Royal Rebuild [OOTP 19]

[artoodeetoo]

Re: Royal Rebuild [OOTP 19]

PITCHING MATCHUPS (05/08 - 05/10)

05/08: RHP Jason Hammel (2-1, 5.67) vs LHP Jayson Aquino (1-5, 8.13)
05/09: RHP Ian Kennedy (1-3, 4.10) vs RHP Dylan Bundy (0-2, 7.66)
05/10: RHP Jake Junis (5-0, 2.18) vs RHP Andrew Cashner (2-2, 4.26)

GAME RECAPS

May 8th, 2018
Royals (19-17) 5, Orioles (16-21) 7
Winner: Jayson Aquino (2-5) Loser: Jason Hammel (2-2) Save: Darren O'Day (5)

Despite a 4-for-4, 3 RBI performance from Paulo Orlando, the Royals couldn't overcome an early onslaught of homeruns from the Orioles' lineup in a 7-5 defeat. Baltimore hit one homerun in each of the first four innings off Royals starter Jason Hammel, who set a new career-worst with the four homeruns allowed in his start. Manny Machado earned player of the game honors, going 3-for-5 with two runs scored, and kicked off the Orioles' scoring with a two-run homer in the first inning. Jayson Aquino went just five innings, but allowed just two runs with six punchouts and a walk for Baltimore to move to 2-5 on the season, while Hammel fell to an even 2-2. Since starting 14-8, the Royals have lost five of their last fourteen games to slip out of first place in the AL Central.

MLB SCOREBOARD
Seattle (15-20) 4, Toronto (14-22) 1
Kansas City (19-17) 5, Baltimore (16-21) 7
Boston (14-22) 0, NY Yankees (26-11) 2
Atlanta (23-13) 0, Tampa Bay (16-18) 1
Detroit (21-16) 16, Texas (19-19) 8
Houston (21-17) 0, Oakland (21-15) 7
Pittsburgh (16-19) 5, Chi. Sox (14-22)
Minnesota (18-18) 6, St. Louis (18-16) 5
NY Mets (19-17) 2, Cincinnati (17-18) 0
San Francisco (13-23) 2, Philadelphia (21-15) 5
Cleveland (17-18) 3, Milwaukee (12-24) 5
Miami (13-22) 5, Chi. Cubs (20-16) 6
Arizona (17-18) 7, LA Dodgers (23-12) 1
LA Angels (19-17) 7, Colorado (19-17) 3
Washington (18-19) 4, San Diego (20-17) 2

May 9th, 2018
Royals (20-17) 6, Orioles (16-22) 5
Winner: Tim Hill (1-1) Loser: Donnie Hart (0-1) Save: Kelvin Herrera (6)

Mike Moustakas' eighth-inning double to break a 5-5 tie was the deciding hit in the Royals' 6-5 victory at Baltimore. Moustakas was 3-for-5 with a pair of two-baggers and a single, scoring once himself in the process. Whit Merrifield also had three hits as part of a 3-for-6 day, with an RBI and a pair of runs scored. A potential development from this game is a serious injury to Lucas Duda, who left the game after appearing to pull up lame running towards home on a base hit from Alex Gordon into the right-center gap. Moustakas moved from third to play first base for the first time in his career at the big-league level, and Ryan Goins moved to third to make room for Alcides Escobar on the field at shortstop. Four relievers combined to shut the Orioles out the last three innings after Ian Kennedy surrendered five earned runs in six innings; including three homeruns, with Kelvin Herrera locking down the save in the ninth. Through the first two games, the Orioles have seven homeruns, all in the first six innings of the two contests.

MLB SCOREBOARD
Seattle (15-21) 2, Toronto (15-22) 3
Kansas City (20-17) 6, Baltimore (16-22) 5
Boston (14-23) 2, NY Yankees (27-11) 10
Atlanta (24-13) 9, Tampa Bay (16-18) 8 (Final/10)
Detroit (22-16) 9, Texas (19-20) 3
Houston (21-18) 2, Oakland (22-15) 3 (Final/12)
Pittsburgh (17-19) 14, Chi. Sox (14-23) 5
NY Mets (19-18) 4, Cincinnati (18-18) 5
San Francisco (13-24) 3, Philadelphia (22-15) 3
Cleveland (17-19) 5, Milwaukee (13-24) 8
Miami (13-23) 2, Chi. Cubs (21-16) 3
Arizona (17-19) 0, LA Dodgers (24-12) 2
LA Angels (19-18) 7, Colorado (20-17) 8 (Final/10)
Washington (18-20) 5, San Diego (21-17) 8

May 10th, 2018
Royals (20-18) 2, Orioles (17-22) 3
Winner: Andrew Cashner (3-2) Loser: Jake Junis (5-1) Save: Darren O'Day (6)

With a pair of homeruns from Chris Davis, the Orioles did just enough to sneak past the Royals by a 4-2 score. Mike Moustakas gave the Royals a 2-0 lead with a double in the third, and Davis cut that deficit in half with his 12th homerun of the season off Jake Junis, who took his first loss of the season. Davis gave the Orioles the lead for good in the seventh with a two-run shot off Junis; who went seven innings, and was solid despite the two mistakes. He fanned eight with no walks while scattering six hits and three runs. Baltimore added an insurance run in the eighth with a single off the bat of Anthony Santander, but Darren O'Day shut the door in the ninth to pick up the save. The Royals continue to slide slowly behind the surprising Tigers; as they are now two games back of streaking Detroit, and just a half-game ahead of the Twins for second place.

MLB SCOREBOARD
Minnesota (19-18) 4, LA Angels (19-19) 3
Seattle (16-21) 6, Toronto (15-23) 1
Kansas City (20-18) 2, Baltimore (17-22) 3
Boston (15-23) 5, NY Yankees (27-12) 2
Atlanta (25-13) 5, Miami (13-24) 4
Milwaukee (13-25) 8, Colorado (21-17) 12
Washington (18-21) 4, Arizona (18-19) 7
St. Louis (18-17) 3, San Diego (22-17) 4
Cincinnati (18-19) 0, LA Dodgers (25-12) 2
San Francisco (13-25) 1, Philadelphia (23-15) 5

MAJOR NEWS/INJURIES/TRANSACTIONS
05/08: Cincinnati activates RHP Anthony DeSclafani from disabled list; sends to Triple-A for rehab assignment
05/09: Arizona places IF Chris Owings on 10-day disabled list (concussion), retro to 05/08/2018
05/09: Washington activates RHP Koda Glover from disabled list; sends to Triple-A for rehab assignment
05/09: Rays' Wilson Ramos sees hit streak reach 20 games
05/10: Rockies LHP Mike Dunn to miss remainder of season to remove bone chips from elbow, placed on 60-day disabled list
05/10: Texas designated RHP Tim Lincecum for assignment
05/10: Seattle designated RHP Hisashi Iwakuma for assignment
05/10: Atlanta placed RHP Arodys Vizcaino on 10-day disabled list (shoulder), retro to 05/09/2018

[artoodeetoo]

Re: Royal Rebuild [OOTP 19]

ROYALS SIGN MARIOT, ZIMMER TO MINOR-LEAGUE DEALS

The pitching depth in the upper minors has been bolstered a little bit with righties Michael Mariot and Kyle Zimmer, both signed within the past day or two. Both are no strangers to the Royals; they were both drafted by the team in previous years, although Kyle had considered retirement after a long, arduous road to this point. It is unlikely they will see time at the major league level unless injuries strike, but it will allow some of the struggling arms in Triple-A, like Brad Keller, to get some more seasoning at Northwest Arkansas.

