Comedy of Errors Costs Royals in Opener

The Kansas City Royals fell to the Cleveland Guardians 7-4 on Opening Day at Kauffman Stadium.

The game started well for the Royals. Starter Cole Ragans, who is coming off a spectacular 2024 (3.14 ERA and a 1.14 WHIP across 32 starts), held Cleveland scoreless through four innings, and Vinnie Pasquantino’s three-run homer in the third gave Kansas City something to cheer for.

It unraveled in the fifth when Ragans gave up two sacrifice runs, and then reliever Angel Zerpa gave up a two-run shot on the first pitch to Kyle Manzardo, suddenly flipping the score 4-3 to the Guardians.

But the bullpen collapse was just one of the issues. They had a host of mental lapses, such as Hunter Renfroe misjudging a liner that turned into a triple, and horrific base running from Dairon Blanco and Kyle Isbel in the eighth to kill any offensive momentum the Royals had built.

Still, they found a way to fight back in the 9th after a Michael Massey sac fly tied the game to send it into extra innings. Manzardo struck again in the 10th, hitting a two-run double off Sam Long to seal the win for the Guardians.

Despite having quiet games, the Royals’ core remains intact. Bobby Witt Jr., Pasquantino, Salvador Perez, and MJ Melendez are back and healthy. The rotation of Ragans, Seth Lugo, and Michael Wacha looks as formidable as ever. However, Long and Zerpa’s struggles could justify the urgency for a high-leverage arm. Offensively, a dependable bat, such as a veteran outfielder, could go a long way to reduce the burden on the bigger names.