What slump? Báez comes up clutch in extras 

KANSAS CITY -- Javier Báez ended an 0-for-19 slump when he lofted a blooper over first base in his first at-bat Monday night, a single with an exit velocity of just 46.9 miles per hour. It was soft enough that Royals first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino briefly reached out his bare hand, trying to catch it without his glove. Considering it was his first hit in six days, Báez wasn’t picky.

“When you hit the ball hard right to somebody, that’s when it pays off,” Báez said.

But his real slump-buster had to wait until extra innings. His bases-clearing double in the 10th not only clinched his second three-hit game of the season, it finally pushed the Tigers on top for good in a back-and-forth battle for an 8-5 win at Kauffman Stadium.

It was a classic case of a little hit setting up something big. His tiebreaking double, hit at 111.4 mph according to Statcast, was almost harder than his other two hits combined, both the first-inning blooper and the second-inning infield single, a bouncer hit into the ground at 65.7 mph.

It was also a case of patience paying off, setting up an opportune time for aggressiveness.

Báez has worked all season on staying disciplined at the plate and chasing fewer pitches out of the strike zone. He still wanders out of the zone more than he’d like, but it wasn’t the reason for his slump. His 0-for-19 stretch included just five strikeouts, and only one game with multiple strikeouts.

While his 17 percent strikeout rate is the lowest of his career, he hasn’t been rewarded for balls in play; he entered Monday with a .262 BABIP, tied for his lowest in a season since his rookie year of 2014.

“Obviously, he’s trying to see the ball,” manager A.J. Hinch said. “He’s just worried about seeing the ball and getting good pitches to hit, and the results are going to be what they are. I think his reaction and his temperament during this has been very steady. Not easy for hitters; you can hear in the dugout sometimes, guys go crazy and get really frustrated and really angry if they hit the ball hard and get out or if they miss pitches to hit and get out.

“I think Javy has been as even-keeled [this season] as he’s been in the two years I’ve had him at not getting [frustrated at the results of] those hits and not getting those pitches and staying very, very disciplined to still have good at-bats.”

The Royals and catcher Salvador Perez were ready to test whether Báez could stick to his approach.

“It’s hard, man,” Báez said. “With Salvy behind the plate, he’s really smart, and the way they’ve been pitching to me in the past. It’s seeing it and making adjustments. It worked for me today. They didn’t throw me strikes, and obviously I was ready for them.”

Both early hits came after Báez worked ahead in counts. He laid off two pitches off the plate before Brady Singer, the Royals' starter, jammed him inside, resulting in that blooper over first base.

“I thought he had it for a second,” Báez said. “I didn’t run until I realized the ball was fair.”

Singer and Perez changed the approach his next time up and threw four consecutive sliders around the outside corner. Báez took them all, including two called strikes and a 1-2 pitch well off the plate. Again, Singer went to the sinker to try to jam him inside. This time, Báez pounded it into the ground. Any chance at throwing him out ended when Singer couldn’t field it cleanly.

“As soon as I hit it, I said, ‘That’s a knock,’” Báez joked.

Báez scored in the first inning on Matt Vierling’s two-out, two-run single. He would’ve scored in the second if not for Jackie Bradley Jr. running down Spencer Torkelson’s drive to deep right-center field.

Báez popped out with two on in the sixth inning off a first-pitch fastball from righty reliever Jose Cuas, then struck out in the eighth on a 99 mph fastball from Aroldis Chapman. After Alex Lange’s two scoreless innings of relief sent the game to extras, Báez came back up with the bases loaded against Scott Barlow.

This time, he wasn’t waiting.

“They started me off with a fastball in two at-bats. I was ready for the fastball, and he threw it,” Báez said.

“He got the softest hit tonight and he got the hardest hit tonight,” Hinch said. “We’ll take them both.”