Royal Rebuild [OOTP 19]

[artoodeetoo]

Re: Royal Rebuild [OOTP 19]

KANSAS CITY (52-69) @ CHICAGO WHITE SOX (48-72)



PITCHING MATCHUPS

08/17: RHP Brad Keller (3-6, 4.28) vs LHP Carlos Rodon (2-5, 5.48)
08/18: RHP Heath Fillmyer (2-2, 4.43) vs RHP Miguel Gonzalez (6-12, 5.05)
08/19: RHP Jorge Lopez (0-0, 5.79) vs RHP Carson Fulmer (7-6, 5.85)

GAME RECAPS

August 17th, 2018
Royals (53-69) 5, White Sox (48-73) 1
Winner: Brad Keller (4-6) Loser: Carlos Rodon (2-6) Save: Tim Hill (3)

Royals Pull Away Late; Claim 5-1 Victory

Brad Keller pitched seven and one-third innings of one-run ball, and Whit Merrifield homered twice and doubled as the Royals took a 5-1 decision at Chicago. Shortstop Adalberto Mondesi collected three hits of his own, driving in a pair of runs and scoring twice himself. Merrifield kicked off the scoring two pitches into the contest, taking a 1-0 fastball from Carlos Rodon and depositing the ball in the left field seats. As part of a two-run ninth inning, he added his second homerun of the game, his 13th homerun of the season. Kansas City also added single tallies in the second and fifth innings, including an additional run in the ninth with a Mondesi solo shot. The only run of the game by the White Sox was on a fielder's choice in the sixth inning.

MLB SCOREBOARD
Kansas City (53-69) 5, Chi. Sox (48-73) 1
Baltimore (48-75) 4, Cleveland (68-53) 6
Toronto (54-67) 6, NY Yankees (78-44) 4
Tampa Bay (59-63) 1, Boston (77-46) 6
LA Angels (59-65) 1, Texas (58-65) 3
Houston (75-47) 9, Oakland (63-58) 4
Detroit (55-68) 9, Minnesota (58-65) 1
LA Dodgers (66-57) 2, Seattle (61-62) 5
Miami (43-80) 6, Washington (62-60) 2 (G1)
Miami (44-80) 18, Washington (62-61) 2 (G2)
Chi. Cubs (70-52) 3, Pittsburgh (63-59) 4
NY Mets (56-65) 3, Philadelphia (64-58) 6
San Francisco (63-59) 4, Cincinnati (49-72) 3
Milwaukee (67-57) 2, St. Louis (61-62) 1
Colorado (61-60) 2, Atlanta (67-55) 4
Arizona (68-55) 0, San Diego (61-64) 3

August 18th, 2018
Royals (54-69) 4, White Sox (48-74) 2
Winner: Heath Fillmyer (3-2) Loser: Miguel Gonzalez (6-13) Save: Wily Peralta (9)

White Sox Error Key In Victory

A two-run error by Chicago shortstop Tim Anderson proved to be the crucial play of the game, as the Royals ended up winning by two in a 4-2 decision. Thyago Vieira replaced Miguel Gonzalez in the top of the sixth after a leadoff single from Salvador Perez, followed by a Lucas Duda double put runners on second and third with no one out. With the infield in, Anderson seemed to take his eye off the ball in trying to keep Perez on third, as the ball squirted by him into short left field, allowing both Perez and Duda to score to make the score 3-1 at the time, before Alcides Escobar added an RBI single later in the frame to score Bonifacio. Heath Fillmyer picked up the victory, allowing two earned runs in six innings, both on solo homeruns. He struggled with his command at times, issuing three walks, but managed to scatter just six hits over those six innings. Just called up from Omaha, rookie reliever Jake Newberry made his MLB debut, going one and one-third scoreless with one hit allowed, and a strikeout of Welington Castillo in his initial one-third inning.

MLB SCOREBOARD
Kansas City (53-69) 5, Chi. Sox (48-73) 1
Baltimore (48-75) 4, Cleveland (68-53) 6
Toronto (54-67) 6, NY Yankees (78-44) 4
Tampa Bay (59-63) 1, Boston (77-46) 6
LA Angels (59-65) 1, Texas (58-65) 3
Houston (75-47) 9, Oakland (63-58) 4
Detroit (55-68) 9, Minnesota (58-65) 1
LA Dodgers (66-57) 2, Seattle (61-62) 5
Miami (43-80) 6, Washington (62-60) 2 (G1)
Miami (44-80) 18, Washington (62-61) 2 (G2)
Chi. Cubs (70-52) 3, Pittsburgh (63-59) 4
NY Mets (56-65) 3, Philadelphia (64-58) 6
San Francisco (63-59) 4, Cincinnati (49-72) 3
Milwaukee (67-57) 2, St. Louis (61-62) 1
Colorado (61-60) 2, Atlanta (67-55) 4
Arizona (68-55) 0, San Diego (61-64) 3