[artoodeetoo]

Re: Royal Rebuild [OOTP 19]

DUDA TO THE DL; DOZIER RE-CALLED

With Lucas Duda's hamstring injury that could keep him out for four to six weeks, Hunter Dozier has been re-called from Omaha to make his season debut tonight against Cleveland. He's off to a pretty good start in Triple-A in 2018 (.301/.400/.589 triple-slash in 73 PA), and he's played at first, third, in left, and in right.

[artoodeetoo]

Re: Royal Rebuild [OOTP 19]

STATS, STANDINGS, & ROSTER UPDATE

[artoodeetoo]

Re: Royal Rebuild [OOTP 19]

PITCHING MATCHUPS (05/11 - 05/13)

05/11: LHP Eric Skoglund (2-3, 7.28) vs RHP Carlos Carrasco (2-3, 5.45)
05/12: LHP Danny Duffy (5-2, 5.19) vs RHP Danny Salazar (3-2, 4.39)
05/13: RHP Jason Hammel (2-2, 6.29) vs RHP Trevor Bauer (1-3, 3.51)

GAME RECAPS

May 11th, 2018
Royals (20-19) 5, Indians (18-19) 11
Winner: Carlos Carrasco (3-3) Loser: Eric Skoglund (2-4) Save: None

Alonso, Indians Bury the Royals With 11-5 Victory

Cleveland snapped a five-game losing streak with an 11-5 victory over the visiting Royals. Eric Skoglund was charged with two unearned runs in the second (thanks to his own error), but was hit hard overall, allowing seven earned runs in five innings. Carlos Carrasco evened his record at three wins and losses apiece despite struggling overall with five earned runs and eight hits in six innings. Yonder Alonso led the Indians' offensive attack with a 4-for-4 day, including four runs scored, a homerun, a walk, and three RBI. Jose Ramirez added a homerun in the fourth inning, and Tyler Naquin delivered a two-run triple the following inning. On the bright side for the Royals, Mike Moustakas added to his league-leading RBI total with a two-run hit in the fourth, and Hunter Dozier hit his first career MLB homerun in the sixth inning.

MLB SCOREBOARD
Kansas City (20-19) 5, Cleveland (18-19) 11
Oakland (22-16) 3, NY Yankees (28-12) 11
Tampa Bay (17-19) 6, Baltimore (17-23) 5
Boston (15-24) 8, Toronto (16-23) 9 (Final/10)
Seattle (16-22) 4, Detroit (23-16) 5
Minnesota (20-18) 4, LA Angels (19-20) 3
Texas (19-21) 2, Houston (22-18) 9
Chi. Sox (14-24) 0, Chi. Cubs (22-16) 9
San Francisco (14-25) 9, Pittsburgh (17-20) 3
NY Mets (20-18) 6, Philadelphia (22-17) 3
Atlanta (25-14) 2, Miami (14-24) 6
Milwaukee (13-26) 4, Colorado (22-17) 7
Cincinnati (18-20) 1, LA Dodgers (26-12) 7
Washington (18-22) 5, Arizona (19-19) 10
St. Louis (19-17) 4, San Diego (22-18) 1

May 12th, 2018
Royals (20-20) 3, Indians (19-19)
Winner: Huston Street (1-0) Loser: Danny Duffy (5-3) Save: Andrew Miller (9)

Royals Slip Back to .500 With 6-3 Defeat

Sailing along until the seventh, Danny Duffy had allowed just two runs through six and one-third innings, and even though he had the bases loaded with one out in that inning, he was left in to face Jose Ramirez, who was 0-for-3 with a strikeout already against Duffy. Ramirez also had only gone 5-for-53 against LHP in 2018, so it seemed like a good decision. Just two pitches later, Ramirez launched a bomb into the right-field seats to turn a 3-2 deficit into a 6-3 lead, which ended up being the final score. Duffy allowed six earned runs in those six and one-third innings, raising his ballooning ERA to 5.53 and dropping him to 5-3 on the season. Mike Moustakas and Abraham Almonte added solo homeruns for the Royals, who have now dropped to .500 on the season after a torrid April that saw them race out to a big early lead in the division. However, the Royals are just 4-7 in May so far after a 16-13 combined record in March and April. Huston Street picked up the win in relief with two scoreless innings.

MLB SCOREBOARD
Kansas City (20-20) 3, Cleveland (19-19) 6
Oakland (23-16) 5, NY Yankees (28-13) 4
Tampa Bay (18-19) 4, Baltimore (17-24) 0
Boston (15-25) 4, Toronto (17-23) 11
Seattle (16-23) 5, Detroit (24-16) 7
Minnesota (20-19) 2, LA Angels (20-20) 3 (Final/10)
Texas (19-22) 1, Houston (23-18) 4
Chi. Sox (14-25) 2, Chi. Cubs (23-16) 10
San Francisco (14-26) 1, Pittsburgh (18-20) 6
NY Mets (21-18) 6, Philadelphia (23-17) 6
Atlanta (26-14) 12, Miami (14-25) 2
Milwaukee (14-26) 7, Colorado (22-18) 1
Cincinnati (18-21) 1, LA Dodgers (26-12) 7
Washington (19-22) 7, Arizona (19-20) 3
St. Louis (19-18) 2, San Diego (23-18) 10

May 13th, 2018
Royals (21-20) 10, Cleveland (19-20) 2
Winner: Jason Hammel (3-2) Loser: Trevor Bauer (1-4) Save: None

Soler Powers Royals Victory; Snaps Three-Game Skid

Whit Merrifield and Jorge Soler each had four hits to pace the Royals' 10-2 clobbering of the Indians, with Soler driving in half the team's runs. He hit a two-run homerun in the first inning, and then put the game solidly out of reach with a bases-loaded double in the top of the ninth, although he got greedy trying to stretch that double into a triple. Merrifield also had an RBI hit in the ninth, and picked up a pair of steals in the process. Jason Hammel gave the Royals one of their better starts in recent games, with six innings of one-run ball. He only fanned one, but walked just two and scattered just four hits to pick up his third victory. Blaine Boyer, Brian Flynn, and Kevin McCarthy all pitched one inning out of the pen, with the only run a solo homerun off the bat of Michael Brantley against Flynn.

