R, K
El Capitán came back in full force today, as Salvador Perez was able to get his first three hits of the season, one of them being a 3-run blast to start the 11-run beatdown by the Royals. He also collected a couple singles, one of which had a steak attached, extending the Royals lead even more. Salvy is still the emotional heartbeat of this team, showing up always in the best moments. For this Royals team to get over the hump, it needs Salvador Perez to be a consistent slayer in the middle of the lineup. He wears the C on his chest for a reason, and if he continues this, look out for a big season from him.
Key Highlights
It feels like blasphemy to not have Brady Singer as one of the players of the game, but given the, honestly excellent, pitching performances the first few times out; offense was needed way more in this one. That’s not to say we shouldn’t talk about it. Brady Singer was the best he’s looked since 2022 on Sunday. He got in a groove early, got a lot of run support, and started cruising. He finished his afternoon pitching seven innings, striking out ten, giving up three hits, and only walking one dude. He was pitching nasty all day long, devastating opponents with his slider which was moving all over the zone today. I personally was watching this game and kept wondering how Brady was carving them up so much, with the Twins being a constant foe. But they looked like they hadn’t seen this guy in their life. They were lost. Moral of the story, if Brady can pitch like that, That’ll play.
We already talked about Salvy’s blast in the bottom of the first, so let’s get to the good stuff. The second inning was magical. Kyle Isbel got the scoring started with his first HR of the season, with Maikel Garcia hitting his second homer of the year, back-to-back. Which was a sight for sore eyes for some of us who have been waiting for these two to pop off at the same time.
But wait, there’s so much more. Bob hits a triple into deep right center field with center fielder, Austin Martin, crashing into the fence trying to make the grab. Salvy singled in Bobby, MJ Melendez continued his hot start doubling off the fence. After a Nelson Velázquez walk, the bases were loaded for Adam Frazier, who was able to single in a couple more. Say what you want about Frazier, but he did what was asked of him there. Freddy Fermin drove in a run on a groundout, and then that was it for the bottom of the second. With the Royals putting up a six-spot then, and three in the first. This offense is dangerous ya’ll, and they weren’t done yet. Bobby Witt Jr. hit his solo homer, and Nelson Velázquez got in on the action, adding a solo shot of his own. Showing the true veracity that this offense has once it gets going downhill. Matt Sauer had a clean inning in his major league debut, only allowing one hit. He and Jordan Lyles finished quieting the Twins’ bats for the afternoon.
I think this result was a combination of a lot of things, but more importantly, that they are in the same stratosphere as the Twins. Without a few dumb mistakes the first couple games, the final scores would have reflected what actually happened. The Royals are still finding their identity too, which is one thing that is hard to remember with all the excitement of a new season. My takeaway from this first series is that this Twins team is beatable, especially if you keep pitching like you have been. The offense just needs to follow suit.
Summary of the Next Game
The Royals make their first road trip of the season to the red-hot Baltimore Orioles, where Michael Wacha will make his Royals debut against Dean Kremer. Wacha will be a very nice chess piece for Matt Quatraro to have for their first road series. Hopefully he can carry the baton started by Ragans, Lugo, and Singer in the first three games. Wacha signed to be a big part of this rotation, but he’s got his work cut out for him as we head to one of the best teams in baseball.
