KANSAS CITY -- Once Bobby Witt Jr. swung through the splitter that Angels starter Yusei Kikuchi threw him in the fourth inning on Friday night, Witt went into battle mode with two strikes.
Witt fouled off a fastball at the top of the zone, followed by another splitter above the zone that Kikuchi wanted him to swing through again. Kikuchi moved the sights down with a fastball that Witt fouled off again, and then, Kikuchi threw the mistake pitch Witt was hunting: A cutter down and in that Witt crushed out to the left-center gap for a leadoff double.
“Trying to fight those off to stay in the at-bat,” Witt said. “I’m always going to be a guy who swings. So not taking that away from myself, but then also being able to foul off a pitch that’s probably a little bit out of the zone, just to be able to get back in the zone for that mistake pitch.”
It was the Royals’ first hit of the night and got it all started in what would be a five-run fourth inning and a 6-3 series-opening win over the Angels at Kauffman Stadium.
But more than anything, it embodied what the Royals have been trying to instill in their hitters trying to break through a season-opening slump.
“That’s huge,” left fielder Isaac Collins said. “That’s our identity. Can’t give a single pitch away. Whether you’re down in the count or not, you got to battle. Great start to the inning. That’s how our offense needs to be, one through nine.”
The battle comes during an at-bat and during the inning, keeping the line moving from one hitter to the next. That’s what happened against the Angels. Witt moved to third on Salvador Perez’s flyout. Lane Thomas kept the inning alive with his second walk. Witt scored on Starling Marte’s RBI fielder’s choice, which right fielder Jo Adell couldn’t quite corral. Thomas was thrown out at second, but the Royals kickstarted a two-out rally.
Carter Jensen singled. Collins singled. They both scored on Elias Díaz’s double that landed just fair down the left-field line -- a call that stood after replay review, along with Collins being safe at home. Michael Massey added an RBI double, capping the five-spot.
“After what we had done the first three innings, Kikuchi -- he looked really tough,” manager Matt Quatraro said. “He is tough, I should say. But then to battle and battle and battle, and battle, and put up a big crooked number in that inning was huge for us.”
It marked just the ninth game this season the Royals scored at least five runs, and four have come on this homestand in the past four games. But Friday was just the fourth time they’ve won one of those games.
This offense seems to be gaining some steam, and the Royals are doing it not with massive swings or huge power, but by keeping the line moving and being a pesky offense with two-out hits and RBIs. That’s been a central theme the hitters have talked about recently.
Too often over the first 25 games of the season, the Royals tried to win a game with one big swing.
“Myself, and I think a few other guys could say that the past few games, we haven’t been doing our part,” Collins said. “But tonight, one through nine, we had a great day at the plate. ... That’s what you have to do at this level to win games. Everyone has to do their part. It just felt like we have [had] good aspects of the game, but couldn't play a complete game. Tonight, we were able to put everything together and have a good start to the series.”
Indeed, the Royals were able to fend off a late rally by the Angels and keep their lead, helped along by a two-out RBI single from Collins in the eighth for a big insurance run. Starter Noah Cameron was tagged with three runs in 6 1/3 innings, although reliever Nick Mears walked two batters and allowed a fielder’s choice that brought in two of those runs.
But Daniel Lynch IV continued to make a case for more high-leverage innings when he reached back for 96 mph and struck out Yoán Moncada swinging to end the bases-loaded threat.
“There’s no hiding it -- stuff matters,” Lynch said. “That pitch is 93, it’s probably not a swing and miss. I know it’s in the tank. It’s good if the hitter knows, too. I’m not trying to overthrow or whatever, but just staying within myself and trying to execute a good pitch.”