MLB SCOREBOARD
Kansas City (21-20) 10, Cleveland (19-20) 2
Oakland (23-17) 2, NY Yankees (29-13) 5
Tampa Bay (19-19) 6, Baltimore (17-25) 5
Boston (16-25) 6, Toronto (17-24) 5
Seattle (17-23) 3, Detroit (24-17) 1
Minnesota (21-19) 7, LA Angels (20-21) 1
Texas (19-23) 3, Houston (24-18) 13
Atlanta (27-14) 9, Miami (14-26) 0
San Francisco (15-26) 5, Pittsburgh (18-21) 1
NY Mets (21-19) 2, Philadelphia (24-17) 5
Chi. Sox (15-25) 3, Chi. Cubs (23-17) 0
Milwaukee (15-26) 7, Colorado (22-19) 3
St. Louis (19-19) 1, San Diego (24-18) 2
Cincinnati (18-22) 0, LA Dodgers (28-12) 2
Washington (19-23) 4, Arizona (20-20) 5

MAJOR NEWS/INJURIES/TRANSACTIONS
05/11: Twins catcher Jason Castro suspended four games by MLB for 'ump bump'
05/11: Granderson's three homeruns power 9-8 Jays victory
05/11: Wilson Ramos' hit streak snapped at 20 games
05/12: Padres RHP Dinelson Lamet out at least one more start (oblique)
05/12: Blue Jays OF Dalton Pompey placed on 60-day disabled list (torn ankle ligaments)
05/12: Rangers place LHP Brett Anderson on 10-day disabled list (tricep strain)
05/13: Rangers sign RHP Jim Miller to prorated one-year, $670K deal
05/13: Rays activate RHP Nathan Eovaldi from disabled list; send to Triple-A for rehab assignment

[artoodeetoo]

Re: Royal Rebuild [OOTP 19]

ROYALS SEND GRIMM TO OMAHA FOR REHAB ASSIGNMENT

Coming off a lower back issue, Justin Grimm has been sent to the Storm Chasers to rehab from the injury. He's been one of the few guys we can count on to miss bats when we need it, but he's prone to the home run ball. We think he can still be a major cog in the bullpen, but there are guys in the minors that are itching for their shot, too.

[artoodeetoo]

Re: Royal Rebuild [OOTP 19]

PITCHING MATCHUPS (05/14 - 05/16)

05/14: RHP Chris Archer (3-5, 3.77) vs RHP Ian Kennedy (1-3, 4.57)
05/15: RHP Matt Andriese (4-1, 1.96) vs RHP Jake Junis (5-1, 2.37)
05/16: LHP Blake Snell (2-1, 3.59) vs LHP Eric Skoglund (2-4, 8.05)

GAME RECAPS

May 14th, 2018
Rays (19-20) 4, Royals (22-20) 5
Winner: Ian Kennedy (2-3) Loser: Chris Archer (3-6) Save: Kelvin Herrera (7)

Royals Hang On; Pick Up Close 5-4 Victory

The Royals picked up a win; knocking off the Tampa Bay Rays by a 5-4 count to move back to two games over .500. Starting pitcher Ian Kennedy, who captured player of the game honors, was a big reason why with seven and one-third strong innings of three-run ball to pick up the win. Kelvin Herrera endured a bumpy ninth, issuing three walks and a hit after entering with a two-run lead, but was able to weather the storm with just one run allowed to pick up the save. Mike Moustakas continued his back-and-forth battle with Miguel Cabrera for the AL lead in RBI, as Moose added two more with a two-run homerun in the fifth.

MLB SCOREBOARD
Tampa Bay (19-20) 4, Kansas City (22-20) 5
Oakland (23-18) 3, Boston (17-25) 9
Cleveland (19-21) 3, Detroit (25-17) 6
Houston (25-18) 10, LA Angels (20-22)
Milwaukee (16-26) 4, Arizona (20-21) 3
Cincinnati (18-23) 3, San Francisco (16-26) 13
Colorado (23-19) 7, San Diego (24-19) 3

May 15th, 2018
Rays (20-20) 6, Royals (22-21) 3
Winner: Sergio Romo (1-2) Loser: Tim Hill (1-2) Save: Alex Colome (10)

Bullpen Collapses in 6-3 Defeat

In spite of Jake Junis' seven strong innings with a career-high eleven strikeouts; the Royals' bullpen couldn't manage to keep a 3-3 tie in the eighth inning, allowing three runs in the eighth inning alone as the Rays evened the series with a 6-3 victory. Tim Hill entered the game at the beginning of the eighth, and immediately put two runners on base thanks to a single and a hit batsman. Kevin McCarthy entered the game, and fanned C.J. Cron for the first out, but Christian Arroyo delivered the go-ahead hit to put the Rays up 4-3. Later in the inning, Brandon Maurer allowed a two-out, two-RBI hit to Adeiny Hecheverria before coaxing a groundball out from Curt Casali. Junis continued his hot streak of quality starts, with his eighth quality start in nine total starts for the 2018 season. He walked just one batter while scattering six hits and three earned runs.

MLB SCOREBOARD
Cleveland (20-21) 9, Detroit (25-18) 5
Philadelphia (25-17) 17, Baltimore (17-26) 5
Oakland (23-19) 3, Boston (18-25) 14
Tampa Bay (20-20) 6, Kansas City (22-21) 3
St. Louis (20-19) 13, Minnesota (21-20) 1
Texas (20-23) 2, Seattle (17-24) 1 (Final/10)
Houston (26-18) 5, LA Angels (20-23) 3
Colorado (23-20) 4, San Diego (25-19) 11
NY Yankees (29-14) 5, Washington (20-23) 6
Chi. Sox (15-26) 2, Pittsburgh (19-21) 8
Toronto (18-24) 5, NY Mets (21-20) 1
LA Dodgers (29-12) 3, Miami (14-27) 2
Milwaukee (17-26) 7, Arizona (20-22) 0
Chi. Cubs (23-18) 2, Atlanta (28-14) 6
Cincinnati (16-27) 4, San Francisco (16-27) 3

May 16th, 2018
Rays (20-21) 3, Royals (23-21) 4
Winner: Burch Smith (2-1) Loser: Blake Snell (2-2) Save: Kelvin Herrera (8)

Royals Nip Rays Thanks to Orlando Homerun

Capping off a tough, hard-fought series, the Royals used a big, two-out, two-run homerun from Paulo Orlando in the sixth inning to help push the Royals past the Rays 4-3. Burch Smith picked up the win after blowing a one-run lead on a homerun to Adeiny Hecheverria, but sandwiched six strikeouts around the homerun in his two innings of work, becoming the first Royals reliever in over twenty years to fan six batters in two innings. Kelvin Herrera had a much easier ninth for his eighth save, allowing just one hit in a scoreless inning. Blake Snell went the distance for the Rays in the loss, allowing four runs in eight innings to give a taxed Rays bullpen the night off. On a lower note, Cheslor Cuthbert left the game in the eighth inning with a lower back injury, and was replaced by Ryan Goins. Cuthbert has had a solid season to this point, slashing .308/.337/.526 in eighty-six plate appearances. The Royals begin a tough series with the Yankees tomorrow night, as the Bombers have baseball's best record.

