After ‘unheard of’ road trip, Royals are back to fulfill promise of playoffs in KC

When the Royals take the field Wednesday for Game 3 of the American League Division Series against the Yankees, it will have been 17 days since they played a home game.

“Now the boos are going to be for them, not for us like it was in New York,” Royals catcher Salvador Perez said. “So, you know, super excited.”

Thing is, the last time the Royals played a home game, they heard a smattering of boos at The K.

Their final regular-season homestand ended with a 2-0 loss to the Giants on Sept. 22. It was their seventh straight defeat and they were clinging to a playoff spot as the team flew to Washington, D.C.

But the Royals won four of their final six games of the regular season and clinched a Wild Card berth. Then came a two-game playoff sweep of the Orioles in Baltimore and a split in the first two ALDS games at Yankee Stadium.

While the Royals stumbled during their last games in Kansas City, they will return to a packed crowd for two postseason games this week.

Manager Matt Quatraro never doubted the Royals would be back at home for playoff games. He put his money were his, well, luggage is.

“I packed for every possible day we could have been gone,” Quatraro noted. “That was my confidence level and hope that that was what was going to happen. So we were ready. I was ready for that. I know my wife’s suitcase was heavy, too, so I know she was ready for that. No, it’s fun to be back, you know?

“Clearly that was a huge goal of ours, was to get back here and play a home playoff game, and now to have two of them guaranteed is even better. You miss sleeping in your own bed, the comforts of like having your own fridge and all that stuff.”

Many Royals fans didn’t share Quatraro’s optimism, given the way the team struggled in September. They scored one run in the three-game series against that Giants.

At one point, they held a lead in just one inning over a 50-inning span.

“That was a tough last home stand,” said pitcher Seth Lugo, who will start Game 3. “But playing in October, that was the ultimate goal, and here we are. So embrace it.”

The Royals turned their fortunes by sweeping the Nationals in Washington, D.C., to start their final regular-season road trip. On the final Friday of the season, the Royals clinched a playoff berth and celebrated at Truist Park, home of the Atlanta Braves.

After an off day, the Royals went to Baltimore and won the Wild Card Series against the Orioles. Since then, they’ve played two games in New York and had four off-days.

While gone from Kansas City for an extended period, the Royals deviated from their usual travel plans Tuesday and didn’t depart New York until midday. That was so the players could spend a little more time with their families and wouldn’t be rushed to the airport.

But now they’re home and ready to play in front of a full house Wednesday at Kauffman Stadium.

“It’s been a long time, but it kind of dawned on us all, I think sometime in the last couple days, it’s been over two weeks since we left for that last road trip,” Quatraro said. “I mean, it’s almost unheard of, except in this scenario, to go on a four-city trip.

“But I’m really happy we did, because otherwise we wouldn’t be sitting here talking about playoff baseball.”