August 19th, 2018
Royals (54-70) 3, White Sox (49-74) 4
Winner: Nate Jones (3-1) Loser: Wily Peralta (1-5) Save: None

Abreu's Walk-off Walk Wins It For White Sox

Alcides Escobar was 2-for-4 with three RBI, including an RBI double, but a bases-loaded walk to Jose Abreu with two outs in the ninth brought home the winning run as the Royals dropped the final game of the series by a 4-3 score. Wily Peralta, on to preserve a 3-3 tie, loaded the bases with two hits and a walk in the inning, but fanned the next two only to issue the game-winning free pass to Abreu. A two-run homerun from Nicky Delmonico in the first kicked off the scoring, before Kansas City got on the board with Escobar's two-out double in the fourth off Carson Fulmer to bring home two runs, and Escobar singled home a run in his next at-bat in the sixth. Starting pitcher Jorge Lopez left after five innings in a position to get the victory, but a homerun from Jefry Marte in the seventh off reliever Glenn Sparkman tied the score at three. Lopez allowed two runs, fanning five and walking two while scattering three hits.

MLB SCOREBOARD
Kansas City (54-70) 3, Chi. Sox (49-74) 4
Baltimore (48-77) 4, Cleveland (70-53) 11
Toronto (55-68) 4, NY Yankees (79-45) 5
Tampa Bay (59-65) 2, Boston (79-46) 7
LA Angels (61-65) 3, Texas (58-67) 2
Houston (76-48) 3, Oakland (64-59) 4 (Final/10)
Detroit (57-68) 4, Minnesota (58-7) 3
LA Dodgers (67-58) 7, Seattle (62-63) 4
Miami (45-81) 7, Washington (63-62) 8
Chi. Cubs (71-53) 6, Pittsburgh (64-60) 8
NY Mets (57-66) 3, Philadelphia (65-59) 2
San Francisco (64-60) 5, Cincinnati (50-73) 4
Milwaukee (68-58) 2, St. Louis (62-63) 7
Colorado (62-61) 1, Atlanta (68-56) 10
Arizona (70-55) 6, San Diego (61-66) 4

MAJOR NEWS/INJURIES/TRANSACTIONS
08/17: LHP Scott Kazmir placed on 10-day disabled list by San Diego, retroactive to 08/15/2018 (tired arm)
08/18: Twins place RHP Michael Pineda on 10-day disabled list, retroactive to 08/17/2018 (finger blister)
08/18: Indians place RHP Josh Tomlin on 60-day disabled list (torn back muscle)
08/18: LHP David Price placed on 10-day disabled list; retroactive to 08/17/2018 (sprained elbow)
08/19: San Diego RHP Kazuhisa Makita placed on 60-day disabled list (radial nerve compression)
08/19: Phillies acquire 1B Justin Bour from Miami for LHP McKenzie Mills

[artoodeetoo]

Re: Royal Rebuild [OOTP 19]

OFFSEASON OUTLOOK: THIRD BASE
By artoodeetoo
08/20/2018

With Mike Moustakas' tenure with the Royals over and in the rear-view mirror, the Royals must now begin the process of beginning to look for the franchise's next patron of the hot corner. First, we'll look at internal options before the free agent market, but third base is a really thin position in free agency this upcoming year, so the Royals are probably better served trying to fill the position internally, at least in the short-term.

Alcides Escobar has ably filled the position after Moose's departure, but he's not going to hit enough for the Royals to retain him, at least as a starter. I'm a fan of Whit Merrifield, but he's played one game at the position, and he committed a pair of errors and nearly had another. With Cheslor Cuthbert apparently in no hurry to get back to the Royals, I'd be a fan of Ned Yost just letting Merrifield loose at third and learn the position in case Cuthbert isn't healthy. There are obvious questions about Merrifield's arm strength and how it would play there, but his range would more than adequate, and he's played the position in the minors before.

Down on the farm, Kelvin Gutierrez is hitting at a .289/.348/.382 clip in 255 plate appearances since being acquired from the Nationals' farm system in the June trade involving Kelvin Herrera. The .382 SLG is a bit of a concern, especially in the hitter-friendly Texas League, albeit he's just twenty-three and it's his first turn in Double-A. Despite the fact he's on the 40-man roster, it's unlikely he'll be called up to the Royals; as he'll need another year or two of seasoning in the minors, and it would be a waste of an option.