MLB SCOREBOARD
Tampa Bay (20-21) 3, Kansas City (23-21) 4
Cleveland (20-22) 2, Detroit (26-18) 4
Philadelphia (25-18) 7, Baltimore (18-26) 11
St. Louis (21-19) 12, Minnesota (21-21) 0
Texas (20-24) 2, Seattle (18-24) 8
Houston (27-18) 2, LA Angels (20-24) 1
Oakland (23-20) 11, Boston (19-25) 14 (Final/10)
Chi. Sox (15-27) 4, Pittsburgh (20-21) 5
Milwaukee (18-26) 6, Arizona (20-23) 2
Toronto (18-25) 4, NY Mets (22-20) 6
Cincinnati (19-24) 5, San Francisco (17-27) 6
NY Yankees (29-15) 5, Washington (21-23) 10
Chi. Cubs (24-18) 7, Atlanta (28-15) 1
LA Dodgers (29-13) 3, Miami (15-27) 7

MAJOR NEWS/INJURIES/TRANSACTIONS
05/14: Tigers' Cabrera, Braves' Freeman named MLB Players of the Week
05/14: Dodgers top new BNN Power Rankings; wrest top spot from Yankees
05/15: League hands out four-game suspension to Houston's Derek Fisher, six games to Angels' Andrew Heaney post-brawl yesterday
05/16: C Buster Posey (Giants) placed on 10-day disabled list, retroactive to 05/15/2018 (Concussion)
05/16: RHP Ryan Madson (Nationals) placed on 10-day disabled list, retroactive to 05/15/2018 (Oblique strain); RHP Koda Glover re-called from Triple-A rehab assignment
05/17: 3B Cheslor Cuthbert (Royals) placed on 10-day disabled list, retroactive to 05/16/2018 (Lower back strain); IF Ramon Torres re-called from Triple-A

[artoodeetoo]

Re: Royal Rebuild [OOTP 19]

CUTHBERT GOES TO DL; LOPEZ PROMOTED

It was an incredibly hectic day around the front office today, as we had to shuffle around our roster with some of the upper minor leagues, as well as the MLB roster. In addition to Cheslor Cuthbert going on the disabled list, we re-called Ramon Torres to take his place. It also will allow us to get a good look at 2B/SS Nicky Lopez in Omaha, as he was called up from Double-A to replace Torres there. He's generally considered to be one of our top four or five prospects (depending on who you talk to), and he's arguably the best defender in the middle infield that we have in the minors. With him at second, and Mondesi at shortstop, it's a possible preview of our future double-play combo.

[artoodeetoo]

Re: Royal Rebuild [OOTP 19]

MINOR LEAGUE PROSPECTS TO WATCH

Trevor Oaks, RHP, Omaha: He got off to a really rough start, but in his last five starts (covering 29 IP), Oaks has fanned twenty-three against just five walks, and has won his last three games. His most recent performance was his best career performance to date -- a one-hit shutout at New Orleans on Monday, the 14th. He fanned four with no walks, and faced just one over the minimum. He's really at his best when he's not trying to strike people out, and he's looking to get ground ball outs.

Foster Griffin, LHP, NW Arkansas: Formerly one of the top prospects in baseball, Griffin endured a rough outing on last Thursday, May 10th, going just five innings while allowing ten runs (nine earned). However, his overall numbers (3.05 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, .212 BAA) are very solid; and even more encouragingly, he has seen a sharp increase in K/9 rates over 2017, with 8.9 through 44 1/3 innings (81 K in 104 2/3 AA IP in 2017) without an increase in his walk rate.

Chris DeVito, 1B, Wilmington: Under-the-radar first base prospect that has reached base in all but two games this season for the Blue Rocks (36 of 38 games), slashing .323/.386/.458 in the process, and managed an impressive 23-game hit streak to begin the season. Upon being called up to Wilmington halfway through last season, he struggled a bit to adjust, but seems to have acclimated to the level. Has some competition at first base blocking him in the higher levels, so it remains to be seen how high he can go.

Yefri Del Rosario, RHP, Lexington: Del Rosario won't be nineteen until next season, and he's playing against players that are three to five years older than he is. He started out in the bullpen, but with Garrett Davila moving up to the Advanced-A level, he was slotted in the rotation a few weeks ago and has held his own, picking up a pair of quality starts in both appearances. His hard stuff is still pretty straight; but if his secondary stuff develops like it should, his fastball is going to be the least of opposing batters' worries.

[artoodeetoo]

Re: Royal Rebuild [OOTP 19]

MINOR LEAGUE STANDINGS UPDATE

[artoodeetoo]

Re: Royal Rebuild [OOTP 19]

PITCHING MATCHUPS (05/18 - 05/20)

05/18: RHP Luis Severino (3-2, 3.59) vs LHP Danny Duffy (5-3, 5.56)
05/19: LHP C.C. Sabathia (3-3, 6.02) vs RHP Jason Hammel (3-2, 5.72)
05/20: LHP Jordan Montgomery (0-0, 6.75) vs RHP Ian Kennedy (2-3, 4.44)

GAME RECAPS

May 18th, 2018
Yankees (30-15) 2, Royals (24-22) 1
Winner: Luis Severino (4-2) Loser: Danny Duffy (5-4) Save: Aroldis Chapman (15)

Yankees Take Tight Pitcher's Duel, 2-1

Danny Duffy was solid for the Royals, going six innings while allowing just two runs with seven strikeouts. However, Luis Severino was better, notching eight innings while scattering three hits and a pair of walks with six strikeouts, with the only Royals run via an RBI hit from Abraham Almonte. In the bottom of the ninth, Mike Moustakas singled with one out against Aroldis Chapman, and was lifted for a pinch runner in Ramon Torres. Jorge Soler walked, putting runners on first and second with just one out to make things interesting. But Salvador Perez flied out, and Alex Gordon grounded out to end the contest. Whit Merrifield went 1-for-3 with a walk and a stolen base, while Almonte was 1-for-3 with an RBI. Perez was the only Royal to score, going 1-for-4.

MLB SCOREBOARD
Baltimore (18-27) 1, Boston (20-25) 11
NY Yankees (30-15) 2, Kansas City (23-22) 1
Oakland (23-22) 3, Toronto (20-25) 6
Texas (20-26) 3, Chi. Sox (17-27) 4
Cleveland (20-23) 4, Houston (28-18) 7
Detroit (26-20) 4, Seattle (20-24) 5 (Final/11)
Tampa Bay (22-21) 4, LA Angels (20-26) 2 (Final/12)
Milwaukee (18-26) @ Minnesota (21-21) -- PPD
San Diego (26-20) 2, Pittsburgh (21-22) 4
Chi. Cubs (26-18) 9, Cincinnati (19-25) 1
LA Dodgers (30-14) 2, Washington (22-23) 5
Arizona (21-23) 5, NY Mets (22-21) 3
Miami (16-28) 9, Atlanta (28-17) 6 (Final/12)
Colorado (25-20) 5, San Francisco (17-29) 3
Philadelphia (27-18) 5, St. Louis (21-21) 0

May 19th, 2018
Yankees (30-16) 1, Royals (24-22) 2
Winner: Jason Hammel (4-2) Loser: C.C. Sabathia (3-4) Save: Kelvin Herrera (9)

Hammel, Royals Return Favor With Close 2-1 Victory

Jason Hammel backed up his previous start with an even better one, going seven innings in a 2-1 Royals victory. The lone blemish on Hammel's line was a solo homerun by Greg Bird to lead off the seventh inning, but Hammel got through the rest of the inning. He fanned four with just one walk, scattering six hits in the process. Hunter Dozier played a huge role in both Royals runs, driving in the team's first run in the fifth with a double, and then scoring from third on a passed ball later on in the frame. Abraham Almonte, Salvador Perez, and Jorge Soler each had a pair of hits for the Royals. Tim Hill and Kevin McCarthy combined for a scoreless eighth, and Kelvin Herrera notched his ninth save with a scoreless ninth inning, fanning two.

