KANSAS CITY -- Before Friday night, the Royals had only scored five runs in eight of their 25 games, third fewest in MLB, and it’s been even worse when it comes to winning those five-run games with just three victories.
Friday marked their fourth, though, and perhaps this offense is beginning to turn a corner.
The Royals put up a five-spot in the fourth inning and ran with it all the way to a 6-3 series-opening win over the Angels at Kauffman Stadium. It marked Kansas City’s’ fourth consecutive game of scoring at least five runs as this offense tries to work its way out of the season-opening slump it found itself in to begin the year.
Throughout that lull, the big hit has eluded the Royals time and time again. In the fifth inning against the Angels, they got a few of them -- and caught some breaks along the way.
Bobby Witt Jr.’s seven-pitch at-bat that turned into a double set the tone, and he moved to third on Salvador Perez’s flyout. After Lane Thomas walked, Starling Marte hit a fly ball to shallow right field that Jo Adell couldn’t quite corral, allowing Witt to score. Thomas was thrown out at second, but the Royals kickstarted a two-out rally.
Carter Jensen singled. Isaac 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.
For the Royals to fully click as an offense, this is what needs to happen. They’re not going to get by on massive home runs -- or even get them at all most of the time -- so they need to keep the line moving for as long as they can.
Collins’ RBI single provided a big insurance run in the eighth, and the Royals will take all they can get with the shakiness of their bullpen right now. 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 Yoan Moncada to end the bases-loaded threat.