Kansas City Royals fans had their eyes on Cole Ragans, and he delivered a performance that should ease any early-season jitters. After a rocky opening day against the Braves, Ragans found his rhythm, showcasing his potential despite the Royals' 5-1 loss to the Minnesota Twins at Kauffman Stadium.
Ragans dialed back the home run issues from his first outing, allowing none this time, and his strikeout game was on point with eight punchouts over 89 pitches. He gave the Royals a fighting chance, but the offense couldn’t find its groove against Twins starter Taj Bradley.
Bradley was electric, dominating with a mix of speed and precision. His 97 mph fastball was untouchable, keeping the Royals scoreless over six innings and shutting down their momentum from the previous night’s 13-run explosion.
Lane Thomas had a key opportunity in the fourth with the bases loaded but went down on strikes after a tight six-pitch battle. That moment summed up the Royals' struggles, as they couldn’t capitalize on their chances, leaving Ragans (0-2) with a tough-luck loss despite allowing just one run over six innings.
The Twins got on the board in the second inning, thanks to a miscue from Royals catcher Salvador Perez, whose errant pickoff attempt allowed Kody Clemens to score. Byron Buxton added to the Twins' lead with a sacrifice fly in the eighth.
The Royals' lone run came from Vinnie Pasquantino’s sacrifice fly in the eighth, but the Twins answered back emphatically in the ninth with solo home runs from Clemens, Matt Wallner, and Josh Bell off reliever Steven Cruz.
Kansas City’s offense faltered in clutch situations, going 1-for-7 with runners in scoring position and leaving eight on base.
In a late lineup shuffle, rookie catcher Carter Jensen was initially set to start but was scratched just before the game. Salvador Perez took over catching duties, with Lane Thomas in right field and Jac Caglianone as the designated hitter. Jensen did make an appearance, catching the ninth inning after Perez was replaced on the base paths.
Jensen has participated in every game this season, though his bat has yet to heat up, hitting .125 with a homer and two RBIs.
Looking ahead, the Royals continue their homestand against the Milwaukee Brewers on Friday night. Michael Wacha will take the mound for Kansas City, facing off against Brewers pitcher Chad Patrick.
First pitch is scheduled for 6:45 p.m. Central Time.
Fans will be eager to see if the Royals can bounce back and find their offensive spark.