Kansas City’s offense woke up after Shohei Ohtani exited from tossing two scoreless innings and the Royals snapped their 11-game home losing streak with Saturday’s 9-5 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Vinnie Pasquantino led Kansas City with a three-run homer and five RBIs. Bobby Witt Jr. and Jonathan India each had four hits for the Royals, who scored one more run than they did while losing their previous six games overall.
Meanwhile, Royals pitcher Seth Lugo (5-5) allowed four hits and five walks while striking out eight over 5 2/3 scoreless innings. Daniel Lynch IV yielded a solo homer to Freddie Freeman, who had three hits, in the seventh, but the potent Dodgers did not threaten until a four-run ninth.
After going an inning in each of his first two 2025 starts, Ohtani was stretched to two innings Saturday. He allowed a first-inning single to Witt and walked Maikel Garcia but got Pasquantino to hit into a 4-6-3 inning-ending double play. The right-hander then retired the side in the second, completing his 27-pitch performance.
As he had done in Ohtani’s first two starts, Ben Casparius (6-2) came on in the third, and the Royals wasted no time getting to the right-hander. He walked Drew Waters, allowed a two-out single to India, followed by Witt’s flare double near the right-field line. Then Garcia sent a drive off the top of the left-field wall, just over the glove of a leaping Michael Conforto, for a two-run double.
The Royals broke things open in the fifth against Casparius. Kyle Isbel rapped a one-out hit and advanced to second base on center-fielder Andy Pages’ error. He then scored on an India single. After Witt singled and Garcia lined out, Pasquantino found the right-center field fan area for his first homer at home since May 16, giving Kansas City a 6-0 lead.
Pasquantino doubled down the right-field line in the seventh, scoring two more. He then came home on Salvador Perez’s two-base hit.
Ohtani went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts at the plate.
–Field Level Media
