Royal Rebuild [OOTP 19]

[artoodeetoo]

Re: Royal Rebuild [OOTP 19]

PITCHING MATCHUPS (07/23 - 07/25)

07/23: RHP Jordan Zimmermann (6-6, 5.31) vs RHP Trevor Oaks (2-0, 3.42)
07/24: RHP Mike Fiers (4-6, 7.52) vs RHP Brad Keller (2-3, 3.83)
07/25: RHP Michael Fulmer (8-8, 4.65) vs LHP Danny Duffy (7-10, 4.58)

GAME RECAPS

July 23rd, 2018
Tigers (44-58) 6, Royals (43-56) 7
Winner: Jason Hammel (5-6) Loser: Louis Coleman (1-2) Save: Wily Peralta (5)

Late Homerun Lifts Royals to Victory

Lucas Duda's two-run homerun off former Royal reliever Louis Coleman in the eighth lifted the Royals to a 7-6 victory over Detroit to open a three-game series at Kauffman Stadium. Whit Merrifield also homered in the game as part of a 3-for-4 performance, falling just a triple short of the cycle. Jason Hammel picked up his first win in relief, pitching a 1-2-3 eighth inning, while Wily Peralta worked around a one-out single and a sac bunt to earn his fifth save. With his first-inning homerun, Mike Moustakas has now homered in three of his last four games, and has twenty-seven total for the 2018 season.

MLB SCOREBOARD
Minnesota (48-52) 5, Toronto (43-56) 4 (Final/10)
Detroit (44-58) 6, Kansas City (43-56) 7
Boston (64-38) 9, Baltimore (39-63) 5
Pittsburgh (51-49) 3, Cleveland (56-43) 5
NY Yankees (62-38) 10, Tampa Bay (48-52) 2
Chi. Sox (44-57) 5, LA Angels (48-53) 9
Oakland (54-47) 10, Texas (46-55) 6
LA Dodgers (56-44) 9, Philadelphia (54-46) 4
San Diego (48-55) 3, NY Mets (47-52) 6
Atlanta (55-44) 5, Miami (35-66) 4 (Final/12)
St. Louis (49-51) 5, Cincinnati (39-60) 4 (Final/10)
Arizona (58-43) 3, Chi. Cubs (60-40) 4
Washington (50-49) 4, Milwaukee (58-44) 6

July 24th, 2018
Tigers (45-58) 4, Royals (43-57) 1
Winner: Mike Fiers (5-6) Loser: Brad Keller (2-4) Save: Joe Jimenez (19)

Detroit's Hit Parade Buries the Royals

Miguel Cabrera and Nick Castellanos each had two hits, including a two-run homerun from Cabrera, as part of a 15-hit attack in handing the Royals a 4-1 defeat. Brad Keller went five innings, allowing a dozen hits and four earned runs with one strikeout to fall to 2-4 on the season. Only Salvador Perez had more than one hit for Kansas City, and the only run for the Royals came on a seventh-inning sac fly from Adalberto Mondesi. Mike Fiers continued his string of strong starts for the Tigers, going six and one-third innings, fanning four with just one run allowed. The win stopped a six-game skid for Detroit, who moves back to 1 1/2 games ahead of Kansas City and Chicago for third place in a non-competitive AL Central.

MLB SCOREBOARD
Minnesota (48-53) 2, Toronto (44-56) 8
Detroit (45-58) 4, Kansas City (43-57) 1
Boston (64-39) 3, Baltimore (40-63) 5
Pittsburgh (52-49) 6, Cleveland (56-44) 4
NY Yankees (63-38) 6, Tampa Bay (48-53) 3
Chi. Sox (44-58) 6, LA Angels (49-53) 8
San Francisco (51-50) 7, Seattle (48-53) 3
Oakland (55-47) 7, Texas (46-56) 6
LA Dodgers (56-45) 2, Philadelphia (55-46) 3
San Diego (48-56) 0, NY Mets (48-52) 1
Atlanta (56-44) 5, Miami (35-67) 1
St. Louis (50-51) 12, Cincinnati (39-61) 3 (Final/10)
Arizona (59-43) 8, Chi. Cubs (60-41) 5
Houston (60-43) 2, Colorado (49-50) 3
Washington (50-50) 1, Milwaukee (59-44) 3

July 22nd, 2018
Twins (47-52) 6, Royals (42-56) 4
Winner: Danny Duffy (8-10) Loser: Michael Fulmer (8-9) Save: None

"Animal Duo" Lead the Royals to Rout

Danny "Bear" Duffy's six innings of three-run ball, coupled with Moose's five RBI and 2-for-3 day propelled the Royals to a 10-3 rout of the Tigers to close out the three-game set. The Royals have now won two of the last three series, and have won six of their last nine games to climb out of the cellar in the AL Central -- for now. Jorge Bonifacio and Whit Merrifield also collected two hits apiece, and the Royals received three scoreless innings of relief from the duo of Glenn Sparkman and Brandon Maurer. Nick Castellanos provided the entire offensive output for the Tigers, lacing a three-run homerun over the left field wall in the sixth inning off Duffy, and went 2-for-3 as the only Detroit player to collect more than one hit. Michael Fulmer allowed ten runs in five and one-third innings, but was beset by shoddy defense; as a fielding error by Miguel Cabrera led to five unearned runs, all with two out.

MLB SCOREBOARD
Minnesota (49-53) 8, Toronto (44-57) 7
Detroit (45-59) 3, Kansas City (44-57) 10
Boston (65-39) 6, Baltimore (40-64) 3
Pittsburgh (53-49) 10, Cleveland (56-45) 3
NY Yankees (63-39) 4, Tampa Bay (49-53) 13
Chi. Sox (44-59) 1, LA Angels (50-53) 4
San Francisco (51-51) 4, Seattle (49-53) 5
Oakland (56-47) 5, Texas (46-57) 4
LA Dodgers (56-46) 3, Philadelphia (56-46) 9
San Diego (49-56) 11, NY Mets (48-53) 2
St. Louis (51-51) 2, Cincinnati (39-62) 0
Arizona (59-44) 0, Chi. Cubs (61-41) 1 (Final/15)
Houston (61-43) 12, Colorado (49-51) 3
Washington (51-50) 4, Milwaukee (59-45) 3

MAJOR NEWS/INJURIES/TRANSACTIONS
07/23: Boston's Bradley, Jr., Pittsburgh's Polanco win Player of the Week Awards
07/23: Twins RHP Trevor Hildenberger placed on 60-day disabled list (elbow flexor tendon)
07/24: Yankees acquire LHP Zach Britton from division rival Baltimore for three prospects; trade RHP Adam Warren to Seattle for cash to make room
07/24: Seattle moves OF Ichiro Suzuki from 10-day to 60-day disabled list (hamstring)
07/25: Red Sox, Rays strike deal to trade LHP Jalen Beeks to Tampa for RHP Nathan Eovaldi
07/25: D-Backs acquire RHP Matt Andriese from Tampa for minor-league RHP Brian Shaffer
07/25: Braves place 1B Adam Lind on 10-day disabled list, retroactive to 07/24/2018 (fractured tibia)

[artoodeetoo]

Re: Royal Rebuild [OOTP 19]

PITCHING MATCHUPS (07/26 - 07/29)

07/26: RHP Heath Fillmyer (1-1, 4.05) vs RHP Masahiro Tanaka (18-2, 3.31)
07/27: RHP Jake Junis (8-6, 3.49) vs RHP Sonny Gray (9-6, 4.44)
07/28: RHP Trevor Oaks (2-0, 4.50) vs LHP J.A. Happ (8-6, 4.13)
07/29: RHP Brad Keller (2-4, 4.10) vs RHP Domingo German (1-0, 7.20)

GAME RECAPS

July 26th, 2018
Royals (44-58) 5, Yankees (64-39) 8 (Final/11)
Winner: David Robertson (4-1) Loser: Wily Peralta (0-3) Save: None

Trio of Homeruns Power Yankees Walk-Off Victory

The balls were flying out of Yankee Stadium in this one, as Neil Walker's three-run homerun off Wily Peralta in the 11th inning walked the Royals off in an 8-5 defeat. It was one of five homeruns, and several near-misses with a stiff wind blowing in from right field. Aaron Judge hit two homeruns prior to extra innings; including the game-tying homerun in the eighth off Burch Smith, giving him an AL-best thirty-eight for the season. Making his third career start, Heath Fillmyer gave up Judge's first homerun, a towering, 421-foot drive to left-center with two men on in the first, but settled in and ended up going five innings, allowing just the three first-inning runs, fanning five and walking just one in the process. Whit Merrifield was 3-for-6, and Lucas Duda had just one hit, but it was the Royals' first homerun of the day, a three-run bomb to center. Newcomer Brian Goodwin also hit a homerun to center in the second, and had an infield single in the sixth.

