Homer madness: Royals blast franchise-record 7 long balls to power series win

BALTIMORE -- When it rains, it pours. Thankfully for the Royals, it was raining home runs on Sunday at Camden Yards, rather than the predicted precipitation, propelling Kansas City to a 11-6 series-winning victory over the Orioles.

A day after mashing three homers for the first time since last season in a win on Saturday, the Royals one-upped themselves, launching a franchise-record seven home runs in one game. The previous record was six, done three times prior -- most recently on July 27, 2020, at Detroit.

“That's fun for us,” Maikel Garcia said. “Like, we go there and play hard, hit our seven home runs for the first time in franchise [history], and that's good for us."

But wait, there’s more! It was the Royals’ third multihomer game this season, after entering the weekend with just one (two home runs on March 31). The last time Kansas City hit three or more home runs on back-to-back days was on Aug. 25, 2024, vs. Philadelphia and in Game 2 of a doubleheader on Aug. 26, 2024, against Cleveland. It was also the Royals’ first game with at least five homers since Aug. 20, 2021, against the Cubs.

“It was definitely the first game like that we've had all year,” manager Matt Quatraro said. “You know, the back-and-forth kind of slugfest game. They'd score, we'd come back, vice versa. So guys just had their focus up, I think, and they didn't miss their pitches.

“It’s pretty remarkable, and good for them. I mean, we've made so much out of how we've struggled offensively. And we keep talking about [how] 'We'll break out of it,' and the guys continue to work and believe and trust each other and trust the hitting guys. A day like that is really satisfying, and they should be rewarded for it.”

The homer party started with Garcia, who recorded the first multihomer game of his career with a big fly to lead off the second inning before adding another leadoff blast in the sixth. He’s been one of the most consistent Royals this season, with a team-leading .319 average.

It wasn’t those home runs he was most proud of, per se, but rather a ninth-inning groundout that moved the runner from first to second. That’s the hitting that Garcia makes his career on, the selfless team-centered stuff.

“I know I hit two homers early in the game, but that's not my game,” Garcia said. “My game is [to] move runners, run bases and just move the [baserunner] so the guy behind me can bring in the run."

There were more firsts to be had, though, as Jonathan India launched his first long ball of the season to lead off the fifth. India, who was acquired via trade from the Reds over the offseason for starter Brady Singer, had been waiting for his first home run for 31 games. In Game 32, it finally landed.

“It felt great,” India said. “It was a tough pitch, and I just stayed through and hit a good line drive. And thank God they have a short fence out there -- I thought it was just a ball in the gap, but it felt great. Put a good swing on a good pitch.”

Next to join the home run fun was Bobby Witt Jr. and Vinnie Pasquantino, who hit back-to-back homers with one out in the seventh -- the Royals’ first back-to-back blasts since the pair did so last August.

Then, recently called up Luke Maile -- who arrived in Baltimore on Friday while Salvador Perez rested his sore left hip -- launched a solo homer of his own in the eighth, the Royals’ sixth of the game to tie the franchise record.

That didn’t last long, though, as Michael Massey followed suit with his own first homer of the season, a two-run shot in the ninth inning to set the franchise record.

“For me, it's -- we won, and that’s the biggest thing,” Massey said. “Especially in this ballpark where we were in the postseason last year, and you just kind of have those feelings of -- it's a good reminder of how bad you want to get back there."

Kansas City entered the series with 15 homers, the fewest in the Majors. The Royals’ 25 long balls by the end of the series moved Kansas City into 29th, just past the Blue Jays (23).

A game like Sunday’s is big for this Royals (19-16) team, which knows it has the ability to pick up the usually dominant pitching, even if the results haven’t quite been there to start the season. Now, sitting at a season-best three games over .500, there is proof that their work is paying off -- and it’s only onward from here.

“[A game like that] just feels like everyone's -- there's a fight at the bat rack,” Witt said, “so everyone wants to get up there. Everyone wants to kind of go up there and just get an at-bat, and so those are the games that you need. Those are the things that just kind of sparks the lineup, sparks things going, gives guys confidence. And then sky’s the limit from there.”