The Kansas City Royals begin their biggest series of the year by far on Friday.
Facing the first-place Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park, the Royals have to show some fortitude. They’ve been a sub-.500 team on the road this year and are facing a Tigers team with the second-best home record in the American League.
Not only do the Royals have a chance to gain crucial ground in the American League playoff chase, but their fan favorite first baseman can make franchise history on Friday
Vinnie Pasquantino has been on a heater of late, hitting eight home runs in August to bring his season total to 25. And in each game of this week’s four-game set against the Texas Rangers, he launched a blast over the right field fence at Kauffman Stadium.
On Friday, Pasquantino can tie a franchise record. According to MLB.com’s Robert Falkoff, two Royals players share the record for five consecutive games with a home run: Mike Sweeney in 2002, and current Royals catcher Salvador Perez in 2021.
Pasquantino has six home runs against the Tigers in his career, but did not go deep in the two teams’ first two series of the season. In other words, you could say he’s due.
Kansas City comes into the series narrowly trailing all three teams that currently hold wild card spots in the American League. They’re two games back of the Seattle Mariners, three back of the Boston Red Sox, and 3 1/2 back of the New York Yankees. The 76-53 Tigers have heated back up and lead Kansas City by 9 1/2 games in the division.
Pasquantino’s bat heating up is a huge reason why the Royals even have a chance to make a last-second playoff berth. Now that they’re in the hunt, though, they need him to keep his foot on the gas pedal. The Tigers’ tough pitching staff presents a worthy challenge for a hitter who has looked like one of baseball’s very best throughout August.
More MLB: Royals’ Vinnie Pasquantino Has Relatable Yankees, Red Sox Admission
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