Royal Rebuild [OOTP 19]

[artoodeetoo]

THE WEEK THAT WAS: JULY 29TH-AUGUST 4TH
Two Royals win monthly league honors
By artoodeetoo
08/05/2019

07/31/2019: SKAGGS THROWS EIGHT INNINGS OF ONE-RUN BALL

After a string of poor starts in Double-A, Tyler Skaggs made his last Naturals start a good one, allowing just one run in eight innings of work. He didn't figure into the decision, but struck out five with just two walks and four hits. He begins his Triple-A rehab with a start on August 7th, and it's expected that a decision will be made after that.

08/01/2019: ALONSO, JUNIS WIN MONTHLY LEAGUE AWARDS

Jake Junis won the American League Pitcher of the Month award for July, notching a 4-0 mark in five July starts. He fanned thirty-two in 31 2/3 innings of work, and managed a 1.42 ERA. Also, Peter Alonso won the American League's Rookie of the Month award, leading all of baseball with a .396 BA in July, slugging six homeruns and driving in twenty-five.

08/04/2019: ALONSO'S RBI STREAK STOPS AT ELEVEN

Despite going 2-for-5 with two runs scored, Peter Alonso's club-record streak of games with an RBI was stopped at twelve in a 6-3 victory over Texas. However, his hitting streak is still alive as of this report, as it now stands at twelve.

[artoodeetoo]

KANSAS CITY ROYALS (57-55) @ LOS ANGELES ANGELS (51-61)



PITCHING MATCHUPS

08/05: RHP Trevor Oaks (11-4, 2.96) vs RHP Alex Meyer (8-6, 3.82)
08/06: RHP Luis Cessa (9-4, 3.23) vs RHP Shohei Ohtani (7-12, 5.47)
08/07: LHP Eric Skoglund (0-0, 0.00) vs LHP Jose Rances Suarez (6-7, 5.28)

GAME RECAPS

August 5th, 2019
Kansas City (57-56) 2, LA Angels (52-61) 5
Winner: Jose Alvarez (3-1) Loser: Trevor Oaks (11-5) Save: Kyle Barraclough (23)

ROYALS SLOW OUT OF THE AUGUST GATE

Kansas City led 2-0 after three-and-one-half innings; but a two-run blast from Mike Trout in the fourth tied the score, and the Angels went on to add two more in the sixth, and one in the seventh to notch a 5-2 victory. After four straight starts without allowing a homerun, Trevor Oaks has now allowed five in his last two starts, and there may be some concern that the surprise Cy Young candidate might be beginning to show signs of later-season fatigue. As he has done in the last two weeks, Peter Alonso added an RBI and extended his hitting streak to thirteen games. He also has RBI in twelve of those thirteen contests, with an 11-game RBI streak snapped in last night's game at Texas. Nicky Lopez drove in the Royals' other run on a double play, and was not credited with an RBI. Former Miami closer Kyle Barraclough notched his second save for Anaheim since being acquired from the Marlins just prior to the deadline.

AMERICAN LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Baltimore (50-63) 2, Cleveland (57-57) 7
Kansas City (57-56) 2, LA Angels (52-61) 5
Minnesota (47-66) 5, Detroit (41-70) 2 (Final/10)
Pittsburgh (57-56) 7, Chi. Sox (56-56) 2
Houston (71-42) 2, Oakland (53-61) 0

NATIONAL LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Seattle (48-65) @ Colorado (70-43) -- PPD
Milwaukee (55-58) 4, NY Mets (68-44) 3
St. Louis (71-42) 11, San Diego (49-63) 12
Chi. Cubs (71-42) 2, Philadelphia (57-58) 6
Washington (59-54) 1, San Francisco (54-59) 4

August 6th, 2019
Kansas City (58-56) 2, LA Angels (52-62) 5
Winner: Luis Cessa (10-4) Loser: Shohei Ohtani (7-13) Save: Corey Knebel (22)

CESSA JOINS TEN-WIN CLUB

He labored through 108 pitches and six innings, but Luis Cessa managed to allow just one earned run (three total) as the Royals evened up their series with the Angels by taking a 6-3 decision. He fanned six with just two walks while scattering eight hits to pick up his tenth victory of the season, joining Trevor Oaks as the only two Royals with ten victories. His only earned run came on a solo homerun in the sixth by Kaleb Cowart, and a two-out error by Cessa led to two more runs in the third. Salvador Perez led the Royals with a 2-for-4 day, hitting his 17th homerun of the season, and Brett Phillips added two RBI with a double in the third. Peter Alonso extended his hitting streak to fourteen games, and David Peralta also collected a pair of hits with an RBI.

