Perez is still a crucial piece of the Royals.
For all the talk this season about whether Salvador Perez has hit the wall, Sunday at Kauffman shifted the conversation.
The 35-year-old went 3-for-4 with three RBIs in an 8-6 win over the Seattle Mariners, and the biggest swing came in the fifth, when Seattle decided it wanted no part of Vinnie Pasquantino with two outs and intentionally walked him to load the bases.
Perez made them regret it on one pitch, scorching a 108.9 mph grounder through the left side for a go-ahead two-run single that pushed the Royals to 22-31 while dropping the Mariners to 25-29.
The Slow Start Has Been Real
That sort of moment had been missing all year, which is why this one carried weight. Perez walked into Sunday at .202 with a .601 OPS, and the situational numbers were uglier, since he hadn't gotten a hit with runners in scoring position since May 6.
There has been plenty of discussion about the slump earlier this month, and the reasons are not complicated, since some of it is timing, some is the toll of catching for 15 years, and some is bad luck that tends to even out.
Quatraro has rotated him through catcher, first base, and DH.
What Matt Quatraro Said
Quatraro has not budged on his guy through any of it, and he doubled down again after the win.
"We believe in him, and I know it's been a hard start to the year for him offensively overall, but the guy can do it, man. He can come through in big moments. He's getting on those fastballs. We've seen signs of it this week."
Then he zoomed out to what made Sunday especially satisfying for a player who has worn the criticism quietly.
"To get those results today in big spots was really important, obviously, for us. And I'm sure he takes a little extra pride after the intentional walk. He's been doing this for so long."
Why Confidence Should Stick
The current slash line is rough, but the body of work is not.
Perez owns a career line of .263/.300/.454 with 308 home runs, 1,026 RBIs, a 2015 World Series MVP, and five Silver Sluggers buying him runway in this clubhouse.
Pitchers have not forgotten that, which is why Woo walked Pasquantino to face him, and the gamble blew up inside one swing.
Carter Jensen and Maikel Garcia each drove in two more runs, and Seth Lugo grabbed his first win since his March 29 season debut.
Kansas City has back-to-back wins for the first time since May 9-10, and with the offense still searching for a heartbeat, the captain swinging it again would change everything around him.
Sunday was just one game, but it was the loudest answer Perez has given all year, and Quatraro is not about to stop believing now.
