A deluge of runs

On a damp night at The K, the offense sparked to life, striking for 12 runs through the first six innings. The bullpen, perhaps in tribute to Carlos Estévez (I kid! More on that in a moment.), decided to treat the strikezone as an inconvenience and let the Twins jump back into the game. A 12-1 lead through six shrunk to 13-9 in the ninth inning. A laugher turned into a save situation.

It’s not easy, watching baseball.

While Messrs. Lynch, Lange and Falter coughed up a combined eight runs on eight walks (throwing a total of 91 pitches between them), Steven Cruz stanched the bleeding in the eighth. Somehow, Lucas Erceg was pressed into action with one out in the ninth. He earned the save.

Any win is a good win. But no one needs that kind of agita.

Let's focus on the fun parts first. The offense! Coming into Wednesday’s tilt against the Minnesota Twins, the Royals had scored a grand total of nine runs over their first four games. They more that doubled their output on the young season in a soggy, soupy night at The K where everyone got in on the action, highlighted by the collective production from the outfield. Forget about the much-maligned trio from 2025. It’s a new year, baby.

Jac Caglianone, Isaac Collins and Kyle Isbel, hitting seven, eight and nine in the order, combined to go 8-11, reaching base 11 times. They scored eight of the Royals 13 runs on the night.

That’s some top-shelf production.

Caglianone, in particular, seemed locked in to the extreme. Each one of his base knocks leaving the bat north of 100 mph.

Caglianone’s double with two outs in the second was just a beautiful piece of hitting. It’s a perfect example of what he can do to a baseball, even on a night in extremely inhospitable hitting conditions.

That came with two outs against the Twins ace. From there Collins doubled, Isbel singled, stole second and Garcia singled. By the time the dust (or was it fog?) settled, the Royals had jumped out to an early 3-0 lead, courtesy of that bottom third of the order.

The trio jumped back into action in the fourth when Caglianone led off with a single and Collins was hit by a pitch. As you know, I’m no fan of the bunt. Especially a bunt early in the game. However, I will make an exception for Isbel who often is laying one down with the intent of reaching base. Besides, he's accomplished at it. It's generally fine. I will make a double exception for Isbel laying one down on a soggy turf.

You know it's impressive if I'm dropping a GIF of a bunt. The dude somehow has elevated the bunt into an art. Poetry on the turf.

Alas, that only yielded a single run courtesy a Garcia sac fly as Witt grounded into a bad luck double play. He smashed one right up the middle to the second baseman at 105 mph off the bat.

The trio sparked life into the linescore again in the sixth, with all three reaching to open the frame. Caglianone was hit by a pitch and Collins walked. It would’ve been rude to not acknowledge the Twins largesse. Isbel singled to load the bases.

From there the rest of the Royals finally got the invite to the offensive party. Garcia drew a bases-loaded walk, Witt hit a sac fly and Vinnie Pasquantino hit a grounder to first that resulted in a wide throw to second. That pushed the score to 8-1. Yet the Royals were not finished because a few batters later with the bases juiced, Jonathan India did this:

That was a 397 foot blast at 101.1 mph off the bat for a grand slam. It wasn't just any grand slam. It was a grand Sonic Slam, winning some lucky fan a cool (and maybe soggy) $25,000.

I wonder if the winner is a reader of Into the Fountains. That would be extremely fun. Ahem.

I agree. Tipping has gotten out of hand.

Jake Eisenberg called it a Sonic Boom. I kind of like that.

Anyhoo, the Royals added one more run after the India big fly. This one was notable because it was the first home run that was aided by the fences coming in. It was off the bat from that man, Isbel.

The ball nestled right in that sweet spot between the new fence and the old, just to the right of the bullpen. Officially, it was 360 feet. According to Statcast, it would've been a home run at 26 out of 30 parks, so it's not like the Royals engineered a place where hitters can pick up a cheap bomb. This isn't New Yankee Stadium. It would've been maybe a double and a home run in 25 parks last year.

With two home runs in two games at home, Isbel is the current team leader. He is also setting the pace with three steals. He's on pace for a 60/60 season! Sorry. I'm a bit loopy from this game and couldn't resist.

Obviously, had the game been closer in the middle innings Matt Quatraro would've managed the game—particularly his bullpen—differently. Also, we probably shouldn't ignore the fact that conditions were abysmal. That's a roundabout way of writing the bullpen, with a couple of exceptions, was shambolic.

I touched on the trio of firestarters in the lede, but I'll reiterate here: Daniel Lynch IV, Alec Lange and Bailey Falter combined to throw 1.2 innings where they gave up five hits, eight walks and eight runs. Thank goodness for Steven Cruz and Lucas Erceg for bailing out Lange and Falter in the eighth and ninth. Kudos also to Nick Mears, the first man out of the pen who pitched a clean sixth in support of starter Noah Cameron.

Despite Cameron's success in his rookie campaign, I remain skeptical about his ability to repeat. He looked good on Wednesday, though, going five innings and allowing four hits and a single run. He recorded five strikeouts: Two on his four-seamer, two on his cutter and one on his change. He wobbled in the fifth, allowing plenty of loud contact, but he danced around the lasers and only allowed that single run. It wasn't perfect, but with that early support, he didn't need to be. And again...those conditions were suboptimal for playing baseball.

Yet when Quatraro hands the ball to a reliever with a 12-1 lead in the seventh inning, the minimum expectation is to throw strikes. From that point onward, it was a performance that was as dreadful as it was dangerous. The game never should've reached a point where the Royals needed to burn both Cruz and Erceg. Yeah, the elements sucked and the mound looked like a mud wrestling pit by the end of the night, but that was just some god-awful relieving.