AMERICAN LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Arizona (55-59) 6, Texas (52-61) 4
NY Yankees (75-40) 7, Tampa Bay (46-66) 6 (Final/11)
Boston (74-41) 1, Toronto (49-64) 9
Baltimore (50-64) 1, Cleveland (58-57) 8
Kansas City (58-56) 6, LA Angels (52-62) 3
Minnesota (48-66) 3, Detroit (41-71) 2
Pittsburgh (57-57) 3, Chi. Sox (57-56) 6
Houston (71-43) 2, Oakland (54-61) 4

NATIONAL LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Seattle (49-65) 4, Colorado (70-44) 2 (G1)
Seattle (49-66) 9, Colorado (71-44) 10 (G2)
Atlanta (56-55) 0, Miami (44-69) 4
Milwaukee (55-59) 3, NY Mets (69-44) 7
LA Dodgers (68-47) 1, Cincinnati (36-80) 7
St. Louis (71-43) 3, San Diego (50-63) 6
Chi. Cubs (71-43) 3, Philadelphia (58-58) 6
Washington (59-55) 3, San Francisco (55-59) 5

August 7th, 2019
Kansas City (58-57) 0, LA Angels (53-62) 3
Winner: Jose Rances Suarez (7-7) Loser: Eric Skoglund (0-1) Save: Kyle Barraclough (24)

SUAREZ STYMIES ROYALS' ATTACK

Peter Alonso's ninth inning single to extend his hitting streak to fifteen was the lone highlight of the Royals' 3-0 shutout defeat to the Angels. Jose Rances Suarez held the Royals in check, nearly going wire-to-wire before being replaced by Kyle Barraclough after a couple of two-out hits suddenly put the outcome in doubt. He finished with seven strikeouts and a walk over eight and two-third innings of work, scattering just six hits. None of the Royals hits went for extra bases. Eric Skoglund made his 2019 Royals debut, and held his own as he fills in for the injured Jimmy Nelson, going five and two-third innings, fanning six with two walks and six hits. He allowed just two runs, both in the first inning.

AMERICAN LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Baltimore (50-64) @ Cleveland (58-57) -- PPD
Arizona (55-60) 6, Texas (53-61) 3
NY Yankees (76-40) 6, Tampa Bay (46-67) 1
Boston (74-42) 3, Toronto (50-64)
Kansas City (58-57) 0, LA Angels (53-62) 3
Minnesota (49-66) 8, Detroit (41-72) 2
Pittsburgh (57-58) 6, Chi. Sox (58-56) 7
Houston (72-43) 7, Oakland (54-62) 3

NATIONAL LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Atlanta (57-55) 11, Miami (44-70) 0
Milwaukee (56-59) 7, NY Mets (69-45) 2
LA Dodgers (69-47) 6, Cincinnati (36-81) 4
St. Louis (71-44) 1, San Diego (51-63) 10
Chi. Cubs (72-43) 2, Philadelphia (58-59) 1 (Final/12)
Washington (60-55) 5, San Francisco (55-60) 3

MAJOR NEWS/INJURIES/TRANSACTIONS
08/05: Goldy, Bryant named AL, NL Players of the Week
08/05: Reds' Sal Romano sidelined for remainder of season with torn labrum
08/05: White-hot Houston takes over top spot in Power Rankings
08/06: Astros' team-record winning streak stopped at seventeen games in loss to A's
08/06: Indians owner Larry Dolan passes at 88; son Matt to take over day-to-day operations
08/07: Stephen Strasburg's recovery from biceps injury; expected to miss one more start

[artoodeetoo]

ROYALS STATISTICS UPDATE

[artoodeetoo]

MINNESOTA TWINS (49-67) @ KANSAS CITY ROYALS (58-57)



PITCHING MATCHUPS

08/09: LHP Adalberto Mejia (1-7, 6.91) vs LHP Danny Duffy (7-5, 3.95)
08/10: RHP Shelby Miller (2-8, 5.30) vs RHP Jake Junis (9-5, 3.62)
08/11: RHP Brandon McCarthy (5-10, 6.23) vs RHP Trevor Oaks (11-5, 3.12)

GAME RECAPS

August 9th, 2019
Minnesota (49-68) 5, Kansas City (59-57) 8
Winner: Jorge Lopez (4-6) Loser: Gabriel Moya (1-4) Save: Corey Knebel (23)