MLB SCOREBOARD
Tampa Bay (49-54) 8, Baltimore (41-64) 13
Kansas City (44-58) 5, NY Yankees (64-39) 8 (Final/11)
Chi. Sox (44-60) 1, LA Angels (51-53) 2
Minnesota (49-54) 4, Boston (66-39) 6
Oakland (56-47) @ Texas (46-57) -- PPD
Arizona (59-45) 1, Chi. Cubs (62-41) 6
NY Mets (49-53) 6, Pittsburgh (53-50) 1
Philadelphia (56-47) 5, Cincinnati (40-62) 6
LA Dodgers (57-46) 7, Atlanta (56-45) 6 (Final/12)
Washington (52-50) 4, Miami (35-68) 1
Milwaukee (59-46) 2, San Francisco (52-51) 4

July 27th, 2018
Royals (44-59) 0, Yankees (65-39) 9
Winner: Sonny Gray (10-6) Loser: Jake Junis (8-7) Save: None

Killer G's Lead Yanks Over Royals

Didi Gregorius blasted a pair of homeruns, and Sonny Gray pitched eight and one-third shutout innings as the Yankees overpowered the Royals by a 9-0 count. Jake Junis has struggled in his two starts since returning from the disabled list, allowing fourteen runs (ten earned) in just eight innings with four homeruns given up. Lucas Duda's seventh-inning double off Gray was the Royals' only extra base hit, and was one of just three hits by the Royals. The only other baserunner for the Royals was in the first inning when Aaron Judge misplayed a line drive off the bat of Jorge Bonifacio, but the Royals couldn't take advantage. Kansas City did get a fine effort in relief, as Brian Flynn, Brandon Maurer, and Jason Hammel fired four scoreless innings between them with three strikeouts and no walks.

MLB SCOREBOARD
Cleveland (56-46) 6, Detroit (46-59) 7 (Final/11)
Tampa Bay (50-54) 5, Baltimore (41-65) 3 (Final/14)
Kansas City (44-59) 0, NY Yankees (65-39) 9
Texas (46-58) 0, Houston (62-43) 3
Seattle (50-53) 3, LA Angels (51-54) 2
Toronto (44-58) 5, Chi. Sox (45-60) 6
Minnesota (49-55) 1, Boston (67-39) 3
Arizona (59-46) 1, San Diego (50-56) 2
Oakland (56-48) 3, Colorado (50-51) 6
NY Mets (49-54) 0, Pittsburgh (54-50) 4
Philadelphia (57-47) 7, Cincinnati (40-63) 5
LA Dodgers (57-47) 3, Atlanta (57-45) 4
Chi. Cubs (62-42) 5, St. Louis (52-51) 6
Washington (53-50) 7, Miami (35-69) 6 (Final/10)
Milwaukee (60-46) 5, San Francisco (52-52) 3

July 28th, 2018
Royals (44-60) 3, Yankees (66-39) 7
Winner: Chad Green (3-3) Loser: Trevor Oaks (2-1) Save: Aroldis Chapman (29)

Royals Bested Again in the Bronx

Aaron Judge hit his third homerun of the series, and received a huge contribution from an unlikely source in backup catcher Jett Bandy, who homered and drove in four runs as part of a 2-for-4 day as the Royals dropped the third game of the series by a 7-3 score. Making his first start in a Yankees uniform, J.A. Happ went just four and two-third innings before leaving with what appeared to be a knee injury, but the Yankees appeared confident that it is not a serious injury, at least in Aaron Boone's post-game press conference. Bandy's Royals counterpart, Salvador Perez, singled twice, doubled, and homered as part of a 4-for-4 day, driving in two of the three Royals' runs. Whit Merrifield walked with the bases loaded to bring home the Royals' third run against Aroldis Chapman, but Chapman buckled down and fanned Jorge Bonifacio and Lucas Duda to end the game for his 29th save. It was also the first game for the Royals without Mike Moustakas, who was traded minutes after last night's game to Milwaukee for outfielder Brett Phillips and minor-league reliever Jorge Lopez. Phillips struck out four times in his Royals debut, but had a nice diving catch in the third inning.

MLB SCOREBOARD
Cleveland (57-46) 9, Detroit (46-60) 4
Tampa Bay (50-55) 1, Baltimore (42-65) 5
Kansas City (44-60) 3, NY Yankees (66-39) 7
Texas (46-59) 1, Houston (63-43) 11
Seattle (51-53) 3, LA Angels (51-55) 2 (Final/14)
Toronto (45-58) 13, Chi. Sox (45-61) 4
Minnesota (49-56) 6, Boston (68-39) 10
Arizona (59-47) 8, San Diego (51-56) 17
Oakland (56-49) 0, Colorado (51-51) 4
NY Mets (49-55) 3, Pittsburgh (55-50) 5
Philadelphia (57-48) 3, Cincinnati (41-63) 5
LA Dodgers (58-47) 6, Atlanta (57-46) 1
Chi. Cubs (63-42) 8, St. Louis (52-52) 4
Washington (54-50) 9, Miami (35-70) 3
Milwaukee (60-47) 3, San Francisco (53-52) 4

July 29th, 2018
Royals (44-61) 1, Yankees (67-39) 8
Winner: Luis Cessa (4-3) Loser: Brad Keller (2-5) Save: None

Yanks Win In 8-1 Rout, Sweep K.C.

As they've done all series long, the Yankees continued their offensive onslaught against Kansas City's inexperienced pitching, belting three more homeruns in an 8-1 win for the Yankees as they swept the Royals out of the Bronx in four games. New York hit eleven homeruns in the four games, and outscored the Royals 32-9. Luis Cessa earned his fourth victory of the season in his first start off the disabled list, going seven innings with five strikeouts, scattering four hits. The lone Royals run came in the fourth inning via a Lucas Duda homerun, his 13th of the season. The Royals have a day off before starting a three-game series with the White Sox right up against the non-waiver trade deadline.

MLB SCOREBOARD
Cleveland (58-46) 8, Detroit (46-61) 7
Tampa Bay (51-55) 9, Baltimore (42-66) 2
Kansas City (44-61) 1, NY Yankees (67-39) 8
Texas (47-59) 7, Houston (63-44) 3 (Final/11)
Seattle (52-53) 6, LA Angels (51-56) 4
Minnesota (49-57) 3, Boston (69-39) 7
Toronto (45-58) @ Chi. Sox (45-61) -- PPD
Arizona (60-47) 6, San Diego (51-57) 4
Oakland (57-49) 9, Colorado (51-52) 5
NY Mets (49-56) 4, Pittsburgh (56-50) 8
Philadelphia (58-48) 8, Cincinnati (41-64) 2
LA Dodgers (58-48) 5, Atlanta (58-46) 6 (Final/10)
Chi. Cubs (63-43) 3, St. Louis (53-52) 4
Washington (55-50) 13, Miami (35-71) 5
Milwaukee (60-48) 7, San Francisco (54-52) 8 (Final/11)

MAJOR NEWS/INJURIES/TRANSACTIONS
07/26: Astros acquire Gold Glove catcher Martin Maldonado from rival Halos for prospect and cash
07/26: White Sox closer Joakim Soria dealt to Milwaukee for pair of pitching prospects
07/26: Rox acquire RHP Seung-hwan Oh from Toronto; Jays also deal lefty Happ to New York
07/27: Back in Atlanta: LHP Venters acquired by the Braves for international bonus money
07/27: Royals swap 3B Mike Moustakas to Milwaukee for OF Brett Phillips, RHP Jorge Lopez
07/27: LHP Cole Hamels headed to the North Side; Rangers get two prospects and cash back
07/27: Mariners make second bullpen splash by acquiring Cardinals fireballer Tuivailala
07/27: Twins deal RHP Pressly, INF Eduardo Escobar in deals with Houston and Arizona, get five prospects in return
07/28: Mets acquire Double-A pitching prospect Franklyn Kilome from Philly for IF Asdrubal Cabrera
07/28: LHP Chasen Shreve and RHP Giovanny Gallegos dealt to St. Louis for 1B Luke Voit and cash
07/29: Mets OF Jay Bruce out for season, placed on 60-day disabled list (achilles rupture)
07/29: Braves acquire former Orioles RHP Brad Brach for international bonus money

[artoodeetoo]

Re: Royal Rebuild [OOTP 19]

ANALYZING THE MOUSTAKAS TRADE
By artoodeetoo
07/30/2018

With the additions of Brett Phillips and Brian Goodwin in recent trades, the Royals' outfield suddenly looks crowded heading into the second half of 2018, and then 2019. You have to figure that Alex Gordon will assuredly return in left field next season, and Phillips will man either center or right field, leaving others like Jorge Bonifacio, Jorge Soler, Goodwin, Rosell Herrera, and possibly Bubba Starling or a free agent signing/trade acquisition battling for the other spot.

