KANSAS CITY -- Was Saturday night Vinnie Pasquantino’s favorite night of the year when it was all said and done?
No, he said after the 0-for-4 night in which he was unable to come through in a couple of key moments.
Did he let it linger into Sunday? Certainly not.
The Royals first baseman’s three-run home run in the bottom of the first inning Sunday propelled Kansas City to a 6-1 win over the Blue Jays at Kauffman Stadium, taking the finale after back-to-back losses earlier this weekend.
On Saturday, there were two at-bats Pasquantino wanted back, grounding out in the first inning and hitting into a double play in the eighth with the tying and go-ahead runs on base in the Royals’ eventual one-run loss.
But such is the beauty of baseball: The next day, you’re probably getting another chance.
“That’s what my dad always said, and it’s something I kind of repeated here, which is: The only one that matters is the next one,” Pasquantino said. “You might hit a homer in one at-bat, but you still have to go up there the second time. You might strike out your first time, and you still got to go up there for your second one. It’s kind of like trying to erase the past a little bit and just focus on where your feet are and trying to go compete because it’s all you can do -- is get to the next one.”
And Pasquantino found himself in a similar situation right away Sunday afternoon. Hitting third as Jac Caglianone deals with a flexor strain in his left elbow, Pasquantino stepped to the plate with runners on first and second and nobody out in the first inning. John Rave -- hitting leadoff in place of Carter Jensen, who had a well-deserved day off after catching five consecutive days in the upper-90 degree heat -- had beaten out an infield single hit back to Blue Jays starter Spencer Arrighetti, and Bobby Witt Jr. had walked.
“He’s hitting in the first inning, he knows that,” manager Matt Quatraro said. “Got to be locked in.”
Pasquantino hammered a fastball from Arrighetti a Statcast-projected 406 feet out to right-center field for his 11th home run of the season.
“My mindset was to get the runners over,” Pasquantino said. “Try not to get something on the ground because as much as I hate to admit it, I am 100% a double play threat. So try to keep the ball off the ground, get something to right field that I can get Rave over to third. If I’m able to score them, I’m able to score them. Just happy to come through with the runners in scoring position.”
In the three weeks since Pasquantino returned from the injured list on Aug. 17, he’s slashing .269/.372/.567 with five doubles, five home runs, 13 RBIs and 10 walks compared to four strikeouts. One of those walks came Sunday, when he was down 0-2 to lefty Joe Mantiply before drawing the free pass.
Those results are much more like the hitter the Royals know they have in Pasquantino, and much more like what they expect from him despite a turbulent 2026.
His homer set the tone early, and Salvador Perez’s two-run blast widened the lead in the third. That allowed Royals starter Randy Dobnak to settle in against the Blue Jays, whom he held to just one run in six innings. The right-hander ran into trouble in the sixth after Josh Smith’s leadoff home run and consecutive two-out singles, but he got out of the jam with his specialty: A ground ball. Dobnak got a lot of those Sunday, which means his sinker was working, and two key double plays helped him out, too.
“They always say a dog is man’s best friend,” Dobnak said. “I think double plays are a man’s best friend. At least in my case.”
Dobnak has now made 10 starts since joining the Royals’ rotation after the All-Star break, and his 2.67 ERA is the 12th-lowest mark in the American League during that span. Under club control in 2027, Dobnak has made a case for a future role with the Royals. And his versatility as a starter, reliever or swingman allows them some flexibility as they think about what their pitching staff looks like next year.
For now, the Royals just like playing behind him when he’s on the mound.
“He sinks it. He slides it. He sweeps it. He does all of it,” Pasquantino said. “He’s been a great addition. He’s great in the clubhouse. It’s cool to take the field with him.”