BIG EIGHTH INNING COMEBACK LEADS TO VICTORY

Despite two homeruns and a triple from Miguel Sano as part of a 3-for-4 day, the Royals managed to post five runs in the eighth inning as the Royals took the first game of their series with the Twins by an 8-5 count. Danny Duffy slogged through five innings, allowing nine hits and four earned runs with four strikeouts. The key hit was a pinch-hit two-run double by Jorge Soler to tie the game at five, and Adalberto Mondesi broke the tie in the next at-bat with a triple to bring Soler home. An error by shortstop Ehire Adrianza led to two more runs, and Corey Knebel locked down the ninth in 1-2-3 fashion to secure his fifth save (23rd overall). Jorge Lopez pitched a scoreless eighth inning, and was the winning pitcher.

AMERICAN LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Minnesota (49-68) 5, Kansas City (59-57) 8
NY Yankees (77-41) 4, Boston (76-42) 9
Oakland (54-64) 0, Baltimore (52-64) 4
Toronto (51-65) 4, Tampa Bay (46-69) 3
Detroit (42-73) 2, Cleveland (59-57) 5
Texas (53-62) 2, LA Angels (54-62) 5
Chi. Cubs (73-43) 14, Chi. Sox (58-57) 7
Houston (74-43) 8, Seattle (49-68) 7

NATIONAL LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
NY Mets (69-45) @ Philadelphia (58-59) -- PPD
Miami (44-72) 0, Pittsburgh (58-58) 6
San Francisco (56-60) 6, Milwaukee (56-60) 4
Cincinnati (37-82) 11, Atlanta (58-56) 3
St. Louis (71-46) 4, Colorado (73-44) 6 (Final/15)
Arizona (56-61) 2, San Diego (52-64) 5
Washington (60-56) 1, LA Dodgers (71-47) 2

August 10th, 2019
Minnesota (49-69) 3, Kansas City (60-57) 4
Winner: Blake Treinen (3-4) Loser: John Curtiss (4-5) Save: None

ROYALS WALK-OFF THE TWINS

Tied at three with two out in the bottom of the ninth, Cheslor Cuthbert's two-out RBI single with Nicky Lopez on third brought the sell-out crowd to their feet as the Royals walked the Twins off by a 4-3 score. Twins closer John Curtiss struck Alex Gordon out to begin the inning, but walked Salvador Perez. Billy Hamilton replaced Perez, and scored on Lopez's triple. Two batters later, Cuthbert rifled a single over Curtiss' head to clinch the victory. Jake Junis didn't figure into the decision, but fanned seven hitters over five and one-third innings, bowing out after four hits and three walks, while allowing two earned runs. Perez hit his team-best 18th homerun in the fifth inning, a solo shot to left-center off Shelby Miller.

AMERICAN LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Minnesota (49-69) 3, Kansas City (60-57) 4
NY Yankees (77-42) 4, Boston (77-42) 6
Oakland (55-64) 2, Baltimore (52-65) 1
Toronto (51-66) 2, Tampa Bay (47-69) 8
Detroit (42-74) 1, Cleveland (60-57) 5
Texas (53-63) 1, LA Angels (55-62) 7
Chi. Cubs (74-43) 5, Chi. Sox (58-58) 2 (Final/11)
Houston (75-43) 3, Seattle (49-69) 1

NATIONAL LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
NY Mets (69-46) 5, Philadelphia (59-59) 6 (G1)
NY Mets (70-46) 9, Philadelphia (59-60) 5 (G2)
Miami (45-72) 6, Pittsburgh (58-59) 5
San Francisco (56-61) 2, Milwaukee (57-60) 3
Cincinnati (37-83) 8, Atlanta (59-56) 9
St. Louis (71-47) 0, Colorado (74-44) 1
Arizona (57-61) 3, San Diego (52-65) 1 (Final/10)
Washington (60-57) 1, LA Dodgers (72-47) 7

August 11th, 2019
Kansas City (58-57) 0, LA Angels (53-62) 3
Winner: Nathan Karns (2-2) Loser: Gabriel Moya (1-5) Save: None

ROYALS WIN IN WALK-OFF FASHION AGAIN

In the bottom of the 11th, Peter Alonso's sacrifice fly off Gabriel Moya brought Cheslor Cuthbert home, as the Royals walked off the Twins 4-3 to sweep the series. The Royals were down 3-2 in the bottom of the ninth, but Mitch Garver overthrew third base on a steal attempt by Billy Hamilton, who scored the tying run to send the game to extra innings. Nathan Karns pitched two scoreless innings to pick up the victory, his second of the season, and the win evened his season record at two wins and losses apiece.

