Pink bats contribute to rosy afternoon
Royals players who used special equipment excelled Sunday
SEATTLE -- Let's hear it for the Royals' pink people.
The players who used pink bats excelled in a 9-7 victory over the Mariners on Sunday. They were part of the pink accent to games throughout the country as Major League Baseball promoted awareness of the fight against breast cancer.
The five in the lineup who used pink bats for the Royals -- Eric Hosmer, Danny Valencia, Alex Gordon, Alcides Escobar and Brett Hayes -- combined to go 9-for-21, or .429.
"I've never had success with a pink bat until today," said Gordon, who went 3-for-4 with a walk. "So mother was looking out for us."
Escobar used his pink bat to blast his first bases-loaded home run.
"The best part is I hit my first grand slam on Mother's Day," he said.
The four players that used normal bats -- Nori Aoki, Billy Butler, Lorenzo Cain and Johnny Giavotella -- were a combined 3-for-17, .176. However, Giavotella provided the game-deciding, three-run homer.
So no one could complain. It was all for a good cause on a winning afternoon.