In 2,796 career at-bats, Royals catcher Salvador Perez had never homered with the bases loaded. On a humid afternoon at Kauffman Stadium, his first delivered a series victory over the Boston Red Sox.
The first grand slam of Perez’s career came on a 91 mph fastball, the ninth pitch of an at-bat against Boston reliever Robby Scott in the eighth inning, the decisive moment in a 6-4 victory over the Red Sox on Wednesday.
Perez saw eight pitches before turning on a fastball. The baseball landed beyond the wall in left field as a crowd of 30,826 reveled in the moment.