Turns out, Kansas City didn’t need nearly that many dingers in Sunday’s finale at Comerica Park. The Royals got just two, but those, combined with a six-run third inning, were more than enough to get the visitors amped during a 10-8 victory over the Tigers in the series finale.
While Omaha spread out its 23-run attack against Columbus, scoring in seven of nine innings, Kansas City did most of its damage in one frame, stringing together six consecutive two-out hits — including four doubles and a homer — to turn a 1-0 deficit into a 6-1 lead.
Vinnie Pasquantino’s two-run homer highlighted the frame. The Statcast-projected 429-foot shot off Tigers starter Jack Flaherty came off Pasquantino’s bat at 106.6 mph and marked his ninth long ball in 14 games.
The Royals would turn out to need every one of those runs and then some after the Tigers dinged starter Seth Lugo for three runs in the fourth and fifth innings to retake a 7-6 lead.
The sixth inning was perhaps the biggest testament to the team Kansas City has grown into during its recent hot stretch. When such a rally might have sunk them in the past, these Royals simply delivered a counterpunch in the form of a three-run sixth, then added their 10th and final run of the day on a solo home run from Maikel Garcia.
