Johnny Cueto shook both his fists as he strutted off the diamond, as if absorbing the electricity pulsing through Kauffman Stadium, a ballpark galvanized by the finest outing of Cueto’s brief Royals career.
Cueto’s dreadlocks shook as he completed the seventh inning. He saved his best for the biggest night, a 7-2 victory in Game 5 to wrest the American League Division Series from the upstart Astros.
Two years ago, Cueto heard his name spat out in derision as a visiting player during a playoff game in Pittsburgh. During Wednesday’s eighth inning, his name rang out across a sold-out ballpark, each syllable coated with a love and trust earned on this night.