OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Nicky Lopez couldn’t have imagined a better homecoming to Omaha.
The rookie hit his first major league home run in the stadium where he played college ball, starting the Kansas City Royals’ scoring in a 7-3 win over the Detroit Tigers on Thursday night in the first big league regular season game played in Nebraska.
“I knew a lot of college friends and coaches here and people around the community,” said Lopez, who played for Creighton University from 2014-16. “I didn’t know it was gone. I knew I hit it pretty good, maybe a double or triple.”
The game at TD Ameritrade Park coincided with the buildup to the College World Series, which begins Saturday. All eight CWS teams were among the sellout crowd of 25,454 and participated in a pregame ceremony with the major league teams.
“It was fun. The energy level was fun,” Royals manager Ned Yost said. “Every time I turned around, all I saw was Royals hats and shirts. That was great to see. I wanted us to come in here and put on a good show for our fans in Omaha.”
Lopez hit just one home run in 75 games at TD Ameritrade as a collegian. The second baseman returned to Omaha 8 for 61 in his previous 15 games and sat out Wednesday’s game in Kansas City before going 2 for 4.
In his first trip to the plate, he lined Matthew Boyd’s 1-1 pitch into the right field bullpen leading off the third inning. Martin Maldonado followed with a double and came home when Boyd was called for a balk.
The Royals tacked on three runs in the fourth and one each the next two innings on their way to their highest run total since May 29. They had scored a total of eight runs over their previous four games.
Lopez got a high-five from Yost when he returned to the dugout after his home run.
“The funny thing was I asked him, ‘Nicky, is your dad sitting home watching?'” Yost said. “He said, ‘Yeah.’ I said, ‘I hate to tell you the (ESPN) TV truck just broke down and they weren’t televising then.’ That was a shame.”
Kansas City starter Homer Bailey (5-6) gave up a pair of singles, walked three, hit a batter and struck out six before Jorge Lopez came on to start the seventh. Dawel Lugo tripled past diving right fielder Whit Merrifield and scored on a groundout for the Tigers’ first run.
The Royals won two of three over the Tigers for their first series win since April 12-14 against Cleveland.