He's a natural right fielder, but Phillips' range and cannon arm play better in Kauffman Stadium's spacious center field, so let's assume he assumes the full-time role there. Bonifacio and Soler are natural right fielders by trade; and both right-handed, so they would be the presumed front-runners. Starling has never shown he can hit on a consistent basis; even at the Triple-A level, but he's considered excellent defensively in both center and right. That said, the Royals would have to find a bat or two elsewhere to make up for Starling's presumed lack of offensive production to make him worthwhile. Herrera and Goodwin would likely be odd men out or bench bats in this scenario; although Herrera also has playing experience in the infield as well.

Kansas City, namely Dayton Moore in the past, has also bandied about the idea of moving Adalberto Mondesi off shortstop and into the outfield, as he's struggled with throwing errors in his couple of months with the big club. He's shagged fly balls in practice and pre-game warmups before, but has not played an actual game inning in any outfield spot since his early days in the minors. Mind you, it's a long-shot idea, but I think that's only if another shortstop option not named Alcides Escobar lands in their laps in the near future, and legit shorstops are hard to find. They have an infielder at Triple-A, Nicky Lopez, who is a solid defender at second base that has played some shorstop in past minor league stops, but has played almost exclusively at second for Omaha. He's also a heck of a hitter, slashing .311/.364/.418 in 284 plate appearances with a ridiculous 22/18 BB/K ratio.

Lastly, they could decide to bring in outside help via trade or free agency. They've already gone the trade route and have gotten burned (Soler), with the jury still out on Phillips and Goodwin. Free agency-wise, the Royals can just forget about Bryce Harper, as there's no way they can afford him. Arizona's A.J. Pollock is making just $7.75M this season, but he's having a career year (4.2 WAR) in his age-30 season, and his asking price is likely going to double, perhaps triple. He'd be good enough in center field to allow Phillips to play in his more natural right field spot, and would surely give the Royals the best defensive outfield in the game when you combine them with Gordon on the other side of the field. Age-wise, he may not fit into the youthful rebuild, but he's well-liked around the league and respected as a clubhouse leader, so he'd be a great fit in a young clubhouse that already has a few leaders like Gordon and Salvador Perez occupying it. Otherwise, they may be better off holding onto Bonifacio and/or Soler to see if they can turn it around in their third season; as the other options are older, more expensive, and carry significantly more riskTwo days ago, the Royals dealt long-time third baseman Mike Moustakas to Milwaukee for outfielder Brett Phillips and relief pitcher Jorge Lopez. It's an odd trade in the respect that the Royals received somewhat-established MLB assets, but is widely considered one of the more head-scratching trades of the 2018 cycle so far due to the type of return respective to where the Royals are in the rebuild process. The lesser-known of the two, Lopez, is a high-octane thrower that sits with his fastball in the mid-90's and can run it up to 97; but has had command issues at nearly every stop in the minors, and even in a brief stay with the Brewers in September of last year, allowing four hits and a walk in two innings, his only career MLB appearance. The organization thinks pretty highly of him, as he was placed on the 40-man roster and reported to Triple-A Omaha, so it's almost a certainty you'll see him in September (or sooner).

His best season in the minors was 2015, where in twenty-four starts he fashioned a 2.26 ERA with nearly a strikeout per inning, and posted a 1.1 WHIP. However, after a strong start at Double-A in 2016, he was bumped up to the hitter-friendly PCL in Triple-A, and was bombed to the tune of a 6.81 ERA in seventeen outings (sixteen starts). Back in Double-A to begin 2017, he wasn't quite as effective, with thirteen starts (thirty-nine total appearances) and a 4.25 ERA, and solid strikeout numbers (105 K in 103 2/3 IP). However, he's taken a significant step back in 2018, with a 6.89 ERA in 32 2/3 Double-A innings, though with forty strikeouts. Walks have been an issue with thirteen in that same amount of innings, as well as homeruns (five). The Royals are obviously betting on his stuff and a change of scenery to jump-start his career. In addition to plus-velocity on his fastball, he has a plus-curveball and league-average changeup. If he can get his changeup to the level of his other two pitches, he has a future as a possible fourth or fifth starter.

The other piece received in the deal, Phillips, isn't a top prospect anymore, as he's graduated out of that status with his service time this year. It's rare, though, to see someone of his age and caliber get dealt at the deadline to a non-contending team. From a 30,000-foot view, he's likely the victim of a numbers game -- it's been difficult for Craig Counsell and the Brewers to find him at-bats since he's sharing an outfield with Lorenzo Cain, Domingo Santana, Christian Yelich, and Keon Broxton. They also have fast-rising outfield prospect Corey Ray in Double-A, who they consider to be in the majors by 2020.

In his first full season with the Brewers this year, Phillips slashed a remarkable .280/.354/.608 with thirteen homeruns and eight doubles in just 164 plate appearances, so over a full season (roughly 650 PA), you're looking at a 40+ homerun bat with a decent walk rate of just a hair over 10% based on those numbers. On the downside, he struck out forty-seven times, which is just a shade below 30%, so he's a boom-or-bust type that seems to go along with the recent trend in baseball. He's also never hit more than twenty homeruns in a season; rather, he's been more of a gap-to-gap hitter with 120 career doubles and 55 triples in the minors, so it stands to reason that the Brewers might be selling high on Phillips.

In addition, he's been disappointing against LHP in his professional career overall, but has a small sample size at the MLB level -- 8-for-43 (.186). His defense, though, is good enough for him to be an to be an everyday player in either CF or RF for the Royals, even if he's roughly a .250 hitter; and there's even talk he could be an heir apparent for Alex Gordon in left, although his bazooka arm is a bit wasted there.

Lastly, what do the Royals do post-Moose? Alcides Escobar has made his first two starts at third base ever the last two games, and looked comfortable in both. He doesn't have the range he used to at short, but makes all the routine plays and his above-average arm plays well at third. He obviously won't hit enough to stick there (unless the Escobar from April makes a comeback), but he'll be a nice stopgap until Cheslor Cuthbert returns from the disabled list. Another theory is that the Royals could be shopping Escobar as a post-deadline waiver trade piece for a team needing a cheap, versatile glove that can play second, short, or third.

[artoodeetoo]

Re: Royal Rebuild [OOTP 19]

MLB STATS & STANDINGS UPDATE

[artoodeetoo]

Re: Royal Rebuild [OOTP 19]

PITCHING MATCHUPS (07/31 - 08/02)

07/31: LHP Danny Duffy (8-10, 4.58) vs LHP Carlos Rodon (2-3, 5.05)
08/01: RHP Heath Fillmyer (1-1, 4.32) vs RHP Miguel Gonzalez (6-10, 4.63)
08/02: RHP Jake Junis (8-7, 3.73) vs RHP Spencer Adams (0-1, 7.00)

GAME RECAPS

July 31st, 2018
Royals (45-61) 6, White Sox (45-62) 4
Winner: Burch Smith (5-1) Loser: Xavier Cedeno (1-3) Save: Wily Peralta (6)

Royals Stop Skid With 6-4 Cliffhanger Victory

Kansas City managed to end July on a high note, as they notched a 6-4 win on the back of rookie Ryan O'Hearn, who delivered a 2-for-4 performance in his MLB debut, including a clutch two-out, eighth-inning double to center that cleared the bases that gave the Royals a 6-2 lead at the time. The eventual victor, Burch Smith, allowed a pair of runs in the bottom of the eighth to cut the lead in half, and then Wily Peralta loaded the bases via free passes in the ninth. However, he was able to get the final two outs to pick up save number six. Paulo Orlando also played a huge role in the victory, going 3-for-4 with a pair of doubles and an RBI. Danny Duffy picked up the victory by going six innings and allowing two runs, both on back-to-back solo homeruns in the sixth.

