How Royals ace Cole Ragans rebounded with 11-strikeout performance vs. Angels
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- Cole Ragans threw six innings and recorded 11 strikeouts in a 12-1 win.
- Ragans relied on an elevated four-seam fastball, inducing 18 whiffs per Statcast.
- Royals offense produced 14 hits and went 5-for-16 with runners in scoring position.
Kansas City Royals ace Cole Ragans had a distinctive look in his eye from the moment he took the mound Saturday night against the Los Angeles Angels.
He was out to dominate.
And dominate Ragans did, striking out 11 Angels as the Royals beat the visitors 12-1 at Kauffman Stadium.
“He had some conviction,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “I mean, obviously, he was really disappointed with himself after his last start and wanted to get back to form.”
Ragans had struggled in his previous start against the New York Yankees, allowing seven runs and eight walks in taking the loss at Yankee Stadium. But Saturday night was a different story entirely for Ragans, and for the Royals (10-17).
In the first inning, Ragans sat down the Angels in order. Zach Neto, Mike Trout and Jo Adell each made a quick return trip to the dugout.
Ragans was pumping high velocity. Neto went down swinging on a 98 mph fastball and Ragans retired Adell with a 99.2 mph heater.
It was that kind of night for the Angels.
“I worked on a lot of things, just trying to simplify things in-between the starts,” Ragans said. “But I think the biggest thing comes down to filling up the strike zone. Obviously, the fastball played well tonight. But overall, (I was) just getting ahead and staying ahead.”
The outing in New York was a rough one for Ragans, a 2024 All-Star. He characterized it as unacceptable.
Ragans didn’t feel that way on Saturday. He was in full control as he notched double-digit strikeouts for the first time since Sept. 23, 2025 — also against the Angels.
“They’ve gotten me a couple of times,” he said. “So I feel like it’s pretty even. You’ve got to go at them and fill it up. They’ve got some great hitters over there. So it’s just about getting ahead and putting them on the defensive.”
Per Statcast, Ragans relied heavily on his four-seam fastball. He induced 35 swings and 18 whiffs with the pitch. His velocity also ticked 2.3 mph higher than average, and it made a significant difference.
Ragans stayed in front of multiple batters. He forced the Angels to make difficult swing decisions. He did not allow a walk.
Angels outfielder Jo Adell tagged Ragans with a solo homer in the fourth inning. But Ragans shook off the damage and kept pounding the strike zone. He proceeded to strike out three of the next four batters he faced.
Meanwhile, the Royals got their bats going. Salvador Perez belted his 307th home run in the second inning. He is just 11 shy of breaking Hall of Famer George Brett’s franchise mark.
“Every time he hits a homer, it’s one closer to some milestone,” Quatraro said. “That’s exciting, too.”
Perez boomed a 96.3 mph sinker into the left-field seats. He added an RBI single in his next at-bat.
Royals third baseman Nick Loftin also recorded multiple RBIs. He drove home Jac Caglianone and Isaac Collins with a pair of singles.
“I just was able to find some green grass with runners in scoring position,” Loftin said. “But really, it was just swinging at good pitches, just putting the bat on the ball and finding that grass I’ve been hoping to find.”
The Royals chased Angels starting pitcher Walbert Urena after 3 2/3 innings. He allowed four runs on six hits and walked five.
Los Angeles dropped to 12-16. The Royals will look to earn their first series sweep of the year on Sunday at The K.
Royals’ offense continues to elevate
It was only a matter of time before the Royals’ offense found its stride. And they took care of business early on Saturday.
KC cashed in on a few mistakes. After Urena departed, the Royals took aim at the Angels’ bullpen and scored four times down the stretch.
In the seventh inning, Vinnie Pasquantino drew a bases-loaded walk. Later, the Royals scored three runs against Shaun Anderson.
Michael Massey began the inning with an RBI single. And then the Angels allowed two additional runs to score on an error. The three-run inning helped the Royals break open the game.
“Baseball is like that, you know,” Perez said. “I always say, come here every day and prepare yourself. They work hard and they compete. They play hard every night. Control what you can control.”
The Royals (10-17) have scored five or more runs in every game of their current home stand. And they have done damage with runners in scoring position. They had 14 hits and were 6-for-18 with RISP Saturday.
What’s next: Royals right-handed starter Seth Lugo (1-1, 1.15 ERA) will oppose Angels lefty Reid Detmers (1-2, 4.08 ERA) in Sunday’s series finale. It will be the Royals’ first Sunday night game at Kauffman Stadium since 2016. First pitch is set for 6:20 p.m. Central Time.
This story was originally published April 25, 2026 at 9:17 PM with the headline "How Royals ace Cole Ragans rebounded with 11-strikeout performance vs. Angels."
