Some continued success against the Washington Nationals could be what the Kansas City Royals need to spark a surge down the stretch.
Looking for a sixth consecutive victory over the visiting Nationals dating back to 2023, the Royals can take the three-game series Tuesday night.
Kansas City is one game under .500 and has three teams to catch to move into an American League wild-card spot. The Royals also haven’t strung more than four wins together since their 16-2 stretch from April 20-May 9.
“You’re running out of season,” Royals general manager J.J. Picollo said. “We’ve just got to get better.”
Following a 4-5 trip, the Royals earned a needed 7-4 home victory over Washington on Monday. Salvador Perez hit a tying two-run homer in the sixth inning, and Kyle Isbel put Kansas City ahead with a own two-run shot later in the frame.
Kansas City has won three straight at home and six of its past eight home contests, where it began a 10-game stretch.
“It’s good to be home,” said All-Star closer Carlos Estevez, who recorded his 30th save on Monday. “Let’s enjoy it and play the best baseball we can.”
Perez has hit 14 of his 21 home runs this season against NL opponents.
The Royals’ scheduled Tuesday starter, Michael Wacha (6-9, 3.36 ERA), has been stellar while going 2-0 with a 1.78 ERA in his past five starts. On Wednesday, the veteran right-hander allowed two first-inning runs at Boston, then nothing over the next five while not yielding a walk overall during Kansas City’s 7-3 victory.
Wacha is 4-2 with a 3.02 ERA in eight career appearances, seven starts, against the Nationals, but he has a 7.62 ERA in his last three starts vs. Washington.
Josh Bell, who hit one of the Nationals’ two two-run homers Monday, has gone deep twice against Wacha. Paul DeJong was Washington’s other homer hitter in the series opener. He is 7-for-14 with two homers and five RBIs in the past three contests for the Nationals, who had won the last two games of a three-game weekend series at San Francisco.
Scheduled Washington starter Mitchell Parker (7-12, 5.43 ERA) allowed a combined four runs over 11 2/3 innings to win his final two starts of July, but he is 0-2 with a 12.00 ERA in August. The left-hander yielded four runs, three walks and six hits over five innings of a 6-0 loss to the Athletics on Thursday.
“It’s obviously not where we want to be,” Parker said. “Just trying to build on the good (pitches). … Just got to execute the pitches when the appropriate time. Limiting the damaging.”
Parker was hardly dented in his only previous appearance against the Royals, last Sept. 24. He allowed five hits and two walks but no runs in five innings during a Washington’s 1-0, 10-inning loss.
Perez and Isbel are a combined 2-for-5 against Parker. Isbel, traditionally known more for his strong defense than his work at the plate, is batting .394 (13-for-33) with seven RBIs in nine August games.
Kansas City’s Adam Frazier is 7-for-9 in the past two games.
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