KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City Royals broke an 11-game home losing streak with a victorious performance over the Los Angeles Dodgers, triumphing 9-5 on Saturday. Vinnie Pasquantino had a standout game with a home run, a double, and equaled his career-best by driving in five runs.
Shohei Ohtani, renowned for his dual-role capability, took the mound for the Dodgers. He delivered a 101.7 mph fastball, marking the quickest pitch of his career during this third start of the season. This fastball ended the first inning with a double-play grounder against Pasquantino. Ohtani tossed 27 pitches across two scoreless innings but is gradually reintroducing himself to pitching, having undergone Tommy John surgery in 2023. At bat for the Dodgers, he struggled, going 0-for-4 with three strikeouts.
Pasquantino exploded in the fifth inning, launching a three-run homer that traveled 430 feet to right-center off Ben Casparius, boosting the Royals with a crucial four-run inning. This game marked the Royals’ first home win at Kaufmann Stadium since May 31, and it also ended a six-game overall losing streak.
Freddie Freeman was a standout for the Dodgers with a perfect 3-for-3 at-bat performance, including a home run. Nevertheless, the Dodgers saw their five-game winning streak halted. Miguel Rojas also took the mound in the eighth inning as a relief pitcher.
For Kansas City, Seth Lugo had an impressive outing, pitching 5 2/3 scoreless innings, conceding only four hits and five walks while striking out eight batters.
After Ohtani exited, Casparius took over the pitching duties for the Dodgers in the third inning and promptly surrendered three hits, allowing two runs with Maikel Garcia’s two-out double striking the left-field wall.
The Royals continued their momentum in the fifth inning, as Bobby Witt Jr. contributed an RBI single just before Pasquantino’s home run. Pasquantino further strengthened the Royals’ lead in the seventh inning by hitting a two-run double. Both Jonathan India and Bobby Witt Jr. excelled with four hits each, as the Royals profited from the top four batters’ combined total of 11 hits and eight runs.
The Dodgers managed to add four runs in the ninth inning, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the deficit.
The Royals’ four-run fifth inning marked their most productive inning at home since they scored four in the eighth inning against the Chicago White Sox on May 8. They currently have the fewest home-field home runs in the majors, totaling 15.
Looking ahead, the Dodgers intend to begin Sunday’s series finale against Royals LHP Kris Bubic by using an opener.