Vinnie Pasquantino’s breakout performance propelled the Kansas City Royals to an emphatic 11-2 victory over the Houston Astros on Wednesday night, extending their winning streak to six games.
Pasquantino, who had struggled early in the season, exploded with a home run and a career-high five RBIs. He went 3 for 3 with a single, double, and walk, scoring two runs. His two-run double in the third inning ignited a seven-run rally for the Royals.
Kansas City’s offense continued to surge, with multiple innings of seven or more runs in April for the first time since 2000. They scored eight runs in the seventh against the Chicago White Sox on April 4.
Seth Lugo delivered a solid outing for the Royals, allowing two runs and seven hits in six innings. It marked the Royals’ ninth quality start in 12 games, the most in the majors.
The Astros’ Spencer Arrighetti made his big league debut but struggled in his third inning, surrendering seven runs. The Royals batted around in the third, with Pasquantino’s double, Salvador Perez’s single, and MJ Melendez’s walk setting the stage for Nelson Velázquez’s two-run single. Adam Frazier and Hunter Renfroe also drove in runs.
The Astros managed to score a pair of runs in the fourth on Yainer Diaz’s double and José Abreu’s sacrifice fly. However, Pasquantino responded with his first homer of the season in the bottom of the fourth and added another RBI on a sacrifice fly in the sixth.
The Royals added two more runs in the eighth, including an RBI single by Pasquantino.
The Royals’ six-game winning streak is their longest since last September, when they also won six straight. They will aim for a 7-0 homestand in Thursday’s finale against the Astros.
