Why Royals’ walkoff win over O’s offers more than just a major confidence boost
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Royals ended an eight-game losing streak with a 6-5 walk-off win Tuesday.
- Team improved to 8-16 on the season after evening the three-game set with Baltimore.
- Royals had three sacrifice flies, smart baserunning and bullpen help in the win.
The Kansas City Royals needed to stop the bleeding. An eight-game losing streak was compounded by a host of mistakes.
The offense was inefficient. And the pitching and defense had faltered in key situations. At times, it was fair to wonder if the Royals were collectively pressing to get back in the win column.
On Tuesday evening, they showed their relentlessness by grinding out a 6-5 victory over the Baltimore Orioles at Kauffman Stadium.
And they did so as a unit.
“When you are in a stretch like that, it’s probably going to come down to a game like that,” Royals starting pitcher Kris Bubic said. “It’s probably going to come down to a game like that to get out of it, where you’ve got to fight and you’ve got to claw back and forth there.
“Credit to our guys and credit to our offense for really picking us up as a pitching staff tonight.”
With the win, the Royals (8-16) set the stage for Wednesday afternoon’s third and deciding game of the series.
After Tuesday’s game, the Royals celebrated in the clubhouse. It was a good way to savor the victory but also a reset after a tough week.
“It just hasn’t swung our way, you know,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “And this is a strange game and it’s very unpredictable. And there are some things that are sometimes out of your control.
“And for the guys to keep believing in themselves, that’s a huge factor. I’m happy we were able to do it at home. You know, the fans stuck around for that. And it was loud at the end and they were into it.”
The Royals hope to build off this victory. They returned to their foundation, which includes playing complimentary baseball. Several players took the extra base and put the ball in play in clutch moments.
KC had three sacrifice flies Tuesday. Guys like Maikel Garcia and Bobby Witt Jr. made smart decisions on the basepaths. Garcia had the biggest read of the night, as he scored on a wild pitch to win the game in the bottom of the ninth inning.
When a mistake was made, the Royals covered for their teammates. Reliever Matt Strahm gave up two runs in the eighth inning. However, Michael Massey hit a solo homer to tie the game and Lucas Erceg pitched a scoreless ninth to set up the walkoff win.
There was no individualized pressure. Players worked together to achieve a common goal: Win the game. That mentality will be sorely needed if the Royals are to climb out of the hole they’ve dug for themselves early in the season.
“I think any time you go through a stretch like that, you get a lot of noise and people start criticizing,” Massey said. “And it’s just the tax of this job. Anytime you do something public, you’re gonna be criticized.
“And in those moments ... you can come together as a team and you realize the 26 guys in the locker room have your back, the coaching staff has your back and those guys are always going to be there.”
The Royals will now press forward. There are still 137 games left this season. Turning things around can start with one victory and a consistent mentality.
“Just sticking together and grinding through it,” Massey said of the team’s mindset. “We know how good we are and we know what we are capable of. And that’s where we are going to get to.”
This story was originally published April 22, 2026 at 6:00 AM with the headline "Why Royals’ walkoff win over O’s offers more than just a major confidence boost."
