Vinnie Pasquantino is trying to move past his early-season slump.
The Kansas City Royals defeated the Seattle Mariners by a final score of 4-1 on Sunday. It was a good win for Kansas City, as the ball club clinched a series sweep against the Mariners in Seattle. Additionally, Royals star first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino -- who has been in an early-season slump -- took a step forward in the game.
Pasquantino went 2-5 with a run scored. No, it was not a huge game. A couple of base hits and no home runs or RBIs do not often receive too much attention. However, with the way Pasquantino had been swinging the bat, his performance is notable.
Even with the multi-hit game, the Royals slugger is hitting just .188/.283/.350 this season. He has four home runs as well.
Sometimes all a hitter needs is a respectable game to get back on track. Pasquantino's two-hit performance could be the beginning of a hot streak at the plate.
He certainly needed a game like the one he had on Sunday against the Mariners.
Royals Earn Big Victory Against Mariners on Sunday
Kansas City is now 15-19 overall and in fourth place in the American League Central standings. The team has work to do, but Sunday's win was a big step in the right direction.
Kris Bubic impressed on the mound. The southpaw turned in seven innings of one-run baseball. He added seven strikeouts while walking only two hitters and giving up four hits.
The offense ended up with four runs and eight hits overall. Isaac Collins also had two hits. Collins had the Royals' only extra-base hit of the contest as well.
The sweep was crucial for Kansas City. The ball club has been inconsistent this year at best. While Pasquantino needed a two-hit game, the Royals needed a sweep to create some momentum.
Kansas City is now set to return home to host an American League Central rival in the Cleveland Guardians. It will be a four-game series which is set to begin on Monday night. Cleveland currents holds an 18-17 record. They have had an up and down campaign, but the Guardians lead the AL Central standings as of this story's writing.
It should be a competitive series between the AL Central opponents. The series is certainly important for the Royals. First pitch for the Royals and Guardians game on Monday night is scheduled for 7:40 PM EST in Kansas City.