MLB SCOREBOARD
Milwaukee (18-27) 2, Minnesota (22-21) 3 (G1)
Milwaukee (19-27) 7, Minnesota (22-22) 6 (G2)
NY Yankees (30-16) 1, Kansas City (24-22) 2
Oakland (24-22) 2, Toronto (20-26) 1
Cleveland (21-23) 6, Houston (28-19) 4
Baltimore (18-28) 4, Boston (21-25) 5
Texas (20-27) 4, Chi. Sox (18-27) 6
Tampa Bay (22-22) 7, LA Angels (21-26) 9
Detroit (26-21) 4, Seattle (21-24) 8
Philadelphia (27-19) 1, St. Louis (22-21) 3 (Final/14)
San Diego (26-21) 7, Pittsburgh (22-22) 8
Colorado (25-21) 1, San Francisco (18-29) 5
LA Dodgers (30-15) 4, Washington (23-23) 5
Arizona (22-23) 7, NY Mets (22-22) 6
Miami (17-28) 7, Atlanta (28-18) 4
Chi. Cubs (27-18) 9, Cincinnati (19-26) 5

May 20th, 2018
Yankees (31-16) 4, Royals (24-23) 3 (Final/11)
Winner: Dellin Betances (2-0) Loser: Brian Flynn (0-2) Save: None

Royals Fall In Extras, 4-3

Jacoby Ellsbury's RBI single off Blaine Boyer in the top of the 11th inning was the deciding hit in the Royals' 4-3 defeat at the hands of the Yankees. Ian Kennedy was forced from the game with two outs in the fifth inning, having thrown ninety-five pitches at the time. He only allowed three runs with six strikeouts, but had been knocked around, allowing seven hits, including a homerun. Kansas City received all of their offense with one hit, a three-run homerun off Jordan Montgomery by Salvador Perez. Montgomery didn't factor into the decision, but pitched well with three earned runs in six innings, fanning four with just one walk.

MLB SCOREBOARD
NY Yankees (31-16) 4, Kansas City (24-23) 3 (Final/11)
Oakland (25-22) 5, Toronto (20-27) 3
Baltimore (18-29) 4, Boston (22-25) 9
Milwaukee (20-27) 10, Minnesota (22-23) 5
Texas (20-28) 1, Chi. Sox (19-27) 5
Detroit (26-22) 5, Seattle (22-24) 9
Tampa Bay (22-23) 1, LA Angels (22-26) 2
Cleveland (22-23) 5, Houston (28-20) 4
Arizona (23-23) 8, NY Mets (22-23) 2
San Diego (26-22) 0, Pittsburgh (23-22) 8
Chi. CUbs (28-18) 8, Cincinnati (19-27) 0
Miami (17-29) 2, Atlanta (29-18) 7
LA Dodgers (30-16) 7, Washington (24-23) 9
Colorado (26-21) 4, San Francisco (18-30) 1
Philadelphia (27-20) 3, St. Louis (23-21) 6

MAJOR NEWS/INJURIES/TRANSACTIONS
05/18: San Diego places RHP Colby Lewis on 10-day disabled list, retroactive to 05/17/2018 (Fractured finger)
05/18: Arizona places C Alex Avila on 10-day disabled list, retroactive to 05/18/2018 (Strained hamstring)
05/18: Cleveland places RHP Danny Salazar on 10-day disabled list, retroactive to 05/18/2018 (Forearm strain)
05/19: Red Sox closer Craig Kimbrel notches 300th career save in victory over Baltimore
05/19: Milwaukee OF Eric Thames leaves game with elbow injury after being hit by pitch
05/20: Cincinnati places RHP Homer Bailey on 10-day disabled list, retroactive to 05/19/2018 (Finger blister)
05/20: Houston places OF Josh Reddick on 10-day disabled list (Thumb sprain)
05/20: Washington places 2B Daniel Murphy on 10-day disabled list, retroactive to 05/19/2018 (Lower back pain)

[artoodeetoo]

Re: Royal Rebuild [OOTP 19]

SMITH TO 10-DAY DL; ADAM RE-CALLED

With a light oblique strain, Burch Smith has been placed on the 10-day disabled list, retroactive to 05/21/2018. In his place, Jason Adam's contract has been purchased from Omaha to take his place temporarily. Also, Eric Skoglund has gone on the 10-day disabled list, and Rule 5 pick Brad Keller has finally recovered from his pre-season shoulder injury after a lengthy rehab stint, so he's been called up to take his place. He'll start in the rotation for now, but he's versatile enough for the bullpen as well.

[artoodeetoo]

Re: Royal Rebuild [OOTP 19]

PITCHING MATCHUPS (05/21 - 05/23)

05/21: RHP Jake Junis (5-1, 2.53) vs RHP Carlos Martinez (4-4, 4.03)
05/22: LHP Eric Skoglund (2-4, 7.30) vs RHP Michael Wacha (3-4, 4.69)
05/23: LHP Danny Duffy (5-4, 5.31) vs RHP Miles Mikolas (3-5, 5.23)

GAME RECAPS

May 21st, 2018
Royals (24-24) 3, Cardinals (24-21) 10
Winner: Carlos Martinez (5-4) Loser: Jake Junis (5-2) Save: None

St. Louis Wins by a Touchdown, 10-3

Backed by Marcell Ozuna's five RBI, the Cardinals launched an impressive opening salvo in their three-game set with the Royals, winning by a 10-3 score. Ozuna hit a three-run homerun in the first, and then a two-RBI double in the fifth off Blaine Boyer. Royals starter Jake Junis left after just four innings and sixty-five pitches with a knee issue, but appeared to be a precautionary measure. His replacement, Burch Smith, also left after recording just one out with what appeared to be a rib or side injury, but not before getting tagged with three earned runs. Neither injury is expected to be serious according to team officials after the game. Kansas City did all their scoring in one short burst, with back-to-back homeruns by Salvador Perez and Alex Gordon, with Perez's coming with a man on base. With the loss, the Royals returned to .500 for the third time this season, but have yet to fall below the mark at any point.

