Kansas City, Mo. -- In a thrilling display of baseball, Kris Bubic led the Kansas City Royals to a 4-1 victory over the Baltimore Orioles on Sunday, April 6, 2025. This win marked the Royals' first series victory of the season, showcasing their potential as they aim to climb the standings in the American League Central.
Bubic (2-0) was the star of the show, taking a shutout into the seventh inning. He allowed just five hits, walked one batter, and struck out an impressive eight over 6 2/3 innings. His dominance on the mound was evident, as he was able to silence the Orioles' bats for much of the game.
However, Bubic's streak of 12 shutout innings came to an end in the seventh when Ryan Mountcastle tripled to lead off the inning and later scored on a wild pitch. Despite this minor setback, Bubic's performance was instrumental in securing the win for Kansas City.
The Royals jumped out to an early lead, scoring three runs in the first inning. Bobby Witt Jr. was pivotal in this offensive explosion, hitting a triple that was aided by a misplay from Jorge Mateo, who was starting in center field for the first time since April 20, 2024. Witt's triple set the tone for the inning, and he later scored on a sacrifice fly by Vinny Pasquantino.
Witt finished the game with three hits, falling just a home run shy of completing the cycle. His offensive prowess at Kauffman Stadium has been remarkable, as he boasts a .377 batting average at home since the start of last season, the best in Major League Baseball during that span.
Salvador Perez, Mark Canha, and Maikel Garcia each contributed significantly to the Royals’ success, with two hits apiece and a run scored. Freddy Fermin added an RBI single in the second inning, snapping an 0-for-12 skid and extending Kansas City's lead to 4-0.
On the mound for the Orioles, Cade Povich (0-1) struggled to contain the Royals' offense. He allowed four runs on a career-high 13 hits over six innings, striking out four but ultimately unable to keep his team in the game. Povich's performance was hampered by the early runs and the misplay in the outfield that led to additional scoring opportunities for Kansas City.
The Orioles managed only five hits throughout the game, with Mountcastle accounting for three of them. Despite their struggles, manager Brandon Hyde remains optimistic about his team's potential. “We can play a lot better baseball. We had five hits. We scored one run. That was on a wild pitch. We’ve got to do a better job offensively from a consistency standpoint,” Hyde commented post-game.
The Royals' victory not only secured their first series win of the season but also marked their first regular-season series win against the Orioles since August 30 to September 1, 2019. This victory is particularly notable given that the Royals swept the Orioles in the wild-card round last year, further intensifying the rivalry between the two teams.
As the Royals celebrate this victory, they are set to begin a four-game homestand against the Minnesota Twins. The first game will take place on Monday, April 7, 2025, with Royals right-hander Michael Lorenzen (0-1, 5.06 ERA) facing off against Twins right-hander Simeon Woods Richardson (0-0, 4.50 ERA).
Meanwhile, the Orioles will travel to Arizona to start a three-game series against the Diamondbacks. RHP Zach Eflin (1-1, 3.75 ERA) will take the mound for Baltimore, opposing RHP Zac Gallen (1-1, 3.38 ERA) as they look to bounce back from this defeat.
In summary, the Royals' 4-1 win over the Orioles was a testament to their offensive capabilities and pitching strength, setting a positive tone for the rest of the season. With players like Bubic and Witt leading the way, Kansas City fans have plenty to be excited about as the season progresses.
