If all goes as the Kansas City Royals would like, the best game of Dairon Blanco's career will be looked back upon as a main reason the Royals snapped their playoff drought this fall. The Royals will aim to complete a series sweep of the host Cincinnati Reds on Sunday afternoon when the teams meet in the finale of the three-game interleague set. Right-hander Brady Singer (8-8, 3.
32 ERA) is slated to start for the Royals against Reds left-hander Andrew Abbott (10-9, 3.59). Blanco took advantage of a rare start Saturday night, when he set career highs with two homers and seven RBIs in leading the Royals to a 13-1 win.
The start was the first since Aug. 4 for Blanco, a 31-year-old reserve outfielder who entered Saturday with 21 stolen bases but just one homer and five RBIs in 97 at-bats this season. He exceeded those latter two totals in the first three innings by hitting a two-run homer in the second and a grand slam during a seven-run third.
Blanco added an RBI single in the fourth to become just the second ninth-place hitter to collect seven RBIs in a game in team history. Catcher Jerry Grote had seven RBIs in a 12-9 win over the Seattle Mariners on June 3, 1981. Blanco also finished two RBIs shy of the franchise record set by Mike Moustakas in a 14-6 win over the Baltimore Orioles on Sept.
12, 2015. The unlikely outburst allowed the Royals to lessen the load -- at least for one night -- on their big three of Vinnie Pasquantino, Salvador Perez and American League MVP candidat.