MLB SCOREBOARD
NY Yankees (31-17) 4, Texas (21-28) 5 (Final/10)
Detroit (26-23) 2, Minnesota (23-23) 5
Baltimore (19-29) 6, Chi. Sox (19-28) 0
Kansas City (24-24) 3, St. Louis (24-21) 10
San Diego (27-22) 7, Washington (24-24) 0
Atlanta (29-19) 10, Philadelphia (28-20) 11
Miami (17-30) 1, NY Mets (23-23) 6
Arizona (24-23) 5, Milwaukee (20-28) 3
Colorado (26-22) 1, LA Dodgers (31-16) 6

May 22nd, 2018
Royals (24-25) 1, Cardinals (25-21) 2
Winner: Michael Wacha (4-4) Loser: Eric Skoglund (2-5) Save: Luke Gregerson (6)

Skoglund Impresses; Royals Still Fall Below .500 in 2-1 Defeat

Despite seven solid innings from Eric Skoglund, the Royals couldn't muster enough offense against Michael Wacha to knock off the Cardinals, as they fell by a 2-1 score. Wacha also went seven innings, fanning three and scattering five hits. Royals manager Ned Yost had actually planned on keeping Skoglund in the game past the seventh to help ease a tired bullpen, but had to be pulled after eighty-eight pitches with elbow tightness. Kevin McCarthy and Tim Hill combined to throw a scoreless eighth inning in his stead. Offensively, Jorge Soler doubled and singled, and Drew Butera was 2-for-2 with a walk, and drove in the Royals' only run with a single in the seventh. For the first time all season, the Royals fell below .500, and from second to fourth place in the divisional race.

MLB SCOREBOARD
LA Angels (22-27) 2, Toronto (21-27) 3
NY Yankees (32-17) 4, Texas (21-29) 2
Boston (23-25) 4, Tampa Bay (22-24) 3
Baltimore (19-30) 5, Chi. Sox (20-28) 7
Detroit (26-24) 2, Minnesota (24-23) 6
Seattle (23-24) 7, Oakland (25-23) 6
San Francisco (18-31) 0, Houston (29-20) 3
Kansas City (24-25) 1, St. Louis (25-21) 2
San Diego (27-23) 5, Washington (25-24) 11
Atlanta (30-19) 7, Philadelphia (28-21) 5
Cleveland (23-23) 7, Chi. Cubs (28-19) 4
Pittsburgh (23-23) 2, Cincinnati (20-27) 5
Arizona (24-24) 7, Milwaukee (21-28) 9
Miami (17-31) 3, NY Mets (24-23) 5
Colorado (26-23) 5, LA Dodgers (32-16) 6

May 23rd, 2018
Royals (24-26) 0, Cardinals (26-21) 1
Winner: Miles Mikolas (4-5) Loser: Danny Duffy (5-5) Save: Luke Gregerson (7)

Mikolas Shuts Kansas City Out As Royals Swept, 1-0

Miles Mikolas tossed eight and one-third shutout innings, and Yadier Molina's RBI single was all the offense that the Cardinals would need in their 1-0 victory. Danny Duffy took a no-hitter into the seventh inning, before back-to-back hits from Marcell Ozuna and Matt Carpenter broke up the no-hitter prior to Molina's hit. Kansas City threatened in the ninth, as Whit Merrifield singled to lead off the inning, and then Jon Jay bunted him over to second to put the tying run in scoring position. But Mike Moustakas and Salvador Perez flied out to end the contest, and the Royals were swept for the first time in 2018.

MLB SCOREBOARD
NY Yankees (33-17) 4, Texas (21-30) 2
Detroit (26-25) 0, Minnesota (25-23) 4
San Francisco (19-31) 6, Houston (29-21) 1
LA Angels (22-28) 1, Toronto (22-27) 3
Boston (24-25) 5, Tampa Bay (22-25) 3
Seattle (24-24) 4, Oakland (25-24) 2 (Final/10)
Baltimore (19-31) 8, Chi. Sox (21-28) 9 (Final/12)
Kansas City (24-26) 0, St. Louis (26-21) 1
San Diego (27-24) 6, Washington (26-24) 7
Arizona (24-25) 1, Milwaukee (22-28) 3
Atlanta (30-20) 4, Philadelphia (29-21) 10
Miami (17-32) 5, NY Mets (25-23) 6
Cleveland (24-23) 5, Chi. Cubs (28-20) 3
Pittsburgh (23-24) 4, Cincinnati (21-27) 7
Colorado (26-24) 5, LA Dodgers (33-16) 6

MAJOR NEWS/INJURIES/TRANSACTIONS
05/21: Boston's Betts, Philly's Altherr win AL, NL Players of the Week awards
05/21: Milwaukee loses OF Eric Thames for rest of season (broken bone in elbow), placed on 60-day disabled list
05/21: Cubs over-take Yankees, Dodgers for top spot in BNN power ranks
05/22: Phillies' Nola has bone chips in elbow, will miss three to four months and placed on 60-day disabled list
05/22: Rangers sign former top prospect RHP Jack Charleston to one-year, pro-rated MLB $760K contract
05/23: MLB suspends White Sox' Delmonico (four games) and O's Edgin (eight games) over yesterday's brawl
05/23: MLB All-Star Game ballots have been released; voting ends July 2nd
05/23: Detroit designates OF Leonys Martin for assignment
05/23: Houston places RHP Justin Verlander on 10-day disabled list; retroactive to 05/22/2018 (wrist)
05/23: RHP Kenley Jansen placed on 10-day disabled list by the Dodgers (oblique strain)

[artoodeetoo]

Re: Royal Rebuild [OOTP 19]

PITCHING MATCHUPS (05/24 - 05/27)

05/24: RHP Jason Hammel (4-2, 5.18) vs LHP Cole Hamels (1-5, 8.08)
05/25: RHP Ian Kennedy (2-3, 4.55) vs LHP Mike Minor (3-2, 3.61)
05/26: RHP Jake Junis (5-2, 2.89) vs LHP Martin Perez (2-3, 6.20)
05/27: RHP Scott Barlow (0-0, 0.00) vs LHP Matt Moore (0-8, 9.06)

GAME RECAPS

May 24th, 2018
Royals (24-27) 1, Rangers (22-30) 9
Winner: Cole Hamels (2-5) Loser: Jason Hammel (4-3) Save: None

Offense Continues to Sputter in 9-1 Defeat

Jorge Soler's solo homerun off Cole Hamels in the ninth was the only run they could muster up, as Hamels and the Rangers kept the Royals' suddenly-inept offense in check by a 9-1 count. Hamels came into the game with an ERA north of 8, and put together his finest performance of the season, fanning thirteen while scattering six hits and no walks over eight and one-third innings against the struggling Royals. The pitching injury woes continue for the Royals, as Jason Hammel left after four innings with a finger blister, but isn't expected to miss more than one start, if any time at all. Kansas City native Jason Adam made his MLB debut in relief of Hammel, and it was one that he'd like to forget as he surrendered four earned runs in the inning. The trio of Brian Flynn, Brandon Maurer, and Blaine Boyer finished out the game, with Flynn giving up three earned runs in one-third of an inning, and Maurer allowing one in one and two-thirds. Only Boyer got through his outing unscathed. Kansas City has stumbled to an 8-14 record in May, after a 16-13 record through March and April.