MLB SCOREBOARD
Kansas City (45-61) 6, Chicago (45-62) 4
Cincinnati (42-64) 5, Detroit (46-62) 4 (Final/10)
Baltimore (43-66) 7, NY Yankees (67-40) 0
LA Angels (51-57) 6, Tampa Bay (52-55) 7
Philadelphia (58-50) 4, Boston (71-39) 7
Toronto (45-60) 1, Oakland (59-49) 2 (Final/12)
Cleveland (58-48) 5, Minnesota (51-57) 6
Houston (64-45) 7, Seattle (53-54) 5
San Francisco (54-54) 2, San Diego (53-57) 7
NY Mets (50-56) 3, Washington (55-51) 2
Chi. Cubs (64-43) 4, Pittsburgh (56-51) 3 (Final/17)
Miami (37-71) 5, Atlanta (58-48) 4
Colorado (52-53) 7, St. Louis (54-53) 4
Milwaukee (61-49) 3, LA Dodgers (59-49) 4
Texas (47-61) 6, Arizona (62-47) 7 (Final/10)

August 1st, 2018
Royals (45-62) 0, White Sox (46-62) 4
Winner: Zack Burdi (2-1) Loser: Heath Fillmyer (1-2) Save: None

Royals Blanked 5-0 By Five White Sox Pitchers

Even with Miguel Gonzalez leaving due to an injury in the fourth inning, the Royals managed just two hits in a 4-0 loss to Chicago. Five different Chicago pitchers combined to shut Kansas City out, with Zack Burdi getting the victory. Heath Fillmyer got the ball for Kansas City, and allowed just three runs in six innings, walking none with just one strikeout in taking the loss. Brandon Maurer gave up an earned run in the eighth, but otherwise was solid in two innings of relief. Whit Merrifield and Adalberto Mondesi were the only two Royals to collect hits, with Merrifield hitting his 25th two-bagger of the season to lead off the ball game. With the loss, the Royals drop back into last place by a half-game behind both the White Sox and Tigers.

MLB SCOREBOARD
Kansas City (45-62) 0, Chicago (46-62) 4
Cincinnati (43-64) 3, Detroit (46-63) 2
Baltimore (43-67) 0, NY Yankees (68-40) 7
LA Angels (51-58) 1, Tampa Bay (53-55) 2
Toronto (46-60) 7, Oakland (59-50) 4
Cleveland (58-49) 1, Minnesota (52-57) 4
Houston (64-46) 3, Seattle (54-54) 4
NY Mets (51-56) 9, Washington (55-52) 7
Chi. Cubs (64-44) 4, Pittsburgh (57-51) 8
Miami (37-72) 0, Atlanta (59-48) 5
Colorado (53-53) 5, St. Louis (54-54) 4 (Final/11)
Milwaukee (61-50) 1, LA Dodgers (60-49) 11

August 2nd, 2018
Royals (45-63) 3, White Sox (47-62)
Winner: Bruce Rondon (4-2) Loser: Jake Junis (8-8) Save: Luis Avilan (5)

Bats Stifled Again In Defeat

Only Brett Phillips managed to collect more than one hit as the Royals fell by a 3-1 count to the White Sox to drop the three-game series on the road. Phillips had an infield single in the first, and then singled to center in the fourth, driving in Kansas City's only run of the game. Jake Junis had his best outing in since returning from the disabled list, going six innings and only making one real mistake, a first-inning three-run homerun by Yolmer Sanchez. He did walk four, but scattered just six hits in taking the loss, his fourth straight defeat to fall to 8-8. With the loss, the Royals fell to a season-worst eighteen games below .500 for the year.

MLB SCOREBOARD
Baltimore (43-68) 4, Texas (48-61) 5
Kansas City (45-63) 1, Chicago (47-62) 3
NY Yankees (69-40) 9, Boston (71-40) 7 (Final/13)
LA Angels (52-58) 12, Tampa Bay (53-56) 11
Toronto (46-61) 5, Seattle (55-54) 6 (Final/12)
Atlanta (60-48) 7, NY Mets (51-57) 2
San Francisco (55-54) 7, Arizona (62-48) 3 (Final/12)
Cincinnati (44-64) 6, Washington (55-53) 5
Miami (37-73) 1, Philadelphia (59-50) 6
San Diego (54-57) 10, Chi. Cubs (64-45) 7
Colorado (54-53) 15, St. Louis (54-55) 11 (Final/10)
Milwaukee (61-51) 3, LA Dodgers (61-49) 4

MAJOR NEWS/INJURIES/TRANSACTIONS
07/31: Texas RHP Doug Fister placed on 60-day disabled list (); ship RHP Keone Kela to Pittsburgh
07/31: Cardinals send OF Tommy Pham and cash to Tampa Bay for three prospects
07/31: Indians acquire OF Leonys Martin and minor-league RHP Kyle Dowdy from Detroit for top prospect Willi Castro
07/31: Arizona acquires LHP Jake Diekman and RHP Brad Ziegler in deals with Texas, Miami
07/31: Tampa Bay sends C Wilson Ramos to Philadelphia for cash; Philly also acquires LHP Aaron Loup from Toronto
07/31: Cubs acquire RHP Brandon Kintzler for pitching prospect Jhon Romero
07/31: Braves beef up staff by trading for Orioles RHP's O'Day and Gausman; send four prospects and cash in return
07/31: Maybin on the move: Mariners acquire Cameron Maybin for shortstop prospect Bryson Brigman and cash considerations
07/31: Dodgers acquire RHP John Axford from Toronto for minor-league RHP Corey Copping
07/31: Pirates acquire RHP Chris Archer from the Rays in blockbuster deal; sending RHP Tyler Glasnow, OF Austin Meadows, and PTBNL
07/31: Brewers, Orioles swap second basemen Schoop and Villar; Brewers send two additional prospects in return
07/31: Minnesota's Brian Dozier heads to the Dodgers in four-player swap that sends Logan Forsythe to the Twins in return
08/01: Harper, J.D. Martinez earn Batter of the Month awards for July
08/01: McCullers, Syndergaard win Pitcher of the Month awards for July
08/01: Bauers, McMahon named Rookies for the Month for July
08/02: Phillies place IF Asdrubal Cabrera on the 10-day disabled list (back strain)
08/02: Mets send 3B David Wright to Triple-A Las Vegas to begin rehab assignment

[artoodeetoo]

Re: Royal Rebuild [OOTP 19]

KANSAS CITY ROYALS (45-63) @ MINNESOTA TWINS (52-57)



PITCHING MATCHUPS

08/03: RHP Trevor Oaks (2-1, 5.50) vs RHP Jose Berrios (8-6, 3.26)
08/04: RHP Brad Keller (2-5, 4.68) vs LHP Adalberto Mejia (0-3, 7.42)
08/05: LHP Danny Duffy (8-10, 4.51) vs RHP Ervin Santana (6-7, 4.38)

GAME RECAPS

August 3rd, 2018
Royals (45-64) 4, Twins (53-57) 6
Winner: Tyler Kinley (3-0) Loser: Trevor Oaks (2-2) Save: Bud Norris (2)

Twins Turn Kansas City Back

Despite a 2-for-4 game from Adalberto Mondesi, including a seventh-inning three-run homerun, the Royals' late rally fell short by a 6-4 score. Jose Berrios pitched just four innings for Minnesota before leaving with a sore elbow, scattering three hits and a walk with just one run allowed. Max Kepler was 3-for-4 for the Twins, and Eddie Rosario was 1-for-4 with a homerun in the third off Trevor Oaks. Oaks went six and one-third innings, allowing six runs while fanning two and walking two.

MLB SCOREBOARD
NY Yankees (69-41) 10, Boston (72-40) 13 (Final/10)
Kansas City (45-64) 4, Minnesota (53-57) 6
LA Angels (52-59) 1, Cleveland (59-49) 5
Chi. Sox (47-63) 0, Tampa Bay (54-56) 1
Baltimore (43-69) 1, Texas (49-61) 2
Toronto (46-62) 11, Seattle (56-54) 14
Detroit (46-64) 4, Oakland (60-50) 5
San Diego (55-57) 6, Chi. Cubs (64-46) 3
Miami (37-74) 2, Philadelphia (60-50) 4
Cincinnati (45-64) 6, Washington (55-54) 3
St. Louis (54-56) 2, Pittsburgh (58-51) 6
Atlanta (60-49) 4, NY Mets (52-57) 8
San Francisco (55-55) 7, Arizona (63-48) 8
Colorado (55-53) 6, Milwaukee (61-52) 2
Houston (65-46) 6, LA Dodgers (61-50) 5

August 4th, 2018
Royals (46-64) 12, Twins (53-58) 4
Winner: Brad Keller (3-5) Loser: Adalberto Mejia (0-4) Save: None

Offense Comes Alive In Decisive Victory

Kansas City had not one, not two, but three bases-loaded doubles in this one, as they white-washed the Twins 12-4 to stop the Twins' four-game streak. Whit Merrifield, Lucas Duda, and Paulo Orlando all cleared the bases with a two-bagger, and Jorge Bonifacio also had an RBI double in the Royals' four-run second inning. Brad Keller pitched five scoreless innings, allowing just two hits and a walk before having to leave with what was diagnosed as a pinched nerve in his neck. Brian Flynn pitched one scoreless inning, and Tim Hill allowed just one run in two innings before giving way to Jason Hammel in the ninth, who surrendered a three-run homerun to Logan Forsythe.

