The Royals had a tough outing both at the plate and on the mound, but with 161 games left, there’s plenty of room for improvement. Let’s dive into what went down on Opening Day.
Cole Ragans took the mound, marking his third consecutive Opening Day start. Unfortunately, it wasn’t his best performance.
Ragans surrendered four runs on six hits over four innings, walking four and allowing three home runs. While he did manage to strike out five, those walks inflated his pitch count, a recurring issue for him.
There was a moment of concern in the first inning when Ragans landed awkwardly on his lead foot, but whether that impacted his command is up for debate since it happened early in the game.
Bailey Falter stepped in for relief, delivering a mixed bag. He looked solid through his first two innings but seemed to tire in the third, ultimately giving up two runs over three innings with four strikeouts and no walks.
Despite the late hiccup, there’s potential for Falter to build on this outing. Alex Lange offered a bright spot, pitching a perfect eighth inning with a strikeout, showcasing some early promise from the bullpen.
On the other side, Chris Sale had his own struggles with command initially but managed to settle down, aided by stellar defense behind him. Their bullpen was lights out, keeping the Royals off the board.
Offensively, the Royals managed just five hits and three walks. The top of the lineup showed some life, with Maikel Garcia, Bobby Witt Jr., and Lane Thomas each reaching base twice.
Salvador Perez chipped in with a single from the cleanup spot. However, the bottom half of the lineup struggled, with Jonathan India’s walk being the only contribution.
Facing Chris Sale is never easy, and the Royals will have a chance to regroup against right-handed pitchers in their next two games. It’s still early, and there’s no need to hit the panic button just yet.
Looking ahead, Michael Wacha, who posted a 10-13 record with a 3.86 ERA last season, will take the mound against Reynaldo López, who only made one start last year due to injury. The game will be nationally televised on FOX, so make sure you’re set up to catch it. The Royals will be aiming for a stronger performance as they hit the field again at 6:15 PM local time.