AMERICAN LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Minnesota (49-70) 3, Kansas City (61-57) 4 (Final/11)
NY Yankees (78-42) 5, Boston (77-43) 3
Oakland (56-64) 9, Baltimore (52-66) 6
Toronto (51-67) 3, Tampa Bay (48-69) 8
Detroit (42-75) 0, Cleveland (61-57) 4
Texas (54-63) 6, LA Angels (55-63) 2
Chi. Cubs (74-44) 4, Chi. Sox (59-58) 6
Houston (76-43) 13, Seattle (49-70) 2

NATIONAL LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
NY Mets (71-46) 8, Philadelphia (59-61) 4 (G2)
Miami (46-72) 4, Pittsburgh (58-60) 1
San Francisco (56-62) 2, Milwaukee (58-60) 5
Cincinnati (37-84) 4, Atlanta (60-56) 5
St. Louis (72-47) 7, Colorado (74-45) 6
Arizona (58-61) 6, San Diego (52-66) 0
Washington (60-58) 1, LA Dodgers (73-47) 6

MAJOR NEWS/INJURIES/TRANSACTIONS
08/09: Braves' Freeman, Miami's Merandy Gonzalez suspended by MLB for bench-clearing fight
08/11: Atlanta IF Ozzie Albies activated from disabled list; will rehab in Triple-A
08/11: Padres RHP Craig Stammen shut down after torn UCL diagnosis, will miss rest of 2019 and 2020

[artoodeetoo]

THE WEEK THAT WAS: AUGUST 5TH-11TH
Minor-league prospects shine
By artoodeetoo
08/12/2019

08/08/2019: ROYALS DESIGNATE SKAGGS FOR ASSIGNMENT

Following a rough rehab stint, the Royals have designated lefty Tyler Skaggs for assignment. On July 31st, he had an outstanding outing for Double-A Northwest Arkansas, going eight innings while allowing just one earned run, but had a mixed bag of results in his other starts, including four earned runs in six innings in his only Triple-A outing last night.

Skaggs was acquired over the offseason in February from the Angels in exchange for right-handed pitcher Burch Smith, who has split time between Triple-A and the Angels in 2019.

08/09/2019: KOWAR STRIKES OUT ELEVEN IN SIX SHUTOUT FRAMES

It took 114 pitches, but 2018 first-round pick Jackson Kowar continues to show why he was worthy of that selection with an eleven-strikeout performance in a 5-0 win over Myrtle Beach in Carolina League action. He's now 9-6 with a 3.11 ERA in twenty starts in 2019.

The eleven strikeouts was a career-high for the tall, lanky right-hander, as well as the 114 pitches. He also walked more than three hitters for the first time in his career, issuing four free passes.

08/11/2019: TOP PROSPECT MATIAS CAPS OFF HUGE WEEK

Northwest Arkansas right fielder Seuly Matias had an impressive week, hitting six homeruns, one double, and driving in ten runs. For the 2019 season, he has hit a combined twenty-seven homeruns between High-A Wilmington and Double-A Northwest Arkansas.

[artoodeetoo]

CLEVELAND INDIANS (61-57) @ KANSAS CITY ROYALS (61-57)



PITCHING MATCHUPS

08/12: RHP Danny Salazar (7-5, 4.02) vs RHP Luis Cessa (10-4, 3.15)
08/13: RHP Josh Tomlin (9-4, 3.63) vs RHP Jimmy Nelson (5-4, 4.78)
08/14: RHP Mike Clevinger (5-5, 4.08) vs LHP Danny Duffy (7-5, 4.06)

GAME RECAPS

AMERICAN LEAGUE SCOREBOARD (08/12)
Cleveland (61-57) @ Kansas City (61-57) -- PPD
Houston (77-43) 7, Texas (54-64) 4
San Francisco (57-62) 2, Oakland (56-65) 0
Tampa Bay (48-70) 4, Chi. Sox (60-58) 5

NATIONAL LEAGUE SCOREBOARD (08/12)
Philadelphia (59-62) 1, Atlanta (61-56) 7
Miami (46-73) 1, Chi. Cubs (75-44) 2
Detroit (42-76) 0, Milwaukee (59-60) 1
Colorado (75-45) 11, Arizona (58-62) 5
LA Angels (56-63) 4, LA Dodgers (73-48) 1

