KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Seemingly in the blink of an eye, the Kansas City Royals came crashing in on the Texas Rangers like a huge and far-stretching wave. For the second time in as many games, center fielder Michael A. Taylor was surfing that wave, perfectly balanced and looking as cool and comfortable as possible.
Taylor blasted a 458-foot home run, drove in three runs and had two hits. He wasn’t the only newcomer who enjoyed an outstanding day at the plate. Infielder Hanser Alberto went 3 for 4 with two doubles, while rookie outfielder Kyle Isbel collected two hits, including a sun-aided triple, scored two runs and drove in a run.
Familiar faces also did their fair share of damage. Whit Merrifield hit his second home run of the season, drove in four runs and scored a run, while Salvador Perez had two hits and a run scored in the Royals’ 11-4 win over the Texas Rangers in front of an announced 8,889 on Saturday afternoon at Kauffman Stadium.
Royals starting pitcher Mike Minor (1-0) allowed four runs on four hits and two walks in six innings, including a pair of runs on a first-inning home run by Rangers slugger Joey Gallo.
The Royals clinched the series win, and they’ll try for a season-opening three-game sweep of the Rangers on Sunday afternoon at 1:10 p.m.
