Salvador Perez went 2-for-4 with a home run and four RBI on Thursday, but Kansas City still came up short in a 10-9 loss to the Tigers.
The 35-year-old Perez gave the Royals a lift in the seventh inning, when he turned on a pitch from Tyler Holton for a three-run homer that extended Kansas City’s lead. It was Perez’s third homer of the season and a much-needed offensive breakout after he entered Thursday slashing.149/.208/.269 with two homers, two RBI and a 4:13 BB:K across 72 plate appearances.
The production mattered because Perez had been working through a poor start at the plate, and this was the kind of swing Kansas City needed from the middle of its order. The problem for the Royals was that the surge was not enough to hold off Detroit, leaving Perez’s biggest night of the season tied to a loss.
For Kansas City, the next question is whether Perez’s breakthrough can carry over, because his bat has been a problem for much of the young season and the Royals need more than one hot night from him.