Royals’ Dairon Blanco had a ‘really special’ game. Well ... except for one mistake

Dairon Blanco nearly turned in a flawless performance against the Cincinnati Reds.

The Kansas City Royals outfielder blasted two home runs, including his first grand slam, in the Royals’ 13-1 victory.

But he made a cardinal mistake midway through the game. He stopped using his yellow crayon-inspired bat specialized for MLB Players Weekend.

And his teammates let him hear it.

“He’s a little stupid,” Royals captain Salvador Perez joked. “It’s OK, just a little. Sometimes he doesn’t know what he does. I don’t know, he is the only player in the world to change his bat after two homers. It’s OK. Guy is different.”

Prior to the game, Blanco decided to use the yellow bat after chatting with his family. The reason for that consensus pick? It’s his mom’s favorite color.

“So, once I hit the first home run, you know, I just laughed,” Blanco said via a translator. “It was a good feeling. Yellow bat, I just stuck with it.”

Well, Blanco used the bat for at least a few plate appearances. Once the Reds got deeper in the bullpen, Blanco decided to switch up his lumber.

“It started to feel like the handle was worn out,” Blanco said. “I liked the tape on the other bat and it felt better.”

Despite the bat change, Blanco turned in a career night at Great American Ball Park. He produced his first-career multi-homer game and became the first Royal to homer twice out of the ninth spot in the lineup since Gregg Zaun in 2001.

Additionally, Blanco finished with a career-high seven RBIs. He is the first Royal to have amassed seven or more RBIs in a game since Omar Infante on Sept. 17, 2015, against the Cleveland Guardians.

“I mean, we know he doesn’t get a ton of at-bats, but he is ready to go any time he gets in there,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “Whether it’s pinch running or defense, he is ready to swing the bat. And for him to have a night like that is really special.”

Blanco finished 3 for 5. He joined Jake Rogers, Kyle Schwarber, Ceddanne Rafaela and Ben Rice as the only major-league players with a seven-RBI game this season.

He also matched Jerry Grote (1981) for the most RBIs by a Royals batter out of the ninth spot in franchise history.

“Bobby (Witt Jr.) took a night off, which is nice,” Royals first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino said. “He still had a productive night, but in his terms, took a night off. So that’s what good teams do. They rely on the whole team and everybody here knows their role. And Blanco filled in and did his job tonight.”

Blanco hit a 88.5 mph changeup off Reds starter Nick Lodolo in the second inning. Later, he belted a slider off reliever Buck Farmer into the left-field seats.

Both homers set the tone for the Royals offense. KC scored 13 runs on 15 hits and matched its highest output this season.

“He got his opportunity to get out there today against a really tough lefty and created that spark to pretty much get the guys going,” Royals starter Michael Wacha said. “And it didn’t stop all night. It was a lot of fun to watch from him and the rest of our offense.”

Blanco is now hitting .245 with three homers, 12 RBIs and 21 stolen bases. It was a career night and one he will always remember.

“I’m keeping one (game ball),” Blanco said. “It’s a good memory to have for today.”

His Royals teammates will also remember the hallmark day. And they hope he will use the bat once more on Sunday ahead of the Players Weekend finale.

“When the bat’s hot, you use it,” Pasquantino said. “But I guess he didn’t want to break it either. So I get it. Don’t like it, but I wanted to see a third homer.”