MLB SCOREBOARD
NY Yankees (69-42) 1, Boston (73-40) 11
Kansas City (46-64) 12, Minnesota (53-58) 4
LA Angels (53-59) 5, Cleveland (59-50) 2
Chi. Sox (47-64) 0, Tampa Bay (55-56) 5
Baltimore (43-70) 2, Texas (50-61) 7
Toronto (46-63) 3, Seattle (57-54) 5
Detroit (47-64) 2, Oakland (60-51) 1
San Diego (55-58) 0, Chi. Cubs (65-46) 11
Miami (37-75) 1, Philadelphia (61-50) 4
Cincinnati (45-65) 6, Washington (56-54) 7
St. Louis (55-56) 8, Pittsburgh (58-52) 1
Atlanta (61-49) 6, NY Mets (52-58) 3 (Final/10)
San Francisco (56-55) 4, Arizona (63-49) 3
Colorado (55-54) 0, Milwaukee (62-52) 12
Houston (66-46) 4, LA Dodgers (61-51) 3 (Final/11)

August 2nd, 2018
Royals (45-63) 3, White Sox (47-62)
Winner: Danny Duffy (9-10) Loser: Ervin Santana (6-8) Save: Wily Peralta (7)

Royals Hang On; Claim Series Victory

Alex Gordon struck a pair of homeruns, and saved a hit with two outs in the ninth with a diving catch to seal the Royals' 8-7 victory. Danny Duffy threw a season-high 114 pitches, and picked up the hard-fought win with five and two-third innings, walking five and fanning four. Rosell Herrera hit his second homerun of the season, a three-run bomb in the first inning just several batters after Gordon's two-run homerun. Both of his homeruns this season have come at Target Field against Ervin Santana and the Twins. Down 8-3 in the ninth, Miguel Sano hit a grand slam to pull the Twins to within one, but Wily Peralta got the final two outs to pick up his seventh save.

MLB SCOREBOARD
NY Yankees (70-42) 9, Boston (73-41) 8
Kansas City (47-64) 8, Minnesota (53-59) 7
LA Angels (53-60) 1, Cleveland (60-50) 2 (Final/10)
Chi. Sox (47-65) 2, Tampa Bay (56-56) 8
Baltimore (43-71) 5, Texas (51-61) 12
Toronto (46-64) 0, Seattle (58-54) 4
Detroit (48-64) 6, Oakland (60-52) 2
San Diego (55-59) 2, Chi. Cubs (66-46) 5
Miami (38-75) 2, Philadelphia (61-51) 1
Cincinnati (45-66) 1, Washington (57-54) 3
St. Louis (55-57) 3, Pittsburgh (59-52) 4
Atlanta (61-50) 2, NY Mets (53-58) 6
San Francisco (57-55) 7, Arizona (63-50) 3
Colorado (56-54) 9, Milwaukee (62-53) 1
Houston (66-47) 5, LA Dodgers (62-51) 6

MAJOR NEWS/INJURIES/TRANSACTIONS
08/03: San Diego RHP Phil Maton placed on 60-day disabled list (bone chips in elbow)
08/03: Colorado OF David Dahl out for season with torn labrum; placed on 60-day disabled list
08/04: White Sox RHP Lucas Giolito to miss rest of 2018 season, possibly all of 2019 with torn UCL
08/05: Astros' Cole, Dodgers' Taylor suspended nine and four games respectively for role in bench-clearing fracas

[artoodeetoo]

Re: Royal Rebuild [OOTP 19]

OFFSEASON OUTLOOK: OUTFIELD
By artoodeetoo
08/06/2018

With the additions of Brett Phillips and Brian Goodwin in recent trades, the Royals' outfield suddenly looks crowded heading into the second half of 2018, and then 2019. You have to figure that Alex Gordon will assuredly return in left field next season, and Phillips will man either center or right field, leaving others like Jorge Bonifacio, Jorge Soler, Goodwin, Rosell Herrera, and possibly Bubba Starling or a free agent signing/trade acquisition battling for the other spot.

He's a natural right fielder, but Phillips' range and cannon arm play better in Kauffman Stadium's spacious center field, so let's assume he assumes the full-time role there. Bonifacio and Soler are natural right fielders by trade; and both right-handed, so they would be the presumed front-runners. Starling has never shown he can hit on a consistent basis; even at the Triple-A level, but he's considered excellent defensively in both center and right. That said, the Royals would have to find a bat or two elsewhere to make up for Starling's presumed lack of offensive production to make him worthwhile. Herrera and Goodwin would likely be odd men out or bench bats in this scenario; although Herrera also has playing experience in the infield as well.

Kansas City, namely Dayton Moore in the past, has also bandied about the idea of moving Adalberto Mondesi off shortstop and into the outfield, as he's struggled with throwing errors in his couple of months with the big club. He's shagged fly balls in practice and pre-game warmups before, but has not played an actual game inning in any outfield spot since his early days in the minors. Mind you, it's a long-shot idea, but I think that's only if another shortstop option not named Alcides Escobar lands in their laps in the near future, and legit shorstops are hard to find. They have an infielder at Triple-A, Nicky Lopez, who is a solid defender at second base that has played some shorstop in past minor league stops, but has played almost exclusively at second for Omaha. He's also a heck of a hitter, slashing .311/.364/.418 in 284 plate appearances with a ridiculous 22/18 BB/K ratio.

Lastly, they could decide to bring in outside help via trade or free agency. They've already gone the trade route and have gotten burned (Soler), with the jury still out on Phillips and Goodwin. Free agency-wise, the Royals can just forget about Bryce Harper, as there's no way they can afford him. Arizona's A.J. Pollock is making just $7.75M this season, but he's having a career year (4.2 WAR) in his age-30 season, and his asking price is likely going to double, perhaps triple. He'd be good enough in center field to allow Phillips to play in his more natural right field spot, and would surely give the Royals the best defensive outfield in the game when you combine them with Gordon on the other side of the field. Age-wise, he may not fit into the youthful rebuild, but he's well-liked around the league and respected as a clubhouse leader, so he'd be a great fit in a young clubhouse that already has a few leaders like Gordon and Salvador Perez occupying it. Otherwise, they may be better off holding onto Bonifacio and/or Soler to see if they can turn it around in their third season; as the other options are older, more expensive, and carry significantly more risk.

[artoodeetoo]

Re: Royal Rebuild [OOTP 19]

CHICAGO CUBS (66-46) @ KANSAS CITY ROYALS (47-64)



PITCHING MATCHUPS

08/06: LHP Jon Lester (11-5, 4.12) vs RHP Heath Fillmyer (1-2, 4.35)
08/07: LHP Cole Hamels (5-11, 6.19) vs RHP Jake Junis (8-8, 3.76)
08/08: RHP Yu Darvish (8-4, 3.63) vs RHP Trevor Oaks (2-5, 5.95)

GAME RECAPS

August 6th, 2018
Cubs (66-47) 9, Royals (48-64) 11 (Final/10)
Winner: Wily Peralta (1-3) Loser: Carl Edwards Jr. (3-4) Save: None

Royals Claim Wild Extra-Inning Tilt

The Royals hit five homeruns, including the game-winner from Whit Merrifield in the bottom of the 10th inning, as the Royals won a late-inning see-saw game by an 11-9 count. However, if it weren't for a two-run throwing error by Merrifield with two outs in the ninth and the Royals up 8-5, his 10th-inning heroics wouldn't have mattered. The Cubs would go on to score two more on a single by the next hitter, Addison Russell, to take a 9-8 lead. Justin Wilson came on for the save, but two pitches into his first matchup with Salvador Perez, the Royals catcher hit a laser into the fountains to tie the game, but Wilson buckled down to get the last three outs. Wily Peralta pitched a scoreless tenth to set up Merrifield's heroics. In addition to his game-winning homerun, he also homered and tripled earlier in the game as part of a 3-for-6 day. Overshadowed by Merrifield, Brett Phillips also homered twice off Jon Lester, which were his first two homeruns in a Royals uniform; and also came in his Kauffman Stadium debut.