August 13th, 2019 (DH Game 1)
Cleveland (62-57) 14, Kansas City (61-58) 1
Winner: Danny Salazar (8-5) Loser: Luis Cessa (10-5) Save: None

TEMPERS FLARE AS INDIANS TAKE FIRST GAME OF KEY SERIES

Aaron Altherr and Nathan Karns were both ejected, along with first baseman Peter Alonso for their roles in a bench-clearing fracas in the eighth inning of a 14-1 Royals defeat. Richie Shaffer hit a long homerun off Karns with two out in the eighth; and the veteran reliever exchanged words with Shaffer, who took a long moment to admire his homerun, as he slowly rounded third base. The next hitter, Aaron Altherr, took a fastball to the thigh, which prompted the bench-clearing between the two rivals now locked in a dead heat for the division race. Luis Cessa lasted just four and one-third inning for the Royals, allowing seven earned runs (eight total), on nine hits. He fanned five with one walk.

August 13th, 2019 (DH Game 2)
Cleveland (62-58) 3, Kansas City (62-58) 4
Winner: Tony Cingrani (3-3) Loser: Tony Zych (1-7) Save: Corey Knebel (24)

LATE ERROR LEADS TO ROYALS WIN

A two-out error in the eighth by Indians third baseman Yandy Diaz allowed David Peralta to score and break a 3-3 tie, while Corey Knebel fanned the side in the ninth to pick up his 24th save of the season in a 4-3 victory, helping to split the doubleheader. The Royals scored three in the third inning, as Billy Hamilton singled home a run, and then Cheslor Cuthbert drove in a pair with a two-run double to give the Royals a 3-2 lead after three innings. Jimmy Nelson overcame a slow start to throw seven innings, allowing three earned runs while scattering five hits and four walks. Tony Cingrani pitched a spotless eighth to pick up the victory.

AMERICAN LEAGUE SCOREBOARD (08/13)
Cleveland (62-57) 14, Kansas City (61-58) 1 (G1)
Cleveland (62-58) 3, Kansas City (62-58) 4 (G2)
Tampa Bay (48-71) 8, Chi. Sox (61-58) 9
NY Mets (72-46) 5, Boston (77-44) 3
Toronto (51-68) 6, Baltimore (53-66) 23
St. Louis (72-48) 3, Minnesota (50-70) 4
Houston (78-43) 7, Texas (54-65) 5
San Francisco (58-62) 5, Oakland (56-66) 2
San Diego (52-67) 1, Seattle (50-70) 4

NATIONAL LEAGUE SCOREBOARD (08/13)
Cincinnati (38-84) 8, Pittsburgh (58-61) 5
Philadelphia (59-63) 3, Atlanta (62-56) 6
NY Yankees (78-43) 6, Washington (61-58) 7
Detroit (42-77) 3, Milwaukee (60-60) 5 (Final/13)
Miami (47-73) 4, Chi. Cubs (75-45) 3
LA Angels (57-63) 18, LA Dodgers (73-49) 4
Colorado (76-45) 6, Arizona (58-63) 5

August 14th, 2019
Cleveland (62-58) 3, Kansas City (62-58) 4
Winner: Danny Duffy (8-5) Loser: Mike Clevinger (5-6) Save: None

ROYALS WIN IN WALK-OFF FASHION AGAIN

Behind Danny Duffy's seven shutout innings; the Royals built a 6-0 lead after the seventh inning, and staved off a late rally from Cleveland to post a 7-3 victory to take the series. The victory was Duffy's eighth of the season against just five defeats. Brian Goodwin was 2-for-3 with a bases-clearing triple in the fourth inning, and Peter Alonso drove in a pair of runs with a single in the first. Nicky Lopez and Alex Gordon added single tallies in the sixth and eighth with RBI hits, scoring Adalberto Mondesi both times. Mondesi was 2-for-4 with two runs scored and two steals, giving him thirty-six on the season.

