Royals split doubleheader with six-run sixth in the nightcap

KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI - APRIL 01: Jonathan India #6 of the Kansas City Royals crosses home plate after hitting a grand slam home run as first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino #9, third baseman Maikel Garcia #11 and catcher Salvador Perez #13 wit to congratulate him during the 7th inning of the game at Kauffman Stadium on April 01, 2026 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) | Getty Images The day started poorly, but by the time we had finished things were looking a bit brighter. Let’s talk about the afternoon game first.

Luinder Avila got his first major league start and, at times, you could see why the Royals are still so high on him as a starter. His stuff is electric, especially the fastball and curveball. But he can have some difficulty locating them.

He only managed to go 3+ innings thanks to is inconsistent ability to throw strikes. Over that span he gave up five runs on eight hits and three walks. Garrett Mitchell did most of the damage with a two-run double in the first inning and a three-run home run in the third.

He gave up some hits on some good pitches, but also threw too many pitches that were too easy to hit. If the Royals could have cut the game off after the third inning and started over, it would have been a very different story. The bullpen didn’t allow any runs.