MLB SCOREBOARD
Seattle (59-54) 10, Texas (51-62) 7
Chi. Cubs (66-47) 9, Kansas City (48-64) 11 (Final/10)
Minnesota (54-59) 7, Cleveland (60-51) 6
NY Yankees (71-42) 7, Chi. Sox (47-66) 2
Detroit (49-64) 11, LA Angels (53-61) 3
Cincinnati (46-66) 3, NY Mets (53-59) 0
St. Louis (56-57) 9, Miami (38-76) 4
Pittsburgh (59-53) 3, Colorado (57-54) 7
Houston (67-47) 3, San Francisco (57-56) 2
Philadelphia (61-52) 5, Arizona (64-50) 6

August 7th, 2018
Cubs (66-48) 3, Royals (49-64) 4 (Final/12)
Winner: Jason Hammel (6-6) Loser: Jesse Chavez (3-2) Save: None

Another Dramatic Victory

With a walk-off victory already in hand in this series, the Royals went back to that well again in this one as Ryan O'Hearn's first MLB homerun was a memorable one. Pinch-hitting for Jorge Bonifacio in the ninth, he flew out to center, but got another chance against Jesse Chavez in the bottom of the 11th, and the rookie pushed the ball just over the left-center wall to claim the victory. Jake Junis looked like his old self, allowing just two unearned runs in seven and one-third innings, fanning five with just one walk, but thanks to another Whit Merrifield error he didn't factor into the decision. Former Cub Jason Hammel got the victory in relief by pitching three and two-third solid innings, allowing five hits and a walk. Kansas City has now won four straight.

MLB SCOREBOARD
LA Dodgers (62-52) 2, Oakland (61-52) 5
Baltimore (44-71) 1, Tampa Bay (56-57) 0
Seattle (59-55) 3, Texas (52-62) 4
Boston (73-42) 3, Toronto (47-64) 4
Chi. Cubs (66-48) 3, Kansas City (49-64) 4 (Final/12)
Minnesota (54-60) 2, Cleveland (61-51) 6
NY Yankees (72-42) 5, Chi. Sox (47-67) 2
Detroit (49-65) 4, LA Angels (54-61) 5 (Final/10)
San Diego (56-59) 5, Milwaukee (62-54) 2
Atlanta (61-51) 2, Washington (58-54) 9
Cincinnati (47-66) 10, NY Mets (53-60) 4
St. Louis (57-57) 6, Miami (38-77) 0
Pittsburgh (60-53) 8, Colorado (57-55) 3
Houston (68-47) 3, San Francisco (57-57) 2
Philadelphia (61-53) 0, Arizona (65-50) 3

August 8th, 2018
Cubs (66-49) 4, Royals (50-64) 6
Winner: Tim Hill (3-4) Loser: Pedro Strop (4-3) Save: None

Kauffman Kardiac Kids

Rookie Ryan O'Hearn again sent the fans home happy with a walk-off homerun, as he drilled a two-run shot off Pedro Strop into the fountains beyond the right-center field wall in a 6-4 triumph. With the homerun, he became the first player in team history to have his first two career homeruns be of the walk-off variety. Trevor Oaks pitched brilliantly after a couple of rough starts, going six innings while allowing just one run with four strikeouts. Brett Phillips added his third homerun for the Royals (16th overall), while Adalberto Mondesi doubled twice, drove in a run, and scored a run.

MLB SCOREBOARD
NY Yankees (72-42) @ Chi. Sox (47-67) -- PPD
LA Dodgers (63-52) 6, Oakland (61-53) 1
Baltimore (45-71) 2, Tampa Bay (56-58) 1
Seattle (59-56) 3, Texas (53-62) 4
Boston (73-43) 0, Toronto (48-64) 3
Chi. Cubs (66-49) 4, Kansas City (50-64) 6
Minnesota (55-60) 4, Cleveland (61-52) 3
Detroit (50-65) 9, LA Angels (54-62) 3
San Diego (56-60) 1, Milwaukee (63-54) 2 (Final/10)
Atlanta (62-51) 5, Washington (58-55) 4
Cincinnati (47-67) 0, NY Mets (54-60) 4
St. Louis (58-57) 5, Miami (38-78) 2
Pittsburgh (61-53) 3, Colorado (57-56) 1
Philadelphia (61-54) 3, Arizona (66-50) 7

MAJOR NEWS/INJURIES/TRANSACTIONS
08/06: Stanton, CarGo pick up Player of the Week awards
08/07: Red Sox, Yankees maintain top two spots in new power rankings after contentious series
08/07: Dodgers activate and placed 2B Chase Utley on waivers
08/08: Giants designate LHP Tony Watson for assignment

[artoodeetoo]

Re: Royal Rebuild [OOTP 19]

MLB STANDINGS & STATS UPDATE

[artoodeetoo]

Re: Royal Rebuild [OOTP 19]

MINOR LEAGUE STANDINGS UPDATE (PART I)

[artoodeetoo]

Re: Royal Rebuild [OOTP 19]

MINOR LEAGUE STANDINGS UPDATE (PART II)

[artoodeetoo]

Re: Royal Rebuild [OOTP 19]

ST. LOUIS CARDINALS (58-57) @ KANSAS CITY ROYALS (50-64)



PITCHING MATCHUPS

08/10: RHP Carlos Martinez (11-8, 4.07) vs RHP Brad Keller (3-5, 4.25)
08/11: RHP Michael Wacha (7-10, 4.63) vs LHP Danny Duffy (9-10, 4.40)
08/12: RHP Luke Weaver (7-4, 4.12) vs RHP Heath Fillmyer (1-2, 4.38)

GAME RECAPS

August 10th, 2018
Cardinals (59-57) 6, Royals (50-65) 2
Winner: Tyler Lyons (5-0) Loser: Brad Keller (3-6) Save: None

Fowler, Cardinals Snap Royals' Streak

Dexter Fowler's seventh-inning grand slam off Burch Smith was the decisive blow as St. Louis snapped the Royals' five-game streak in a 6-2 defeat. Fowler also doubled in the fourth inning. Justin Williams was 3-for-5 with a double, and Carson Kelly doubled twice in the contest. Brad Keller pitched admirably, going six-plus innings allowing three earned runs on eight hits, while walking two and fanning five. The Royals' only runs came on a third-inning single from Lucas Duda, driving in a pair of runs off Carlos Martinez.

MLB SCOREBOARD
Boston (74-44) 3, Baltimore (45-73) 2
St. Louis (59-57) 6, Kansas City (50-65) 2
Texas (53-64) 8, NY Yankees (74-42) 11
Tampa Bay (58-58) 4, Toronto (49-65) 2
Minnesota (55-62) 5, Detroit (51-65) 8
Seattle (59-58) 5, Houston (70-47) 14
Cleveland (63-52) 4, Chi. Sox (47-68) 3
Oakland (61-54) 1, LA Angels (55-62) 2
Washington (58-57) 0, Chi. Cubs (67-49) 3
NY Mets (55-60) 3, Miami (38-79) 1
Arizona (66-51) 8, Cincinnati (48-67) 12
Milwaukee (64-55) 0, Atlanta (64-51) 2
LA Dodgers (64-53) 5, Colorado (58-57) 3
Pittsburgh (61-55) 2, San Francisco (59-57) 3
Philadelphia (61-55) 2, San Diego (57-61) 10

August 11th, 2018
Cardinals (60-57) 4, Royals (50-66) 1
Winner: Michael Wacha (8-10) Loser: Danny Duffy (9-11) Save: Luke Gregerson (21)

Cards Win Pitchers' Duel, 4-1

Danny Duffy fanned eleven with no walks, but allowed a pair of solo homeruns in a 4-1 defeat to the visiting Cardinals. Duffy also left after just ninety-two pitches with shoulder soreness. His counterpart, Michael Wacha, was sensational in allowing one run and four hits over seven innings, fanning ten Royals with no walks. Salvador Perez was the only Royal to drive in a run, singling to left to tie the game at one apiece in the third. The Cards added single tallies in the sixth, seventh, and eighth innings to pull away late, as they've now won five straight and have stopped the red-hot Royals cold after a five-game winning streak of their own.

