KANSAS CITY, Mo. - The Royals’ home opener Monday featured a heart-tugging tribute to starter Yordano Ventura, who died in a car crash in January. Ventura’s mother, Marisol Hernandez, threw out the first pitch, then was swept up in a hug by catcher Salvador Perez, Ventura’s close friend.
The scene left few at sold-out Kauffman Stadium dry-eyed, but the game itself was a disappointment for the Kansas City fans. For the seventh time in a row, the A’s beat the Royals, this time by the score of 2-0 on the strength of Khris Davis’ two-run homer in the fourth.