[AMERICAN LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Cleveland (62-59) 3, Kansas City (63-58) 7
Tampa Bay (49-71) 8, Chi. Sox (61-59) 6
NY Mets (73-46) 8, Boston (77-45) 1
Toronto (51-69) 4, Baltimore (54-66) 7
St. Louis (72-49) 6, Minnesota (51-70) 7 (Final/10)
Houston (78-44) 2, Texas (55-65) 3
San Diego (53-67) 3, Seattle (50-71) 1

NATIONAL LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Cincinnati (39-84) 9, Pittsburgh (58-62) 3
Philadelphia (60-63) 9, Atlanta (62-57) 6
NY Yankees (78-44) 4, Washington (62-58) 6
Detroit (42-78) 4, Milwaukee (61-60) 14
Miami (48-73) 7, Chi. Cubs (75-46) 5
LA Angels (57-64) 3, LA Dodgers (74-49) 4
Colorado (77-45) 4, Arizona (58-64) 1

MAJOR NEWS/INJURIES/TRANSACTIONS
08/12: Stanton, Bellinger win Players of the Week Awards
08/12: Astros, Yankees remain atop Power Rankings
08/13: Houston extends 1B Paul Goldschmidt, 3B Alex Bregman on same day
08/14: MLB suspends Royals' Karns, Indians' Altherr for fracas in first game of doubleheader
08/14: Rangers to shut down LHP Hyun-jin Ryu after torn rotator cuff diagnosis

[artoodeetoo]

FIVE (OKAY, SIX) WHO COULD MAKE AN IMPACT IN 2020
Outfield, bullpen spots could be in flux
By artoodeetoo
08/15/2019

While we still haven't put the bow on 2019; heck, we haven't even put the gift in the box yet...it's not too early to begin thinking about how next year's squad will shape up. While the Royals' lower minors will get a ton of press, the upper minors has some nice players that figure to compete for roles on the 2020 squad, including one surprise pick that's a current top prospect.

BRADEN BISHOP, OF -- Acquired from Seattle towards the end of the waiver deadline in 2018, the right-handed hitting Bishop has been one of the steadier outfield performers in 2019 for the Storm Chasers, hitting .282/.335/.367 while mainly patrolling center. He doesn't have a terribly high-ceiling, mainly because he's a singles-hitter with little discernable power; best profiling as a fourth outfielder with plus-defense and speed, with good baserunning acumen. He could also be a candidate to outright win the job in center if the Royals decide not to pick up Billy Hamilton's 2020 option.

SAMIR DUENEZ, DH/1B/OF -- Once a member of the Royals' 40-man roster, Duenez was designated prior to the season and somehow slipped through waivers. He's making a pretty good case that the Royals shouldn't have given up on him so soon, as the 23-year-old is leading the PCL in hitting with a .359 BA, including a remarkable .409 in June. He plays both first base and left field defensively, but is below average at both positions, so if he's going to stick as a big-league regular, he'll have to hit consistently. He's also a nifty basestealer, with seventy-four career steals since 2013. He'll still be 23 when 2020 begins, but it appears he's hit the proverbial ceiling; so he's likely going to be on the roster next year, or a part of an offseason trade.

CODY PONCE, RHP -- The six-foot-five, 260-pound Ponce has been the mainstay of the Storm Chasers' rotation in 2019 as others have been shuffled in and out, making twenty-three starts with an 13-4 record, spinning a 3.69 ERA with 112 strikeouts in 139 innings of work. He was acquired from Milwaukee over the offseason for Brian Flynn, who had a good year for the Royals in 2018, but has been up-and-down with the Brew Crew in 2019. There currently isn't any room in the rotation, but figures to be a September call-up to pitch out of the bullpen.

DANIEL LYNCH, LHP -- One of the four first-round picks used on collegiate pitchers in 2018, Lynch is currently the most advanced of the four. After a strong showing at High-A Wilmington, he was bumped up to the hitter-friendly Texas League, where he's been inconsistent while flashing decent swing-and-miss numbers. He's also managed to keep homeruns in check, although he's been batted around with ninety-five hits in seventy-two innings. Like with Ponce, there's no room as of now in the rotation, but could be similar to Brandon Finnegan, who pitched out of the bullpen before becoming a starter in Cincinnati.

BRAD KELLER, RHP -- So far in 2019, he's been unable to recapture the success of last season, but the Royals don't appear to be abandoning him yet, nor should they. He's currently working in the bullpen in Omaha, and while he has an ERA of over 6.00 there, his strikeout rate has jumped since making the transition. He has a good, hard fastball and nice slider, but a third pitch will set him apart. The good news is that he's still just twenty-four, so plenty of time to get that pitch repertoire worked out.

SEULY MATIAS, OF -- This is truly a wildcard, out-of-left-field pick, but if there's a guy in the system capable of skipping Triple-A from Double-A, it's Matias. He currently has the best power tool in the system (65/80), but all of that potential power is going to be matched with lots of strikeouts. He'll only be beginning his age-21 season in 2020, but he couldn't do much worse than Jorge Soler or Jorge Bonifacio have, and they are six and seven years older. He is also a superior defender to the aforementioned Jorges, with an arm that ranks near the top of the scale and above-average range that plays in any outfield spot.