MLB SCOREBOARD
Boston (74-45) 3, Baltimore (46-73) 5
St. Louis (60-57) 4, Kansas City (50-66) 1
Texas (54-64) 3, NY Yankees (74-43) 1
Tampa Bay (59-58) 4, Toronto (49-66) 3 (Final/10)
Minnesota (56-62) 6, Detroit (51-66) 3
Seattle (59-59) 2, Houston (71-47) 6
Cleveland (64-52) 4, Chi. Sox (47-69) 3
Oakland (61-55) 2, LA Angels (56-62) 5
Washington (59-57) 6, Chi. Cubs (67-50) 3
NY Mets (55-61) 4, Miami (39-79) 12
Arizona (67-51) 5, Cincinnati (48-68) 1
Milwaukee (65-55) 8, Atlanta (64-52) 3
LA Dodgers (64-54) 6, Colorado (59-57) 10
Pittsburgh (61-56) 5, San Francisco (60-57) 9
Philadelphia (61-56) 4, San Diego (58-61) 10

August 12th, 2018
Cardinals (60-58) 4, Royals (51-66) 6
Winner: Tim Hill (3-4) Loser: Pedro Strop (4-3) Save: None

Royals Hang On For Victory

Lucas Duda homered, singled, and drove in four runs as the Royals salvaged the final game of the season series with the Cardinals by a 6-4 count. Heath Fillmyer gave the Royals another strong outing, going five and two-third innings while allowing three runs and fanning five. Alex Gordon collected a pair of hits and an RBI, and Salvador Perez also added an RBI double in the fifth off Cardinals starter Luke Weaver. Wily Peralta surrendered a leadoff homerun in the ninth, but had came on with two outs in the eighth, and worked around that homerun to get the four-out save, his eighth. The win assured the Royals would not get swept in the season series with their intrastate rivals.

MLB SCOREBOARD
Boston (75-45) 12, Baltimore (46-74) 4
St. Louis (60-58) 4, Kansas City (51-66) 6
Texas (54-65) 2, NY Yankees (75-43) 7
Tampa Bay (59-59) 2, Toronto (50-66) 3
Minnesota (57-62) 4, Detroit (51-67) 1
Seattle (59-60) 6, Houston (72-47) 9
Cleveland (65-52) 7, Chi. Sox (47-70) 3
Oakland (61-56) 6, LA Angels (57-62) 7
Washington (59-58) 1, Chi. Cubs (68-50) 3
NY Mets (55-62) 2, Miami (40-79) 5
Arizona (68-51) 6, Cincinnati (48-69) 5 (Final/10)
Milwaukee (65-56) 0, Atlanta (65-52) 7
LA Dodgers (64-55) 2, Colorado (60-57) 5
Pittsburgh (61-57) 11, San Francisco (61-57) 12
Philadelphia (62-56) 4, San Diego (58-62) 3 (Final/10)

MAJOR NEWS/INJURIES/TRANSACTIONS
08/09: Tigers deal RHP Mike Fiers to Oakland for minor-league pitcher McKenzie Mills
08/10: Astros' Verlander picks up 200th win in 14-5 victory over Seattle
08/10: Red Sox send LHP David Price to Triple-A Pawtucket for rehab stint
08/11: Milwaukee activates RHP Joakim Soria from the disabled list; designates RHP Matt Albers for assignment
08/12: Angels RHP Blake Parker returns from rehab assignment
08/12: Royals transfer OF Jorge Soler from 10-day to 60-day disabled list (broken toe)

[artoodeetoo]

Re: Royal Rebuild [OOTP 19]

DUFFY PLACED ON DISABLED LIST; SPARKMAN RE-CALLED
By artoodeetoo
08/13/2018

Kansas City placed southpaw Danny Duffy on the disabled list (retroactive to 08/11/2018) with a shoulder impingement issue, according to Ned Yost on today's teleconference. Yost noted that Duffy began feeling discomfort in the fifth inning, but pitched through it on his way to eleven strikeouts and no free passes in just six and one-third innings.

Just one day after being sent down to Omaha, righty Glenn Sparkman was re-called to take his place in the rotation, and will throw about 65-70 pitches tonight in his first MLB start. Burch Smith and Blaine Boyer, just up from the minors in a rehab assignment, will likely get the ball after Sparkman reaches his pitch limit for the game.

Duffy is 9-10 this season with a 4.38 ERA in twenty-two starts for the Royals.

[artoodeetoo]

Re: Royal Rebuild [OOTP 19]

TORONTO BLUE JAYS (50-66) @ KANSAS CITY ROYALS (51-66)



PITCHING MATCHUPS

08/13: RHP Marcus Stroman (5-7, 4.07) vs RHP Glenn Sparkman (0-0, 8.49)
08/14: LHP Bryan Woodall (0-2, 3.46) vs RHP Jorge Lopez (0-0, 0.00)
08/15: LHP Jaime Garcia (6-9, 6.39) vs RHP Jake Junis (8-8, 3.57)
08/16: RHP Aaron Sanchez (6-6, 2.96) vs RHP Trevor Oaks (2-2, 5.40)

GAME RECAPS

August 13th, 2018
Blue Jays (51-66) 8, Royals (51-67) 6
Winner: Marcus Stroman (6-7) Loser: Jason Hammel (6-7) Save: Ken Giles (28)

Royals Can't Hang On Despite Big First Inning

Kansas City's first six hitters reached base en route to batting around and putting a six on the board in the first inning against Marcus Stroman, but the Blue Jays went off in the late innings, putting up eight unanswered runs overall as the Royals fell by an 8-6 count. Fresh off a rehab stint in the minors after a lengthy stay on the disabled list, Blaine Boyer surrendered a pair of homeruns and five earned runs in all in just an inning and two-thirds of relief, only to be followed by Jason Hammel, who surrendered a two-run shot to 19-year-old third baseman Vladimir Guerrero, Jr., for his second MLB homerun. Stroman settled in after the rough first inning, and fired six straight scoreless innings, allowing just one hit and one walk each in that time.

MLB SCOREBOARD
Toronto (51-66) 8, Kansas City (51-67) 6
Arizona (68-52) 8, Texas (55-65) 9
Chi. Sox (48-70) 9, Detroit (51-68) 1
Seattle (59-61) 3, Oakland (62-56) 8
Cleveland (65-53) 3, Cincinnati (49-69) 6
Washington (60-58) 2, St. Louis (60-59) 1
Miami (40-80) 5, Atlanta (66-52) 6
LA Angels (58-62) 6, San Diego (58-63) 1
San Francisco (62-57) 3, LA Dodgers (64-56) 0

August 14th, 2018
Blue Jays (51-66) @ Royals (51-67) -- PPD, re-scheduled for 1 PM 08/15/2018

MLB SCOREBOARD
Toronto (51-66) @ Kansas City (51-67) -- PPD
Pittsburgh (62-57) 6, Minnesota (57-63) 5
Colorado (60-58) 11, Houston (73-47) 14
NY Mets (55-63) 2, Baltimore (47-74) 3 (Final/12)
Tampa Bay (59-60) 7, NY Yankees (76-43) 11
Arizona (68-53) 5, Texas (56-65) 9
Chi. Sox (48-71) 9, Detroit (52-68) 10
Seattle (59-62) 2, Oakland (63-56) 8
Milwaukee (65-57) 0, Chi. Cubs (69-50) 8
Cleveland (66-53) 11, Cincinnati (49-70) 8
Boston (76-45) 7, Philadelphia (62-57) 5
Washington (61-58) 6, St. Louis (60-60) 1
Miami (41-80) 11, Atlanta (66-53) 7
LA Angels (58-63) 1, San Diego (59-63) 5
San Francisco (62-58) 1, LA Dodgers (65-56) 8

August 15th, 2018
Blue Jays (52-66) 4, Royals (51-68) 7 (Game 1)
Blue Jays (53-66) 3, Royals (51-69) 4 (Game 2)
Game 1 Winner: Ryan Tepera (4-5) Game 1 Loser: Wily Peralta (1-4) Game 1 Save: Ken Giles (29)
Game 2 Winner: Carlos A. Ramirez (2-2) Game 2 Loser: Brian Flynn (0-3) Game 2 Save: Ken Giles (30)

Royals Drop Both Ends Of Twinbill

After getting rained out yesterday, the Royals played a day-night doubleheader and were swept by the Blue Jays, falling 7-4 in the first game, and 4-3 in the second. In the first game, the Royals held a 4-3 lead after seven innings, but the combination of Tim Hill and Wily Peralta allowed four earned runs with Peralta surrendering a tie-breaking two-run homerun to Curtis Granderson in the ninth. Jorge Lopez, who was the other half of the return in the Moustakas trade; was called up just prior to the game after the Royals released Blaine Boyer yesterday and was solid in allowing three earned runs in four and two-third innings. His command was suspect, with four walks and two hit batsmen, but fanned five and scattered just five hits. He was on a pitch limit of ninety pitches after several 80-85 pitch starts with Omaha, although he went over that mark slightly with ninety-four.

