KANSAS CITY – Salvador Perez, after failing to capitalize on the chance the Royals had during the second game of Saturday’s double header against the Blue Jays, struck a big coin when it was counted.
The All-Star catcher unleashed an undoubted homer over the wall from the left midfield in the seventh innings for the 3-2 victory in the sleeping cap for a twin account at Kauffman Stadium.
Perez and the Royals bench knew he had already received a slider from Blue Jays reliever Joel Payamps as soon as he made contact. The predicted distance, according to Statcast, was 459 feet for the first kickoff from Kansas City in the 2021 season.
The Royals were held by five innings against Steven Matz by a 5-1 loss in the opening clock, but they started better in the second innings. Jarrod Dyson displayed his familiar wheels with a lead in the third innings and raced home on the fielder of Andrew Benintendi’s choice. Benintendi passed on Carlos Santana’s doubling to the right midfield wall, but that was all the Royals could run out into the seventh Tommy Milone and the Blue Jays’ bull.
Mike Minor’s 5 2/3 innings in Match 1, despite losing four runs in the loss, enabled the Royals to be aggressive with their bulls in Match 2 after starting Ervin Santana one run in allowed three turns. After Jake Brentz combined a run in the fourth, high leverage Scott Barlow, Josh Staumont and Greg Holland for 3 2/3 pointless innings.