Kansas City Royals shake up lineup ahead of opener against Detroit. Here’s how it went

The Kansas City Royals looked a little different on Monday night. Prior to their game against the Detroit Tigers, the Royals designated third baseman Hunter Dozier for assignment. KC also changed its starting lineup to generate more offense.

Nick Pratto assumed the leadoff spot in the order. Meanwhile, shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. slid down to sixth. Nicky Lopez also returned following an appendectomy that sidelined him on the injured list.

That shakeup paid off for nine innings ... on a night KC needed it for 10.

Tigers star Javier Baez hit a bases-clearing triple as the Royals (14-35) fell 8-5 in extras in Monday’s series opener. That marked Kansas City’s fourth consecutive loss in a game where the offense flashed early but didn’t do enough late.

After falling behind 3-0, the Royals stormed back in the first inning. Pratto hit a leadoff single to get aboard. Then first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino hit a two-run homer into the right-field seats.

Royals captain Salvador Perez followed with his 11th home run. It was the first time the Royals have hit back-to-back homers this season. The last time it happened was July 1, 2022.

“I don’t know if the lineup construction had anything to do with bouncing back in the first inning,” Quatraro said. “Nick led off with a single and that was a good at-bat. The homers back to back were great.

“Overall, (the Tigers) pitched well. For the most part, all five runs were on homers. They were able to minimize (the) damage otherwise. I thought the at-bats were competitive.”

The run support helped to negate Brady Singer’s disappointing start.

Singer lasted 3 2/3 innings on Monday. He allowed five runs, seven hits and four walks. He threw 87 pitches and ran into trouble early, particularly against Tigers outfielder Matt Vierling — who hit a two-run homer in the third inning.

Singer relied heavily on his sinker and slider combination. He threw 82 of his 87 pitches with that combo. However, the Tigers weren’t fooled. Detroit took 22 swings and generated five whiffs. There were 15 combined balls in play of those 22 swings.

“I think the sinker was working pretty well early and I felt like I had good movement on it,” Singer said. “They were laying off the slider out of the zone and I couldn’t get them really to chase much. Then, obviously, the walks killed me.”

Singer admitted he would’ve liked to go deeper in the game. He aims to make more quality pitches as he prepares for his next start.

“I think just try to stay on the attack more,” Singer said. “Try to get them to chase out of the zone and stay in the zone and limit those walks.”

Why Quatraro moved Witt down in lineup

Normally atop the Royals lineup, Bobby Witt Jr. had a new spot in Monday’s series opener. He batted sixth, as Royals manager Matt Quatraro said the decision was to balance the lineup with six lefties starting.

“I was trying to find a way to balance out the righties and lefties to try to keep us not too exposed to the bullpen,” Quatraro said. “That’s really where that came from tonight. It’s nothing as far as, ‘Hey we are going with this.’ That’s not to say we won’t (continue it) but I haven’t thought that far ahead.”

Pratto, batting first, entered hitting .329 and went 1-for-4 in the game. Witt, on the other hand, continued to struggle at the plate. He went 0-for-4 and is now hitting .221 on the season. He has one hit in his last 16 at-bats.

Jackie Bradley Jr. snaps hitless stretch

Jackie Bradley Jr. was due for a hit. He was mired in an 0-for-26 slump that carried over into the series opener against the Tigers. In the fifth inning, Bradley Jr. made amends for his sluggish bat. He hit a two-run homer that tied the score. It was his first homer of the season and his first with the Royals.

The blast registered a 102.4 exit velocity and traveled 387 feet. Bradley drove home Lopez who hit a triple to begin the frame.

Bradley also shined in the field. In the second inning, he hauled in a line drive that helped Singer evade trouble with two men aboard. He added a jumping catch at the wall to end the seventh inning.

“It felt good,” Bradley said. “I’m glad to help the team and get some runs on the board. It’s tough we didn’t pull out the win today.”

What’s next: The Royals continue their three-game series against the Tigers. KC has yet to announce a starter for Tuesday’s game. Meanwhile, Zack Greinke will draw the start in the series finale Wednesday night.