KANSAS CITY -- Outside of Maikel Garcia’s two-run home run that opened scoring Saturday afternoon, the Royals’ offense looked like more of the same we’ve seen all season. They were 0-for-11 with runners in scoring position before the final at-bat in the 10th inning, with missed opportunities standing out nearly every inning.
Jonathan India’s swing in the bottom of the 10th inning wiped all of that away -- because it turned into a win. And right now, wins are what matter.
India’s three-run walk-off home run propelled the Royals to a 5-3 win in 10 innings in Game 1 of Saturday’s doubleheader against the Guardians at Kauffman Stadium.
It was India’s first walk-off hit as a Royal and first career walk-off home run. He had gone 0-for-4 before the 10th inning Saturday and entered the weekend having gone just 2-for-21 since the All-Star break.
“I want that moment,” India said. “I want to be in that moment every time. I embrace the failure. I think it teaches you how to become better. So for me, failing is a learning experience. I’m learning every day in this game, and all I can do is just keep getting better and keep working and building off of what I do today.”
Saturday’s doubleheader kicked off a big series between two American League Central teams fighting to stay alive in the standings as Thursday’s Trade Deadline inches closer. What happens this weekend could help either team decide what path to take at the Deadline.
The Tigers might have a sizable eight-game lead in the AL Central, but the Guardians are three games back of a Wild Card spot with the Royals right behind them at 3 1/2 games after Game 1 Saturday.
“I think every game we play at this point, you have to play with the expectation that we need to win,” manager Matt Quatraro said before Friday’s rainout. “If we stay in it and we’re able to fight our way back into a playoff spot, it’s going to come down to one game here and there.”
In that sense, the way the Royals fought back in Game 1 mattered all the more. Garcia got the scoring started with a two-run home run in the bottom of the fourth, but the rest of the game was filled with frustrated offensive sequences, leaving runners on base and not capitalizing in big moments.
The Guardians tied the game in the seventh off reliever John Schreiber and took a one-run lead in the top of the 10th off Steven Cruz, who was struggling to throw strikes but got a key out at the plate when José Ramírez grounded into a forceout. Kyle Manzardo hit the go-ahead RBI single over shortstop Bobby Witt Jr.’s glove, but one run was all the Guardians managed.
“And then we limit the damage,” Quatraro said. “That’s the big part of it right there.”
The Royals responded with back-to-back walks from John Rave and Luke Maile, interrupted by a near-momentum killing pickoff with automatic runner Tyler Tolbert on second base.
When India stepped to the plate against Clase, it was hard not to think back to opening weekend, when India was hit in the helmet by a 98.9 mph fastball that got away from Clase.
Garcia said he was thinking about it. India said he’ll never forget that day. The Royals' social team was certainly thinking about it.
But India just wanted to get a pitch to hit. When Clase hung a two-strike slider, India sent it to the Sonic sign over the left-field wall.
“With Clase, I’m always trying to think, ‘Don’t swing too hard,’” India said. “Just put a nice swing on it. Stay through the middle. His velocity will let the ball go far. He was hitting his spots early in the count, some borderline pitches, and then he left one over the middle with a slider, and I caught it out front.”
Once that ball went over the fence, India wasn’t thinking much of anything.
“You just kind of black out,” India said. “I just won the game for my team. I was having a tough game at the plate, having a tough start out of the break. I just needed one swing. And that was my swing. Hopefully I can turn things around.”