MLB SCOREBOARD
Baltimore (19-32) 1, Chi. Sox (22-28) 4
LA Angels (22-29) 2, Toronto (23-27) 5
Seattle (24-25) 2, Oakland (26-24) 5
Kansas City (24-27) 1, Texas (22-30) 9
Houston (29-22) 4, Cleveland (25-23) 5 (Final/11)
Boston (24-26) 4, Tampa Bay (23-25) 5
Pittsburgh (23-25) 0, Cincinnati (22-27) 1
NY Mets (26-23) 9, Milwaukee (22-29) 2

May 25th, 2018
Royals (25-27) 4, Rangers (22-31) 1
Winner: Ian Kennedy (3-3) Loser: Mike Minor (3-3) Save: Kelvin Herrera (10)

Royals Stifle the Rangers' Bats in 4-1 Triumph

Ian Kennedy allowed one hit in seven innings; that being a solo homerun to Joey Gallo, as the Royals evened up their four-game series with the Rangers at one win apiece in a 4-1 victory. The win also snapped a five-game skid, and keeps the Royals within three games of first place in the division. Despite not collecting a hit, Whit Merrifield drove in a pair of runs with a sac fly and a groundout. Salvador Perez was 1-for-2 with an RBI and two walks, while Mike Moustakas doubled and singled. Paulo Orlando was 2-for-4 with two runs scored.

MLB SCOREBOARD
Kansas City (25-27) 4, Texas (22-31) 1
Baltimore (20-32) 3, Tampa Bay (23-26) 2
LA Angels (23-29) 12, NY Yankees (33-18) 4
Chi. Sox (22-29) 3, Detroit (27-25) 4 (Final/14)
Houston (29-23) 7, Cleveland (26-23) 13
Arizona (25-25) 8, Oakland (26-25) 0
Atlanta (30-21) 0, Boston (25-26) 11
Minnesota (25-24) 2, Seattle (25-25) 6
San Francisco (19-32) 3, Chi. Cubs (29-20) 7
Toronto (23-28) 3, Philadelphia (30-21) 11
St. Louis (26-22) 1, Pittsburgh (24-25) 4
Washington (27-24) 5, Miami (17-33) 4
NY Mets (26-24) 2, Milwaukee (23-29) 6
San Diego (27-25) 2, LA Dodgers (34-16) 3 (Final/11)
Cincinnati (22-28) 1, Colorado (27-24) 2

May 26th, 2018
Royals (26-27) 4, Rangers (22-32) 2
Winner: Jake Junis (6-2) Loser: Martin Perez (2-4) Save: Kelvin Herrera (11)

Junis Spins Another Gem As Royals Claim Victory

For the second time in a span of ten days, Jake Junis recorded double-digit strikeouts as he held the Rangers in check, claiming his team-best sixth victory as the Royals doubled up the Rangers by a 4-2 count. Junis went six and one-third innings, scattering four hits, two walks, and two earned runs in ninety-eight pitches. Mike Moustakas doubled and singled, going 2-for-4 and driving in two of the Royals' runs. Paulo Orlando and Jorge Soler also recorded RBI hits, with Orlando going 2-for-4 as well. Kelvin Herrera recorded his eleventh save, ten of them consecutively since an early-season stumble. The victory pulls the Royals back to within a game of .500, but still reside in fourth place in the division. Just called up from Omaha, righty Scott Barlow makes his MLB debut tomorrow against veteran lefty Matt Moore, who has yet to win a game with an 0-8 mark, and an ERA of 9.06.

MLB SCOREBOARD
Arizona (26-25) 11, Oakland (26-26) 7
Kansas City (26-27) 4, Texas (22-32) 2
Atlanta (30-22) 1, Boston (26-26) 2
Chi. Sox (22-30) 2, Detroit (28-25) 4
Baltimore (20-33) 5, Tampa Bay (24-26) 6
LA Angels (24-29) 9, NY Yankees (33-19) 4
Houston (29-24) 2, Cleveland (27-23) 12
Minnesota (25-25) 1, Seattle (26-25) 12
Toronto (23-29) 2, Philadelphia (31-21) 6
Washington (27-25) 0, Miami (18-33) 1
St. Louis (26-23) 5, Pittsburgh (25-25) 6 (Final/10)
NY Mets (26-25) 2, Milwaukee (24-29) 8
San Francisco (20-32) 6, Chi. Cubs (29-21) 2
San Diego (27-26) 2, LA Dodgers (35-16) 6
Cincinnati (23-28) 11, Colorado (27-25) 5

May 27th, 2018
Royals (26-28) 2, Rangers (23-32) 3
Winner: Alex Claudio (3-3) Loser: Brandon Maurer (1-1) Save: None

Sputtering Offense Falls Just Short

With Kelvin Herrera unavailable after two straight games, the Royals turned to Brandon Maurer to preserve a 2-2 tie in the ninth, but the move backfired as former Royal Melky Cabrera doubled with two outs to score the winning run in a 3-2 walk-off victory for the Rangers. Coming into the game, Texas' Matt Moore had yet to win any of his eight decisions, and sported an ERA of 9.06. But he held the Royals to just two runs in six innings, one of them via a solo homerun from Mike Moustakas. He fanned five in the game with just one walk and scattered five hits. The lack of offense overshadowed a brilliant debut for Scott Barlow, who struck out nine in six innings, throwing just eighty-eight pitches on short rest. The game marks the 11th in a row where the Royals have failed to break the four-run mark, with the last time being a 5-4 win at home over the Yankees on May 14th, nearly two weeks ago.

MLB SCOREBOARD
Arizona (26-26) 5, Oakland (27-26) 6
Kansas City (26-28) 2, Texas (23-32) 3
Atlanta (31-22) 4, Boston (26-27) 3
Chi. Sox (22-31) 2, Detroit (29-25) 4
Baltimore (21-33) 5, Tampa Bay (24-27) 3
LA Angels (24-30) 0, NY Yankees (34-19) 6
Houston (30-24) 3, Cleveland (27-24) 0
Minnesota (25-26) 1, Seattle (27-25) 6
Toronto (24-29) 5, Philadelphia (31-22) 4
Washington (28-25) 3, Miami (18-34) 2 (Final/11)
St. Louis (26-24) 1, Pittsburgh (26-25) 2
NY Mets (27-25) 8, Milwaukee (24-30) 0
San Francisco (21-32) 5, Chi. Cubs (29-22) 1
San Diego (28-26) 7, LA Dodgers (35-17) 5
Cincinnati (24-28) 10, Colorado (27-26) 9

MAJOR NEWS/INJURIES/TRANSACTIONS
05/24: Detroit places OF JaCoby Jones on 10-day disabled list; retroactive to 05/22/2018 (wrist bruise)
05/24: Houston places C/DH Brian McCann on 10-day disabled list; retroactive to 05/23/2018 (foot contusion)
05/25: Kansas City places RHP Jason Hammel on 10-day disabled list; retroactive to 05/24/2018 (finger blister)
05/25: Detroit places RHP Jordan Zimmermann on 10-day disabled list; retroactive to 05/23/2018 (shoulder tendinitis)
05/26: Milwaukee activates 1B/OF Ryan Braun from 10-day disabled list
05/26: San Francisco activates C Buster Posey from 10-day disabled list
05/27: Phillies OF/3B Jose Bautista placed on 10-day disabled list, retroactive to 05/26/2018 (rib cage strain)
05/27: Mariners place OF Nelson Cruz on 10-day disabled lsit, retroactive to 05/26/2018 (bone bruise in wrist)
05/27: Angels OF Mike Trout placed on 10-day disabled list; will miss four to six weeks (broken hand)

