KANSAS CITY, Mo. — As a Thairo Estrada popup was falling toward Nicky Lopez’s glove Saturday afternoon, Royals pitcher Jakob Junis began walking off the mound toward the home dugout at Kauffman Stadium. This is the typical routine upon the third out of every inning, but the pace with which Junis was moving was atypical.



He walked slowly because he was frustrated, having given up his third run of the game against the New York Yankees. In a strange way, though, the frustration spoke volumes because it proved how confident Junis is in his abilities.



The 26-year-old right-hander had struggled in his past three outings, raising questions about his progression. But on this day, he pitched well enough to put Kansas City in a position to win.



“I thought he threw the ball really well,” Royals manager Ned Yost said after the team’s 7-3 loss in Game 1 of Saturday’s doubleheader vs. New York.



While standing in front of his...