In the opening game of the annual I-70 series between the Kansas City Royals and state-side rival St. Louis Cardinals, the Boys in Blue put it on them, winning by a score of 14-6. It marked the highest-scoring outing for the Royals so far this season, bringing their record to 31-45 and nudging them up one spot above the Detroit Tigers in the AL Central.
In the midst of what was a chaotic six-run second inning fueled by five seperate doubles, and a four-run fourth inning helped along by Jac Caglionone staying hot with a home run of his own, more records were broken by a couple of Royals legends.
Salvador Perez went 3-for-5 in the game, blasting his 10th homer of the year. That swing marked his 137th home run in Kauffman Stadium, breaking the tie with Hall of Famer George Brett for the most dingers blasted in the 54-year history of the ballpark. It also brought Salvy to 313 career homers, that much closer to the All-Time Royals home run record held by Brett at 317.
Salvador Perez hits his 137th Kauffman Stadium homer, breaking a tie with George Brett for most by any player in this ballpark! pic.twitter.com/BoDCYVCd8S
— MLB (@MLB) June 19, 2026
Superstar Bobby Witt Jr. also notched another accomplishment in the record books, becoming the first player in MLB history to account for at least 10 HR and 25 stolen bases in each of his first five seasons. It speaks to Witt's once-in-a-generation blend of both power and speed, as well as elite defense. Witt, unfortunately, left midway through the game after suffering right knee discomfort and is considered day-to-day.
Royals must keep momentum going after 14-6 beatdown of rival Cardinals
While last night was probably the best viewing experience of a Royals game in some time, considering the opponent and how poorly this season has gone, Kansas City will have to keep it going tonight as they aim to win their first series since earlier this month.
One positive note to take into tonight's game is the long-anticipated return of starting pitcher Seth Lugo, who returns after a nearly week-long break after suffering a concussion in the Texas Rangers series. It's not yet known whether Witt will play in this game, and Maikel Garcia remains sidelined due to left-hand soreness that he's been fighting through all season. Not to mention, Vinnie Pasquantino is just beginning his month-long absence from a hand injury as well.
It's a shame that just as the Royals' pitching is getting healthier, some of our best bats are going down. Young studs Carter Jensen and Caglianone will have to stay hot, along with contributions from the bottom third of the order, to stave off a good St. Louis team looking to pounce back after such a brutal beatdown.
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