The bullpen had wobbled, wasting another night of brilliant starting pitching. So the Royals relied on their greatest offensive weapon: The solo home run.
In the bottom of the eighth inning on Saturday night, Mike Moustakas cranked his fifth homer of this young season, depositing another baseball onto the porch in right field. The moment sent a jolt through Kauffman Stadium and delivered a 3-2 victory over the Los Angeles Angels.
The Royals engineered their third straight victory and moved to 5-6 on the year. The formula followed a familiar pattern. A Royals starting pitcher was efficient and effective.