[artoodeetoo]

KANSAS CITY ROYALS (63-58) @ MINNESOTA TWINS (51-70)



PITCHING MATCHUPS

08/15: RHP Jake Junis (9-5, 3.61) vs LHP Adalberto Mejia (1-7, 6.57)
08/16: RHP Trevor Oaks (11-5, 3.10) vs RHP Shelby Miller (2-8, 5.14)
08/17: RHP Luis Cessa (10-5, 3.52) vs RHP Brandon McCarthy (5-10, 5.98)
08/18: RHP Jimmy Nelson (5-4, 4.72) vs LHP Wade Miley (8-9, 6.94)

GAME RECAPS

August 15th, 2019
Kansas City (64-58) 6, Minnesota (51-71) 3
Winner: Jake Junis (10-5) Loser: Adalberto Mejia (1-8) Save: Corey Knebel (25)

JUNIS JOINS 10-WIN CLUB AS ROYALS DOUBLE UP THE TWINS

Jake Junis became the third Royal since the last week of July to join the ten-victory club, notching his tenth win of the season in a 6-3 triumph over Minnesota to begin a four-game road set in the Twin Cities. His command wasn't as sharp as usual, allowing four walks with just two strikeouts, but still allowed just two earned runs in six and two-third innings of work. Peter Alonso continues his strong bid for AL Rookie of the Year, pounding out three more hits, including an RBI double in the first and a three-run homerun in the second as part of a 3-for-5 game. Salvador Perez fell just a triple short of the cycle, going 3-for-4 and hitting his team-best 19th homerun of the season in the sixth inning off Trevor May.

AMERICAN LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Tampa Bay (50-71) 1, Chi. Sox (61-60) 0
Kansas City (64-58) 6, Minnesota (51-71) 3
Toronto (51-70) 3, Baltimore (55-66) 9
LA Angels (57-65) 3, Oakland (57-66) 7

NATIONAL LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
NY Mets (74-46) 3, Washington (62-59) 2
San Diego (54-67) 8, Atlanta (62-58) 2
Miami (48-74) 2, Chi. Cubs (76-46) 7
Pittsburgh (59-62) 6, St. Louis (72-50) 5
San Francisco (58-63) 3, LA Dodgers (75-49) 5

August 16th, 2019
Kansas City (65-58) 2, Minnesota (51-72) 0
Winner: Trevor Oaks (12-5) Loser: John Curtiss (5-6) Save: Corey Knebel (26)

ROYALS WIN BEHIND NINTH-INNING RALLY

A sacrifice fly from pinch-hitter David Peralta and an RBI single from Brian Goodwin, both in the top of the ninth, was all it took for the Royals to notch a 2-0 shutout win over the Twins to clinch at least a split of the road series. Trevor Oaks tossed eight shutout innings, and likely would have gone for the shutout had he not already thrown 113 pitches. He fanned five while scattering four hits and a walk to move to 12-5 on the season. His counterpart, Shelby Miller, also threw eight shutout innings with eight strikeouts, but struggled with command at times in issuing six walks. Closer John Curtiss, who has struggled against the Royals this season, allowed both ninth-inning runs and took the loss to fall to 5-6.

AMERICAN LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Tampa Bay (50-72) 1, Baltimore (56-66) 3
Kansas City (65-58) 2, Minnesota (51-72) 0
Toronto (51-71) 4, NY Yankees (79-44) 5 (Final/11)
Boston (78-45) 10, Detroit (42-79) 4
Chi. Sox (61-61) 1, Cleveland (63-59) 7
Arizona (58-65) 1, Houston (79-44) 6
Seattle (50-72) 4, Texas (56-65) 6
LA Angels (58-65) 6, Oakland (57-67) 2

NATIONAL LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
NY Mets (74-47) 6, Washington (63-59) 10
San Diego (54-68) 3, Atlanta (63-58) 7
Philadelphia (61-63) 6, Miami (48-75) 5
Pittsburgh (60-62) 7, St. Louis (72-51) 1
Colorado (78-45) 18, Milwaukee (61-61) 17
San Francisco (58-64) 5, LA Dodgers (76-49) 8
Cincinnati (40-84) 2, Chi. Cubs (76-47) 0

August 17th, 2019
Kansas City (65-59) 2, Minnesota (52-72) 6
Winner: Tyler Kinley (2-1) Loser: Luis Cessa (10-6) Save: None

