KANSAS CITY -- Matt Quatraro was not overcome with too much emotion after his first managerial win on Monday night. No, those red eyes were from the champagne celebration his players greeted him with in the clubhouse following the Royals’ 9-5 series-opening win over the Blue Jays at Kauffman Stadium
Quatraro had barely washed the Dom Pérignon out of his eyes and changed out of his soaked uniform before entering the Royals’ interview room, but he exuded the same kind of relaxed demeanor he had when the Royals started the season 0-3. The first-year manager downplayed the celebration, revealing the players “sprayed champagne in my face, and that’s about it,” before dissecting the nine innings that had just played out in front of him.
But it’s that managerial style – Quatraro’s laid-back demeanor and focus on the players -- that had Royals players confident before Monday’s game that the rough start would turn around.
And itching to celebrate after it did.
"Really special,” Royals infielder Nicky Lopez said of the celebration he and Salvador Perez orchestrated Monday. “This team could do a lot. We have a lot of great guys in this clubhouse, great players. [Quatraro] understands how hard this game is. He gets it. You can tell how everyone’s loose, everyone’s enjoying themselves. It’s a product of the culture we’re building around here. It’s fun playing for him.
The Royals entered Monday leading the Majors with a 53.8% hard-hit rate (an exit velocity of 95 mph or harder, according to Statcast) and ranking fourth with a 90.7 mph average exit velocity. They also ranked third in walk rate at 12.5%.
The offense was primed to break out, and the hitters knew it. Infielder Matt Duffy texted a group of them those numbers on Monday morning, urging them to stick with their process. Don’t panic. Hitting coaches Alec Zumwalt and Keoni DeRenne reiterated those numbers in the batting cages early Monday afternoon.
It paid off Monday night.
MJ Melendez got things started with a double into the right-field corner and scored on Bobby Witt Jr.’s RBI single -- their first hits of the 2023 season -- to give the Royals their first lead of the year. Kyle Isbel and Hunter Dozier each added an RBI in the first.
"I thought they were well-prepared,” Quatraro said. “Just listening to what they were saying about how [starter José] Berríos was going to pitch, what they were looking for. Obviously, they squared some balls up.”
That was enough cushion for Royals starter Brady Singer, who allowed just one run on two hits in five innings in his season debut. Like so many times last year, Singer took the mound looking to stop a losing streak. Once again, Kansas City relied on its ace.
“I definitely want to try to stop that kind of skid that we’re on there, but just trying to go out and give us a chance to win,” Singer said. “No matter if I have it that night or not. Just try to go out there and help as much as I can.”
And the offense didn’t let up. In the fourth inning, after back-to-back singles from Dozier and Jackie Bradley Jr., the Blue Jays' defense was drawn in considerably against Lopez, anticipating a bunt. So he swung away and ended up on third base with a two-run triple.
“It was funny, I got to third, and [Toronto third baseman Matt] Chapman was like, ‘I thought you were going to bunt there,’” Lopez said. “I was like, ‘No way, I was thinking about swinging the whole time.’ Which is cool, because I got the freedom to do what I wanted to do.”
The Royals went 6-for-16 with runners in scoring position after a 1-for-20 start over the weekend. The top three spots in Kansas City’s lineup -- Melendez, Vinnie Pasquantino and Witt -- combined to go 5-for-12 with five RBIs after going 3-for-31 with no RBIs through the first three games.
The dagger was Melendez’s 113.2-mph, 443-foot home run into the right-center field fountains in the sixth inning -- the hardest and farthest ball he’s hit in his MLB career.
“He crushed it,” Quatraro said. “That’s what went through my head.”
What went through Melendez’s head? Relief that he was on time.
“Just trying to get the bat out,” Melendez said. “It’s early, so just trying to figure out timing and stuff. It was a great feeling. So just trying to find a pitch I can hit and be on time with it.
“We’re looking forward to many more wins.”