How Royals' playoff chances brightened in homestand capped by win vs. Rangers

Pete Grathoff, The Kansas City Star on Aug 21, 2025

Published in Baseball

By clicking submit, I authorize Arcamax and its affiliates to: (1) use, sell, and share my information for marketing purposes, including cross-context behavioral advertising, as described in our Privacy Policy , (2) add to information that I provide with other information like interests inferred from web page views, or data lawfully obtained from data brokers, such as past purchase or location data, or publicly available data, (3) contact me or enable others to contact me by email or other means with offers for different types of goods and services, and (4) retain my information while I am engaging with marketing messages that I receive and for a reasonable amount of time thereafter. I understand I can opt out at any time through an email that I receive, or by clicking here

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A Major League Baseball team’s season is rarely on the brink on Aug. 10, but that’s the date the Royals returned home following a stinging loss to the Minnesota Twins.

The Royals had let a win slip through their hands in the Twins Cities and were 4 games back in the American League wild-card race and third in the AL’s Central Division. A 10-game homestand lay before the Royals, and with it an opportunity to bolster their playoff chances.

The Royals did just that.

A 6-4 win over the Rangers on a wacky Thursday afternoon at Kauffman Stadium clinched a victory in the four-game series and capped an 8-2 homestand. The Royals, 66-62, are just 2 games behind the Mariners in the wild-card chase and leaped over Cleveland in the Central.

First baseman Vinnie Pasquantino continued his torrid stretch with a fifth-inning home run — his career-best 26th of the year — that broke a 4-all tie. It was the fourth straight game in which Pasquantino homered, and he hit five during the homestand while batting .306 with 16 RBIs.

He was one of the day’s batting stars. Shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. had two hits, two stolen bases and an overturned homer that became a double on a weird play. He has a 10-game hitting streak.

Salvador Perez had a pair of hits and an RBI and Nick Loftin homered.

Pasquantino’s record

Pasquantino set a Royals record with 16 RBIs in a 10-game homestand, although Raúl Ibañez holds the record for any homestand when he had 23 RBIs in 13 games in 2002.

Pasquantino is just the third player in Royals history to hit a home run in each game of a four-game series.

Perez did it from Aug. 26-29, 2021 at Seattle, and George Brett accomplished the feat on Aug. 23-26, 1985, also against the Rangers.

It seems a four-game series against an AL West opponent in August brings out the best in a Royals player.

Up next

The Royals open a three-game set Friday in the Motor City. Ryan Bergert will start the opener for the Royals, while the Central-leading Detroit Tigers counter with Casey Mize. First pitch is at 6:10 p.m. and the game will be on Apple TV+.