[artoodeetoo]

Re: Royal Rebuild [OOTP 19]

PITCHING MATCHUPS (05/28 - 05/30)

05/28: RHP Kyle Gibson (4-4, 3.63) vs LHP Danny Duffy (5-5, 4.93)
05/29: RHP Jose Berrios (4-2, 2.83) vs RHP Brad Keller (0-0, 0.00)
05/30: RHP Lance Lynn (3-3, 4.79) vs RHP Ian Kennedy (3-3, 4.19)

GAME RECAPS

May 28th, 2018
Twins (26-26) 6, Royals (26-29) 5
Winner: Addison Reed (2-1) Loser: Brandon Maurer (1-2) Save: Trevor Hildenberger (12)

Royals Can't Hold On, Fall 6-5 to Minnesota

Brandon Maurer entered the game with one out in the seventh with a 4-3 lead, and was able to coax a ground ball double play to bail starter Danny Duffy out of a jam. But he couldn't master Miguel Sano in the eighth inning after putting two runners on base to begin the inning, as he hit a 443-foot bomb to left-center to put the Twins in the lead for good, and Minnesota went on to win 6-5. Sano was 3-for-4 with the game-clinching homerun, and drove in four runs overall. Mike Moustakas and Alex Gordon each hit two-run homeruns in the first three innings to stake Kansas City to a 4-1 lead before RBI singles from Sano and Brian Dozier in the fifth pulled them to within one. Duffy went six and one-third innings, allowing two earned runs with five hits and six strikeouts.

MLB SCOREBOARD
Washington (29-25) 3, Baltimore (21-34) 0
Minnesota (26-26) 6, Kansas City (26-29) 5
Toronto (24-30) 0, Boston (27-27) 4
Houston (27-27) 4, NY Yankees (34-20) 1
LA Angels (25-30) 7, Detroit (29-26) 3
Chi. Sox (22-32) 1, Cleveland (28-24) 10
Tampa Bay (24-28) 5, Oakland (28-26) 7
Texas (24-32) 5, Seattle (27-26) 1
NY Mets (28-25) 3, Atlanta (31-23) 2
St. Louis (26-25) 5, Milwaukee (25-30) 6 (Final/10)
Chi. Cubs (29-23) 2, Pittsburgh (27-25) 3 (Final/12)
Cincinnati (24-29) 1, Arizona (27-26) 5
Miami (19-34) 5, San Diego (28-27) 4
Philadelphia (32-22) 6, LA Dodgers (35-18) 5 (Final/15)
San Francisco (21-33) 0, Colorado (28-26) 4

May 29th, 2018
Twins (27-26) 6, Royals (26-30) 0
Winner: Jose Berrios (5-2) Loser: Brad Keller (0-1) Save: None

Berrios, Rogers Combine To Shut K.C. Out

Jose Berrios fanned eight over eight innings, and the Royals offense was shut out for the second time in a week in a 6-0 defeat at the hands of Minnesota. Rookie Brad Keller made his MLB debut after rehabbing in Double and Triple-A, and it wasn't even close to as good as Scott Barlow's debut just two days earlier as he allowed eight hits and six earned runs in just three and one-third innings of work, fanning two with one walk. Brian Flynn, who has struggled in recent outings, gave the Royals' bullpen a huge boost with four scoreless innings of relief with three strikeouts and just two hits scattered. The Royals collected just three hits, with Jon Jay's 1-for-3 performance the lone standout. He also walked and stole a base, his second steal of the season. Blaine Boyer, who relieved Flynn in the top of the eighth, left his outing after just three hitters with a lower back issue; and was replaced by Tim Hill, who fired a scoreless ninth inning.

MLB SCOREBOARD
Washington (30-25) 13, Baltimore (21-35) 1
Minnesota (27-26) 6, Kansas City (26-30) 1
Toronto (24-31) 0, Boston (28-27) 9
Houston (32-24) 7, NY Yankees (34-21) 4
LA Angels (26-30) 7, Detroit (29-27) 2
Chi. Sox (22-33) 3, Cleveland (29-24) 4
Tampa Bay (25-28) 9, Oakland (28-27) 2
Texas (24-33) 5, Seattle (28-26) 7 (Final/11)
NY Mets (28-26) 2, Atlanta (32-23) 4
St. Louis (26-26) 5, Milwaukee (26-30) 8
Chi. Cubs (30-23) 11, Pittsburgh (27-26) 5
Cincinnati (24-30) 4, Arizona (28-26) 11
Miami (20-34) 7, San Diego (28-28) 4
Philadelphia (33-22) 8, LA Dodgers (35-19) 6 (Final/10)
San Francisco (22-33) 5, Colorado (28-27) 4

May 30th, 2018
Twins (28-26) 6, Royals (26-31) 1
Winner: Jake Junis (6-2) Loser: Martin Perez (2-4) Save: Kelvin Herrera (11)

Losing Skid Reaches Four as Royals Drop Series Finale

With the off-day tomorrow, the Royals ended the month on a low note with a 6-1 loss to the Twins, completing their road sweep. Kansas City finished the month with a 10-18 record after a 16-13 combined record in March and April. Ian Kennedy took the loss, going six and one-third innings, allowing four runs (three earned) while fanning six. Lance Lynn bumped his record to 4-3, allowing just one run in six innings with four strikeouts. Salvador Perez drove in the Royals' only run, a two-out double in the fourth to score Mike Moustakas, who had doubled two batters earlier.

MLB SCOREBOARD
Washington (30-26) 4, Baltimore (22-35) 14
Minnesota (28-26) 6, Kansas City (26-31) 1
Toronto (24-32) 4, Boston (29-27) 6
Houston (33-24) 9, NY Yankees (34-22) 2
LA Angels (27-30) 13, Detroit (29-28) 5
Chi. Sox (23-33) 5, Cleveland (29-25) 1
Tampa Bay (26-28) 7, Oakland (28-28) 4
Texas (25-33) 8, Seattle (28-27) 0
NY Mets (29-26) 3, Atlanta (32-24) 2
St. Louis (26-27) 0, Milwaukee (27-30) 2
Chi. Cubs (30-24) 2, Pittsburgh (28-26) 3 (Final/13)
Cincinnati (24-31) 1, Arizona (29-26) 2
Miami (20-35) 4, San Diego (29-28) 14
Philadelphia (33-23) 0, LA Dodgers (36-19) 1
San Francisco (23-33) 4, Colorado (28-28) 3

MAJOR NEWS/INJURIES/TRANSACTIONS
05/28: Pedroia, Votto win Players of the Week honors
05/28: Dodgers re-claim top spot in BNN power rankings
05/28: Boston activates LHP Chris Sale from DL; sends to Triple-A for rehab assignment
05/29: Philadelphia activates 1B/OF Rhys Hoskins from disabled list
05/29: Minnesota places OF Byron Buxton on the 10-day disabled list; retro to 05/28/2018 (Sprained thumb)
05/30: Atlanta places RHP Peter Moylan on 10-day disabled list; retro to 05/29/2018 (Back tightness)