KANSAS CITY WIN STREAK SNAPPED AT FOUR

Minnesota scored two runs in the first, and single tallies in the second, third, fifth, and sixth innings to deal the Royals a 6-2 defeat at Target Field. Luis Cessa has suffered through back-to-back rough starts for the first time this season, allowing six earned runs in five and one-third innings of work. Peter Alonso hit his seventeenth homerun of the season, but left after getting hit in his left knee by a pitch in the eighth inning, and was replaced at first base by Hunter Dozier. Alonso will be listed day-to-day according to manager Ned Yost, but is expected to be back in the lineup against the Pirates after the off-day on Monday. The Twins hit four homeruns in the contest, including a pair from Max Kepler. Miguel Sano and Robbie Grossman also hit homeruns for the Twins, who have now evened up their August record at 7-7.

AMERICAN LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Tampa Bay (51-72) 6, Baltimore (56-67) 3
Kansas City (65-59) 2, Minnesota (52-72) 6
Toronto (51-72) 4, NY Yankees (80-44) 5 (Final/11)
Boston (79-45) 11, Detroit (42-80) 4
Chi. Sox (61-62) 1, Cleveland (64-59) 3
Arizona (58-66) 2, Houston (80-44) 6
Seattle (51-72) 12, Texas (56-66) 6
LA Angels (58-66) 3, Oakland (58-67) 6

NATIONAL LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
NY Mets (75-47) 9, Washington (63-60) 2
San Diego (54-69) 6, Atlanta (64-58) 8
Philadelphia (61-64) 5, Miami (49-75) 10
Pittsburgh (60-63) 4, St. Louis (73-51) 6
Colorado (78-46) 0, Milwaukee (62-61) 1
San Francisco (58-65) 2, LA Dodgers (77-49) 3
Cincinnati (41-84) 9, Chi. Cubs (76-48) 8 (Final/11)

August 18th, 2019
Kansas City (65-59) 2, Minnesota (52-72) 6
Winner: Richard Lovelady (5-5) Loser: John Curtiss (5-7) Save: Blake Treinen (10)

LATE HOMERUN BRINGS IT HOME FOR K.C.

With his homerun in the ninth off John Curtiss, Brett Phillips handed the four-game road set to the Royals with a 4-3 victory. The win also kept Kansas City in first place in the division with a half-game lead over the defending divisional champion Indians. Blake Treinen picked up the save with a spotless ninth, his tenth of the season. After a rough first inning where he allowed three earned runs, Jimmy Nelson pitched five more scoreless innings, but didn't factor into the decision. Peter Alonso didn't start due to the bruised knee he suffered in last night's game, but pinch-hit for Billy Hamilton in the seventh and drove in a run with a single.

AMERICAN LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Tampa Bay (52-72) 2, Baltimore (56-68) 1
Kansas City (66-59) 4, Minnesota (52-73) 3
Toronto (51-73) 3, NY Yankees (81-44) 7 (Final/11)
Boston (80-45) 7, Detroit (42-81) 1
Chi. Sox (61-63) 3, Cleveland (65-59) 6
Arizona (58-67) 1, Houston (81-44) 6
Seattle (52-72) 8, Texas (56-67) 7 (Final/11)
LA Angels (59-66) 4, Oakland (58-68) 2

NATIONAL LEAGUE SCOREBOARD
Pittsburgh (60-63) @ St. Louis (73-51) -- PPD
NY Mets (76-47) 8, Washington (63-61) 4
San Diego (55-69) 10, Atlanta (64-59) 7
Philadelphia (62-64) 7, Miami (49-76) 5 (Final/12)
Colorado (79-46) 6, Milwaukee (62-62) 3
San Francisco (58-66) 1, LA Dodgers (78-49) 6
Cincinnati (41-85) 1, Chi. Cubs (77-48) 2 (Final/10)

MAJOR NEWS/INJURIES/TRANSACTIONS
08/15: Orioles RHP Alex Cobb (forearm) placed on 10-day disabled list, retro to 08/10/2019
08/16: Miami 3B Brian Anderson to miss season with fractured ankle
08/16: Dodgers RHP David Phelps has finger surgery; will miss up to four months
08/16: Cleveland ace Corey Kluber has surgery to remove elbow bone chips; out 4-6 weeks
08/17: Orioles claim RHP Jacob Lindgren off waivers from Atlanta
08/17: Arizona activates 3B Jake Lamb from disabled list; designate OF Jarrod Dyson
08/18: Milwaukee IF Chase Utley to miss rest of season with Achilles injury