NEW YORK — One day last year, Royals manager Matt Quatraro ventured across the parking lot at the team’s Kauffman Stadium home and decided to meet some of his new neighbors. Quatraro was still new to Kansas City, which meant he was new to the Truman Sports Complex — the sprawling home of both the Royals and the Chiefs’ Arrowhead Stadium, as well as the latter’s practice facility. The close proximity is rare in the world of professional sports. But even more unusual was one of the first questions from Patrick Mahomes, the Chiefs’ starting quarterback and three-time Super Bowl winner.
He wanted to know about the club’s bullpen.
The quarterback is more than just a casual observer. He also owns a small minority stake in the Royals. More than that, he’s the son of a former major-league pitcher who understands the importance of a lockdown relief corps. And even Mahomes could know that the 2023 Royals — owners of the second-worst bullpen ERA in baseball — were in no position to succeed.
“Everyone’s interested,” Quatraro said.
Well, Mahomes was a little too busy to watch the Royals’ 4-2 victory over the Yankees on Monday in Game 2 of the American League Division Series. He was booked up leading the Chiefs to a 26-13 victory over the New Orleans Saints back in Kansas City.
But one can assume he was thrilled when he scanned the box score.
Four Kansas City relievers combined to permit just one run in five innings as the bullpen neutralized the Yankees’ offensive attack. Salvador Perez homered as the offense sprung to life. And the Royals evened the series at 1-1, sending a message to the rest of the American League.
Forget 106 losses. They can do this.
Kansas City’s Game 2 starter Cole Ragans held New York to one run over four innings. (Vincent Carchietta / Imagn Images)
The Royals are expected to send starter Seth Lugo, an All-Star this season, to the mound Wednesday night in Game 3. Cole Ragans is poised to return for a possible Game 5. The Royals are returning home to play their first postseason game at Kauffman Stadium in nine years, and thanks to Monday’s victory, it will not be just one.
“We got two games at Kauffman now for sure,” shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. said. “So (we’re) going back home, it’s gonna be a lot of fun. Get the boys right.”
The Royals are in this position despite Witt going 0-for-10 to start the series. They are here despite issuing eight walks during a 6-5 loss in Game 1. They did not play their best baseball in New York. But they earned a split, ripped home-field advantage from their opponents and can now win the series without the trouble of a return trip to Yankee Stadium.
“If you told us we were gonna get one here and go 1-1 (in New York),” said Garrett Hampson, who started in center field on Monday, “I think everyone would have been pretty happy with that.”
It was exactly what they needed after the disappointment of Saturday night, a loss defined by self-inflicted wounds and the inconsistent nature of baseball’s replay review system. With a day off in New York, the club had tried to flush the loss. Witt watched football in the afternoon and then attended 5:30 p.m. mass at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Midtown Manhattan. One club staffer attended the “Back to the Future” musical. Ragans, the Game 2 starter, spent the morning playing catch at Central Park with reliever Sam Long.
The idea had come when the team decided to stay away from Yankee Stadium on Sunday. Ragans needed a patch of grass on which to play catch from 75 feet for about 10 minutes. They found a suitable one not too far from the team hotel.
“Nobody recognized us,” Ragans said
Maybe they would on Tuesday morning.
Ragans held the Yankees to one run in four innings despite erratic command. The performance bought time for the Kansas City offense to dig in and outlast New York starter Carlos Rodón, whose premature celebration after striking out the side in the first inning appeared to irk the visitors in the third-base dugout. Rodón had looked dominant in cruising through the top half of the first. But when he fanned Vinnie Pasquantino to end the frame, he turned toward the Royals’ dugout.
“Everyone saw it in there,” Witt said. “Like I said, we play nine innings. We can’t get too excited about one inning. For me, I went 0-for-5 with three strikeouts. I can’t get too upset about that. We won the game. Now we press forward.”
Don’t celebrate too early💀 https://t.co/T4GyFapOFO
— Maikel Garcia (@maikeljose06) October 8, 2024
The Royals drew blood on a solo shot from Perez in the top of the fourth. They wrested control of the game with a frenzied attack of four singles complemented by aggressive base running. When the inning was over, the Royals led 4-1.
“Sometimes whenever things aren’t going well for you individually, the team picks you up,” Witt said.
All that was needed from there was the bullpen — Mahomes’ curios. First was Angel Zerpa, who redeemed himself after his shaky performance in Game 1. Then came John Schreiber, Kris Bubic and Lucas Erceg, who allowed the only blemish, a solo homer in the bottom of the ninth.
“It’s unbelievable what they’re doing,” Witt said. “They’re keeping us in the games. They’re dominating out there.”
As Witt spoke, the televisions in the visitors clubhouse were showing the Chiefs on “Monday Night Football.” If you listened closely, you could hear an ESPN broadcaster mentioning the Royals’ victory. Outfielder Tommy Pham yelled Travis Kelce’s name.
Manager Q on the #Royals and #Chiefs playing at the same time and the shared respect between the clubs. #KCRoyals #ChiefsKingdom pic.twitter.com/kwmt03WMGF
— Rob Collins (@RobCollinsTV) October 7, 2024
Back home in Kansas City, the presence of a Super Bowl-winning team and the support of its star quarterback is not purely superficial. It’s also aspirational.
A few years ago, second baseman Michael Massey attended a Chiefs playoff game, listened to the crowd and imagined what it would feel like to hear that sound across the parking lot at Kauffman Stadium. Only Perez, the veteran catcher, had experienced a baseball playoff game in Kansas City. The rest could only picture it.
“We always hear the stories about how loud it used to get,” Massey said.
On Wednesday, the stories will become reality again. Playoff baseball is returning to Kansas City. The Royals are two wins from the ALCS. The neighbors will be there, too.
“That’s the plan,” Mahomes said.
And that bullpen? It’s more than ready.
— The Athletic’s Nate Taylor contributed to this story.
(Top photo of Salvador Perez hitting a home run against the Yankees: Vincent Carchietta / Imagn Images)