The nightcap played out much in the same way, as the Royals were tied at two headed into the ninth. Jake Junis had just hurled eight and one-third masterful innings of two-run ball, and one of the more reliable relievers for the squad this year, Brian Flynn, came on with one out in the inning to face the left-handed hitting Curtis Granderson, who promptly singled to right before the next hitter, Troy Tulowitzki, launched a two-run homerun to break the tie. The Royals mounted a rally in the ninth off new Blue Jays closer Ken Giles with a homerun from Alex Gordon with one out, and they had a man on first with two outs, but Paulo Orlando flied out to end the rally. Gordon had three hits in the game; falling a triple short of the cycle, and was 5-for-7 in the twinbill overall. Brett Phillips also had a solid doubleheader, going 3-for-7 with a homerun, triple, and single.

MLB SCOREBOARD
Toronto (52-66) 4, Kansas City (51-68) 3 (G1)
Toronto (53-66) 7, Kansas City (51-69) 4 (G2)
Pittsburgh (62-58) 4, Minnesota (58-63) 5
Colorado (60-59) 0, Houston (74-47) 16
NY Mets (55-64) 3, Baltimore (48-74) 5
Tampa Bay (59-61) 2, NY Yankees (77-43) 3
Arizona (68-53) 5, Texas (56-65) 9
Chi. Sox (48-72) 3, Detroit (53-68) 9
Seattle (60-62) 1, Oakland (63-57) 0 (Final/11)
Milwaukee (66-57) 3, Chi. Cubs (69-51) 0
Cleveland (67-53) 5, Cincinnati (49-71) 3 (Final/10)
Boston (76-46) 4, Philadelphia (63-57) 5 (Final/10)
Washington (62-58) 3, St. Louis (60-61) 1
Miami (42-80) 3, Atlanta (66-54) 1
LA Angels (59-63) 4, San Diego (59-64) 2
San Francisco (62-59) 2, LA Dodgers (66-56) 3

August 16th, 2018
Blue Jays (53-67) 0, Royals (52-69) 1
Winner: Trevor Oaks (3-2) Loser: Aaron Sanchez (6-7) Save: Burch Smith (2)

Oaks Brilliant As Royals Salvage Final Game

It was the kind of game that the Royals envisioned when they traded for Trevor Oaks in the offseason. After several rough outings in a row, Oaks limited the Blue Jays to just five hits over seven and two-third innings (114 pitches, 88 strikes), fanning eight with no walks as the Royals slipped past Toronto by the skin of their teeth in a 1-0 decision. In his last two starts, Oaks has gone 13 2/3 innings with just one earned run and twelve strikeouts to one walk. Brian Flynn and Burch Smith combined for the final inning and one-third, although Flynn faced just one hitter (Justin Smoak), and surrendered a base hit. Smith recorded the final four outs to pick up his second save of the season. Brett Phillips was the offensive hero for the Royals, going 2-for-2 with the game's only RBI, a sacrifice fly to score Jorge Bonifacio in the sixth inning off Aaron Sanchez. He also walked in the second, singled in the fourth, and added a triple in the eighth. Sanchez was the tough-luck loser, allowing just one run in five and two-third innings, striking out seven Royals with just one walk.

MLB SCOREBOARD
Detroit (54-68) 7, Minnesota (58-64) 6
Toronto (53-67) 0, Kansas City (52-69) 1
LA Angels (59-64) 1, Texas (57-65) 3
Tampa Bay (59-62) 3, NY Yankees (78-43) 5
NY Mets (56-64) 3, Philadelphia (63-58) 2
Colorado (61-59) 10, Atlanta (66-55) 6
Chi. Cubs (70-51) 11, Pittsburgh (62-59) 6
Washington (62-59) 4, St. Louis (61-61) 5
Arizona (68-54) 5, San Diego (60-64) 6 (Final/10)

MAJOR NEWS/INJURIES/TRANSACTIONS
08/13: Royals place LHP Danny Duffy on 10-day disabled list; retroactive to 08/11/2018 (left shoulder impingement)
08/13: Springer, Harper named Players of the Week
08/14: Nats' Murphy to miss three to four weeks with pinched nerve, placed on 10-day disabled list
08/14: Cubs' Darvish whiffs sixteen Brewers in 8-0 whitewashing
08/15: Red Sox activate LHP David Price
08/15: Twins activate RHP Michael Pineda
08/15: Mets activate 3B David Wright
08/16: White Sox RHP Spencer Adams out for rest of season with torn UCL, will likely need Tommy John procedure
08/16: Cubs acquire speedy OF Terrance Gore from the Royals; place on 40-man roster

[artoodeetoo]

Re: Royal Rebuild [OOTP 19]

OFFSEASON OUTLOOK: ROTATION
By artoodeetoo
08/17/2018

In 2018, the Royals' rotation has seen its fair share of injuries. Before the regular season even started, rotation hopefuls Nathan Karns and Jesse Hahn landed on the disabled list, and only now has Hahn began to seriously work his way back. It's unlikely that Karns sees the field until 2019, as he is now recovering from an elbow issue after undergoing thoracic outlet surgery over the last winter. Ian Kennedy, Eric Skoglund, Jake Junis, Jason Hammel, and now Danny Duffy have all seen DL stints, leaving a lot of unproven prospects behind to handle the workload. Hammel was so ineffective as a starter, he was moved to the bullpen just prior to the All-Star Break. Skoglund is another that has dealt with a nagging issue, and he has a coinciding rehab stint with Hahn in Omaha.

Rookies are dominating the rotation, with righties Brad Keller, Heath Fillmyer, and Trevor Oaks leading the way. Keller and Fillmyer have been the most successful to date, although Oaks is coming off back-to-back solid outings. Acquired from Oakland in the Hahn trade last November, Fillmyer has been the most consistent of the three, posting quality starts in four of his six starts, and has gone at least five innings in all six starts. He was also the only one of the three to come away from the New York series in the Bronx relatively unscathed (3 ER in 5 IP). There are questions about where his future ultimately lies, as he has been graded out as having just two plus-pitches, a fastball in the mid to upper 90's, and a 12-6 hook to go with a changeup that while developing, is not considered to be a league-average pitch at this point by most scouts.

Oaks is coming off back-to-back solid starts, with his most impressive start to date coming in yesterday's 1-0 win over Toronto, where he pitched to no earned runs over seven and two-third innings, fanning eight while scattering five hits with no walks. In fact, Oaks has surrendered just five walks in fifty-six innings, for a paltry 0.9 BB/9 ratio. However, he's only racking up strikeouts to the tune of 4.5 K/9, which is concerning long-term. In fact, all three of them have struggled to miss bats, with Oaks' 4.5 K/9 the best of the three. Keller is only striking out hitters at a rate of 4.4 K/9, with Fillmyer clocking in at 4.2 K/9. The other two have shown solid command, with Keller's 1.8 BB/9 and Fillmyer's 2.1 BB/9 both very good numbers. The Royals' staff as a whole has been stingy with walks, allowing the third-fewest walks in the American League with 312. A lot of that is thanks to first-year pitching coach Cal Eldred, whom the pitchers have credited.

Going forward, you have to figure that Duffy and Junis are the team's definite number-one and two (I think it might be fair to say Junis is the team's best), but it wouldn't shock me to see the Royals make a move for another starter this offseason to let some or all of the aforementioned rookies develop in the minors for a year. Keller might be the most likely to do this, as he's just twenty-two and a Rule 5 pick from last year. He didn't see Triple-A hitters until this season, let alone MLB hitters, and could use some development on his secondary pitches. Remember, Ian Kennedy still has two years remaining on his contract after this season, and unless the Royals find a taker for his ghastly salary, he'll be slotted somewhere in the rotation, which will likely hinder the Royals in free agency. Their best bet at this point is a bounce-back type year from Duffy, continued improvement from Junis, and hope that one or two of Oaks, Skoglund, Fillmyer, and Keller hit in a big way. Or Jesse Hahn and/or Nate Karns return healthy in 2019.