As the Kansas City Royals pieced together an enthralling late-inning rally that completely changed the complexion of their home stand, their All-Star catcher Salvador Perez watched and hoped he’d get his chance to put his team over the top.
He certainly would’ve been happy to celebrate had the Royals closed the deal and finished their wild comeback before he stepped into the batter’s box Tuesday night.
However, as the leader and face of the franchise, Perez felt an obligation to deliver at that moment.
With two outs in the bottom of the ninth, the score tied and the winning run on third base, Perez locked in on the slider he knew he’d get from Cincinnati Reds left-handed relief pitcher Amir Garrett. Perez smacked the late-breaking pitch to the left-field wall for a walk-off RBI single that gave the Royals a 7-6 win and started the raw expressions of elation at Kauffman Stadium.
“Honestly, I think I’ve grown up to kind of be in situations like that,” Perez explained after the game, “Because it’s kind of something where I was almost praying in the dugout that I can be in that situation and help my team to win.
“I want to be in big situations. I think it’s part of my job. It’s on me. I feel like this is my team. I need to help. So in any situation like that, I wish I could be there and try to do my best. For some reason, I like it.”
With a win on Wednesday afternoon, the Royals can take two out of three games against the Reds and win both of their series and four of six games on their home stand.
Had they gone on to lose in extra innings Tuesday, the Royals would have lost three in a row and would be trying to stave off a sweep on Wednesday.
“He has done it time and time again for us,” Royals pitcher Kris Bubic said. “He wants that spot. It’s like the guy taking the last shot in a basketball game. He’s the guy that wants that spot, and he’s our best player. There’s a reason he’s an All-Star, and there’s a reason he is who he is. You know he’s going to come up clutch in that spot.”
This season, Perez has carried a large portion of the day-to-day offensive load on his shoulders while also serving as the anchor behind the plate.
Perez entered Wednesday with a slash line of .281/.307/.509 and leads the Royals in home runs (20), RBIs (51) and OPS (.816). He has played in every game either at catcher or as the designated hitter
On top of that he’s been uncommonly clutch, even for a former World Series MVP.
Perez, who will represent the team in the MLB All-Star Game for the seventh time since 2013, has three walk-off hits through the first 85 games of this season and seven in his career.
That does not include a walk-off pickoff throw he made to cement a one-run win against the Los Angeles Angels in Kansas City in April.
Perez rifled to third base and caught the runner straying too far from the bag after a fortuitous carom on a ball in the dirt. That runner represented the tying run, and that out ended the game.
“It’s special,” Royals infielder Nicky Lopez said. “It’s one of those things that you’re happy he is on your team because you’re witnessing something that not a lot of people get to witness.”
Perez’s two previous walk-off hits this season came during the same home stand as the pickoff play against the Angels.
The pickoff came on a Tuesday night, then he capped a Saturday night doubleheader against the Toronto Blue Jays with a two-run walk-off home run crushed into the fountains beyond the left-center field wall at Kauffman Stadium.
For the big finale the following Wednesday night, Perez smacked a walk-off single to left field to earn a win in the final game of that home stand against the Tampa Bay Rays. That play drew a remarkable similarity to his walk-off hit in the American League Wild Card Game in 2014.
Perez joined the Philadelphia Phillies’ Jean Segura as the only players in the majors with three walk-off hits this season.
“That’s the third one this year and someone said it’s the seventh of his career,” Royals manager Mike Matheny said. “You can attribute as much luck as you want to. I’m not buying it. There’s just special people in those situations, and Salvy is one of them.”
