Singer, Lopez lead Royals past Blue Jays 9-5 for 1st win
Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Brady Singer throws during the first inning of a baseball game against the Toronto Blue Jays, Monday, April 3, 2023, in Kansas City, Mo. Credit: AP/Reed Hoffmann
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Brady Singer pitched five effective innings, MJ Melendez hit a two-run homer and the Kansas City Royals broke loose early to beat the Toronto Blue Jays 9-5 on Monday night for their first victory of the season.
Nicky Lopez had a two-run triple and Bobby Witt Jr. delivered a pair of RBI singles as the Royals opened a 7-0 lead in the fourth against José Berríos and gave Matt Quatraro his first win as manager.
Singer (1-0) allowed just two hits — doubles by Matt Chapman — with three walks and three strikeouts. He is 7-0 with a 1.68 ERA in his last 10 starts at Kauffman Stadium dating to June 26 last year.
Toronto mounted a fifth-inning charge, loading the bases with a double and a pair of walks, but Singer limited the damage with a double-play grounder that scored one run.
Kansas City was shut out twice at home by Minnesota last weekend while losing its first three games of the year. After entering with a major league-worst .133 batting average, the Royals greeted Berríos (0-1) with four first-inning hits, producing three runs and their first lead of the season.
Berríos went 5 2/3 innings in his season debut, allowing eight runs on nine hits and striking out seven.
Lopez’s two-run triple highlighted a four-run fourth as Kansas City expanded its lead to 7-0. Melendez capped the scoring in the sixth with a two-run homer, his first of the year.
Kansas City Royals' MJ Melendez celebrates after a double against the Toronto Blue Jays during the first inning of a baseball game, Monday, April 3, 2023, in Kansas City, Mo. Credit: AP/Reed Hoffmann
Witt also had Kansas City’s first stolen base of the year, while five Royals collected their first hits and RBIs.
Four consecutive singles off Royals relievers led to a pair of seventh-inning runs, but the Blue Jays left the bases loaded. Toronto stranded seven in scoring position, going 2 for 11 in those situations.
Bo Bichette drilled Toronto's first home run of the year leading off the ninth. The Blue Jays had gone without a long ball in their first three games — their longest drought to begin a season.
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Kansas City Royals' MJ Melendez hits a double against the Toronto Blue Jays during the first inning of a baseball game, Monday, April 3, 2023, in Kansas City, Mo. Credit: AP/Reed Hoffmann
Toronto’s Yusei Kikuchi and Kansas City’s Kris Bubic will make their season debuts Tuesday evening.
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