I remain completely enthralled with the ABS system because—and I have to be honest—it is going to generate some tremendous content.

In Wednesday’s game, the challenge was invoked 11 times. Nine of those resulted in overturned calls. Nine overturned calls! Home plate umpire Andy Fletcher did not exactly cover himself in strikezone-knowledge glory. Pitches one and seven were the only two challenges that were upheld.

Apparently, the Twins are going to charge head-first into these challenges as they issued nine of the 11 on Wednesday. They lead the majors in 22 total challenges. The next closest team has 16.

Part of the system is about what pitches are not challenged. Take the plate appearance by Maikel Garcia with two outs in the bottom of the second inning. The Royals had a runner on first and had already scored two runs in the inning. Isbel, the runner, swiped second during this Garcia PA and eventually scored when Garcia singled.

This was the sequence of pitches from Ryan.

Note the numbers on the plot above. The first two pitches went for strikes. The first a called strike on slider on the outer edge and the second a swing and a miss on a four-seam just off the same edge. Pitch number three was a beaut. A sinker down and away. Garcia looked at it. As did home plate umpire Fletcher. Ryan clearly thought it was a strike. It would’ve ended the inning. Instead, Garcia battled to a 3-2 count and singled in Isbel for the Royals third run of the night.

Not that the run ultimately mattered, it supplies yet more evidence that teams are very much still getting used to when to issue their challenges. This is going to continue to be something to watch.

Prior to the game, to the surprise of no one, the Royals placed reliever Carlos Estévez on the 15-day IL. The official injury on the transaction is a left foot contusion. The move is retroactive to March 29. Steven Cruz was recalled from Triple-A Omaha as the corresponding move.

The contusion was the result of Estévez taking a 103.5 mph comebacker off the bat of Michael Harris II in Atlanta on Saturday squarely off his foot. Estévez remained in the game and we all know what happened next. The closer was in a boot on both Sunday and at the home opener on Monday. I would say that obviously the foot didn’t get any better over the last three days, but the the fact that the timing is rather fortuitous cannot be ignored. I’m not saying the Royals are conjuring an injury out of thin air. I’m saying that this is an opportunity for Estévez to work on building his arm strength and mechanics and whatever else is out of whack. I think we can assume he will spend a few days in said boot and will then begin a throwing program that will eventually include a trip to Omaha on a rehab assignment. Estévez can be down there for up to 30 days. That’s more than enough time for him to build up to regular season action…if that’s possible.

After averaging at least 97 mph on his fastball in each of his first eight seasons, he lost a tick of velocity last year, his first in Kansas City. Officially, he averaged 95.9 mph with the four-seamer last year. This spring, he was down to 89.4 mph. Sure, he was down last year in the spring and he’s a veteran and all of that, but that kind of drop was concerning. Against Atlanta on Saturday, his fastball was clocked at an average of 91.2 mph. He was really leaking on the arm side with the pitch.

The three fastballs that were put in play all went for base hits, including the grand slam. The average exit velocity was 104.2 mph. Those are not, in any way, competitive pitches. When he was in the zone, it was batting practice.

I’m excited to have Cruz back in the bullpen. You saw how he handled that eighth inning bases loaded situation. He got knocked around a bit in his season debut for Omaha, coughing up a home run while allowing three total baserunners, but he did punch out the side. He will feature an upper 90s four-seamer he throws around half the time with a wipeout slider that gets a whiff on around a quarter of all swings. He's going to be one of the best relievers in that bullpen.

Central Issues

White Sox 0
Marlins 10

In his Opening Day start, Chicago righty Shane Smith lasted 1.2 innings. Good news: He pitched completed three innings in his start on Wednesday. Bad news: He allowed four runs in the first and two in the second and two more in the third. Smith’s counterpart, Sandy Alcantara tossed up a Maddux, a complete-game shutout on just 93 pitches.

Before the game started, the White Sox cancelled their home opener on Thursday. Feels like a mercy killing.

Tigers 0
Diamondbacks 1

Sometimes, the anticipated action between dueling aces comes to fruition. This one featured Tarik Skubal going for the Tigers while the Diamondbacks countered with Zac Gallen. And duel they did. Skubal went seven innings, allowing six hits, one of which was a home run to Corbin Carroll on his seventh pitch of the game. Gallen went six scoreless as Arizona swept Detroit in the three-game set.

Guardians 4
Dodgers 1

Gavin Williams went seven scoreless, allowing just two hits while striking out 10 as he outdueled Yoshinobu Yamamoto. A throwing error by Dodger catcher Will Smith on a stolen base attempt led to the first Guardian run in the third. Gabriel Arias homered later in the inning to double their lead. José Ramírez clubbed a two-run bomb in the eighth for insurance as Cleveland took two of three from LA.

It's far too early for playoff probabilities, but it's never too early to post the standings when the Royals are on a three-game tear and owners of first place in the Central.

Up Next

The Royals close out their series against the Twins (weather permitting) before hosting a three-game weekend set against the Milwaukee Brewers.

Thu, April 2 vs. MIN - RHP Taj Bradley (0-0, 2.08) vs. LHP Cole Ragans (0-1, 9.00) at 1:10 p.m.
Fri, April 3 vs. MIL - RHP Chad Patrick (0-0, 2.08) vs. RHP Michael Wacha (0-0, 0.00) at 6:45 p.m.
Sat, April 4 vs. MIL - RHP Brandon Sproat (0-0, 21.00) vs. RHP Seth Lugo (1-0, 0.00) at 3:10 p.m.
Sun, April 5 vs. MIL - LHP Kyle Harrison (0-0, 1.80) vs. LHP Kris Bubic (1-0, 1.50) at 1:10 p.m.