Carlos Duran’s first night with the Royals ended with a memory he’ll be carrying for a long time.
A few hours after meeting his new teammates and coaches for the first time, the Spanish-speaking reliever was on the mound in the ninth inning against the Athletics, trying to keep Kansas City within reach while trailing 3-1. By the time it was over, he had not only helped steady the game, but also picked up his first major-league win in walk-off fashion as Bobby Witt Jr. finished off the comeback and the Royals celebrated their third straight victory.
Duran didn’t fully grasp the postgame question from Royals.TV sideline reporter Bridget Howard at first, and he turned to Witt for help translating. He didn’t need anyone to explain the Gatorade bath, the crowd at Kauffman Stadium, or the teammates swarming him after the win.
“That kind of love transcends language.”
“I’m very happy and grateful that a moment like this can happen,” Duran said through a translator. “It’s almost like I didn’t expect it.
I got my first win, got to hop in the cart. It was a fun one.”
Once he got to the mound, Duran looked settled rather than overwhelmed. He said he was able to slow things down, breathe, and stay locked in.
“I was very concentrated in the game,” he said. “I just slowed everything down, took some deep breaths, and I felt good.”
He worked through the inning with sinkers, sliders and fastballs, getting swings on six of his 12 pitches. The A’s put the ball in play four times, but three of those ended in ground balls and none were hit hard. His sinker averaged 94.8 mph and was the pitch that carried him through the frame, which included just one hit allowed.
He also recorded his first major-league strikeout.
“It was soft contact to those lefties,” manager Matt Quatraro said. “Without knowing how his stuff normally plays, that’s a good sign.
Guys were hitting the ball at the end of the bat, and he got a strikeout with the other lefty on what I believe was a backdoor slider. Keeping his emotions in check and executing like that in his first outing was good.”
Witt made sure Duran was included in the celebration, and he liked what he saw from the newcomer.
“It’s amazing that he came out here in his first day here and did a one-two-three-inning,” Witt said. “He got the job done and got his first big league win.”
Quatraro said Duran already comes across as fun to be around and, just as importantly, grateful for the chance he’s been given.
That chance matters for a Royals bullpen that has been hit hard by injuries and has had trouble finishing games this season. Before the game, Quatraro said he was eager to see what Duran could add to that group.
For Duran, Wednesday was the start of something he has waited years for. His debut night with Kansas City showed both the moment and the opening in front of him.
“Extremely happy and excited to be here,” Duran said. “And I’m realizing my dream.”
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