After a sluggish showing offensively in a Game 1 loss to the Twins on Saturday afternoon, the Royals needed someone to step up in Game 2 with a big hit.\n\nWho else but
Merrifield jumped on a first-pitch changeup from right-hander José Berríos and launched it over the left-field fence, his fifth homer this season.\n\n“This is the second time we’ve seen Berríos \\[this season\\],” Merrifield said. “I’m familiar with him, seen all his pitches. Saw a changeup out of his hand and I thought it was a good pitch to hit.\n\n“He hadn’t thrown me a changeup today but he did last week, and I knew it was in his arsenal.”\n\nMatheny continues to marvel at Merrifield’s approach at the plate.\n\n“Big spot there,” Matheny said of Merrifield’s homer. “He just takes such a nice short swing and \\[doesn’t\\] try to do too much. I think that’s a lesson for all our guys. Some guys think home run and then they actually slow their swing down by trying too hard to do that. But he takes a nice short path to the ball. In a park like this, if he gets the head out, he can do damage.”
Meanwhile, Royals starter
\n\nAfter Duffy, Matheny turned to the power portion of his bullpen -- right-handers