It was just five days ago that Luinder Avila was exiting his start against the Astros having recorded just two outs in the first inning and eventually being tagged with eight runs, a bad start in a rough loss. The Royals’ message for the 24-year-old rookie starter? “Don’t panic,” pitching coach Brian Sweeney said. “We had a rough one, let’s reflect on it real quick, flush it, and get back to work. Stick with the process. Even the best have challenging days.” The focus flipped quickly to Wednesday because the Royals needed Avila back on the mound against the Nationals. In this one, he acted like a stopper. The right-hander tossed 5 2/3 innings in the Royals’ 6-2 win, salvaging the series finale after back-to-back losses the previous two nights at Nationals Park. Avila was backed early by four solo home runs, including Carter Jensen’s leadoff shot, the first of four hits and five times on base for the catcher. John Rave hit his first homer in the big leagues this season in the second and Lane Thomas and Michael Massey went back-to-back in the third inning. “That felt good,” Avila said through interpreter Luis Perez. “The start against Houston, they did the same: They hit, and I had runs. … This one, they did basically the same thing, and I was there for them, too.”
