Salvy's big day puts Royals 1 game back in AL Central (2024)

On Friday night, he was electrifying the Kauffman Stadium crowd with three RBIs, including a true "Salvy Splash" with a home run into the fountains, to lead the Royals to a 7-4 series-opening win over the Phillies. The victory pulled Kansas City to within one game of division-leading Cleveland in the AL Central.

Maybe his time spent hitting a plastic Wiffle ball -- one that featured movement Perez didn’t know was possible -- and running around the bases with kids didn’t tire him out as much as he was joking pregame.

“I should go tomorrow early before I come here,” Perez said postgame, with a grin.

If Perez is tired this late into his 13th big league season, he sure isn’t showing it.

His production has been crucial to the Royals’ postseason push, as he's slashing .276/.334/.474 to provide a steady presence in the cleanup spot. His leadership on and off the field has invigorated the team just as much as the chance to bring the organization back to October has invigorated Perez, the last remaining member of Kansas City’s 2015 World Series championship team.

“The joy the guy has for the game is second to none,” Vinnie Pasquantino said. “He’s just awesome. He’s the leader of this team for a reason. He’s the captain for a reason. I can’t say enough good things about him.”

The 34-year-old Perez was 2-for-4 on Friday, with his RBI double down the third-base line putting the Royals on the board in the first inning as Pasquantino roared around the bases to score from first.

After Pasquantino picked up his 96th RBI of the year in the third inning, a pair of Royals reached career milestones to help turn the third inning into a five-run frame.

Perez’s no-doubt, Statcast-projected 434-foot home run splashed into the fountains in left field for his 23rd home run of the season. With that homer, Perez became the fourth player in franchise history to reach 900 career RBIs, joining George Brett (1,596), Hal McRae (1,012) and Amos Otis (992).

Hunter Renfroe followed with a two-run blast of his own to eclipse the 500-RBI mark.

“It’s like 400 behind Sal, so that’s kind of rough,” Renfroe said. “No, it’s cool. It’s just a blessing to be able to be in this league long enough to get that.”

Added Perez: “I thank God for keeping me healthy, and [just] doing my job. I love to play baseball. Hopefully, many more.”

And behind the plate Friday, Perez guided starter Michael Wacha against a dangerous Phillies lineup. The right-hander allowed just two runs in six innings, striking out five and walking zero, staving off a dangerous Phillies' lineup -- and even showing some extra adrenaline in the first inning with a fastball that reached 97 mph against Bryce Harper.

Wacha’s changeup was also impressive, with the Phillies whiffing seven times on their 15 swings against it. He worked around long at-bats and traffic, especially in the third, to limit the damage.

A big reason Wacha signed with Kansas City this offseason was because of Perez. The former Cardinals pitcher was familiar with Perez, his talent and what he meant to Kansas City.

But being Perez’s batterymate has been everything Wacha has expected and more.

“I didn’t know the kind of leader he was in this clubhouse when I signed here, but it’s a really cool thing to see,” Wacha said. “You play against him, you see the 'C' on his chest, but when you’re in this clubhouse, you know why he’s got the 'C' on his chest. It’s been a lot of fun to work with him. A ton of experience, we love talking pitching [and] game planning to get these guys out.

“He’s one of the best to ever do it.”

Friday was the beginning of a 20-game stretch in which the Royals will exclusively play teams currently in playoff position. It could be a make-or-break stretch given how late in the season it is, but Kansas City couldn’t have started it off any better -- both with its own play and what happened around the league. Cleveland and Minnesota lost, moving the Royals into sole possession of second place in the American League Central -- just one game behind the division-leading Guardians.

The Royals are focused on one day at a time, with their “TODAY” mantra printed on T-shirts and repeated in nearly every interview. But October baseball is the end goal.

Perez is eager to get his team back there.

“They know where they want to go,” Perez said. “Everybody in this clubhouse, we know where we want to go. … It’s going to be super exciting. I can’t wait for the young guys to taste that, because after that, they're going to just play for the playoffs.”