Internally though, the move I'm rooting for is Cuthbert to return. His sample size of plate appearances was small this year (84), but he slashed .308/.337/.526 with four homeruns and seventeen RBI. It would have been nice to see if he could have maintained that for a full year. The crop of free agents for the upcoming offseason is...lackluster, to say the least. Josh Donaldson and Adrian Beltre, if he doesn't retire, wouldn't come cheap. Logan Forsythe is an above average defender at second, but has played little third this season (six games, all with the Dodgers). The other options would be to consider signing someone like D.J. LeMahieu or Eduardo Escobar and convincing them to move to third, which might be a tough sell.

[artoodeetoo]

Re: Royal Rebuild [OOTP 19]

KANSAS CITY (54-70) @ TAMPA BAY RAYS (59-65)



PITCHING MATCHUPS

08/20: RHP Jake Junis (8-8, 3.49) vs RHP Yonny Chirinos (3-2, 4.70)
08/21: RHP Trevor Oaks (3-2, 4.66) vs RHP Andrew Moore (3-4, 4.28)
08/22: RHP Brad Keller (4-6, 3.95) vs RHP Tyler Glasnow (1-1, 3.00)
08/23: LHP Heath Fillmyer (3-2, 4.25) vs LHP Blake Snell (8-5, 3.34)

GAME RECAPS

August 20th, 2018
Royals (55-70) 6, Rays (59-66) 0
Winner: Jake Junis (9-8) Loser: Yonny Chirinos (3-3) Save: None

Junis Dazzles In Shutout Victory

Jake Junis continued his brilliant run in August, spinning a complete-game six-hit shutout as he blanked struggling Tampa Bay by a 6-0 score. He fanned nine over the full nine innings and didn't walk a batter in a season-high 117 pitches, just five days after throwing a 115-pitch outing against Toronto where he allowed just two runs in eight and one-third innings. Lucas Duda got the Royals on the board first with a double off the centerfield wall in the fourth, before Brett Phillips kicked off a four-run fifth with a solo homerun off Yonny Chirinos. Whit Merrifield, Alex Gordon, and Salvador Perez followed with RBI hits in that inning, chasing Chirinos after just five innings and five earned runs. Merrifield and Phillips each had two hits and two runs scored, and Merrifield also stole a pair of bases in this contest. Tampa Bay has now lost eight straight games.

MLB SCOREBOARD
Oakland (64-60) 3, Texas (59-67) 5 (G1)
Texas (59-68) 3, Oakland (65-60) 5 (G2)
Kansas City (55-70) 6, Tampa Bay (59-66) 0
Baltimore (49-77) 6, Toronto (55-69) 3
Cleveland (71-53) 2, Boston (79-47) 1
Houston (77-48) 9, Seattle (62-64) 1
Atlanta (69-56) 12, Pittsburgh (64-61) 1
San Francisco (65-60) 6, NY Mets (57-67) 5
Cincinnati (50-74) 4, Milwaukee (69-58) 8
St. Louis (63-63) 6, LA Dodgers (67-59) 3

August 21st, 2018
Royals (55-71) 0, Rays (60-66) 7
Winner: Andrew Moore (4-2) Loser: Trevor Oaks (3-3) Save: None

Bad Seventh Leads to Shutout Defeat

Brandon Maurer allowed a lead-off homerun in the seventh inning, but a one-out fielding error by Whit Merrifield led to five unearned runs in the frame, as the Rays returned the favor from last night's game and shut Kansas City out 7-0. Maurer allowed four runs on six hits in one inning, including back-to-back homeruns with two outs after the error. Andrew Moore, who was acquired from Seattle before the trading deadline, pitched seven shutout innings, piling up six strikeouts and walking four to get the victory. Diego Castillo pitched two shutout innings in relief, allowing just one hit and striking out the other six Royals he faced. Manager Ned Yost had some harsh words for his squad in the post-game press conference, calling out his team for having "little fight", and being "disappointed in the effort level" after the Merrifield error. Adalberto Mondesi had two singles for the Royals, going 2-for-3 as the only other Royal besides Lucas Duda to reach base more than once (0-for-2, 2 BB). Trevor Oaks made another solid start for the Royals, going five and two-third innings with one earned run allowed before being pulled after ninety-one pitches in favor of Brian Flynn, who retired one hitter, left-handed hitter Brad Miller, to end the sixth.

MLB SCOREBOARD
Minnesota (59-67) 10, Chi. Sox (49-75) 4
Chi. Cubs (72-53) 8, Detroit (57-69) 0
Kansas City (55-71) 0, Tampa Bay (60-66) 7
Baltimore (49-78) 2, Toronto (56-69) 3
Oakland (65-60) 3, Texas (59-68) 5
Cleveland (72-53) 5, Boston (79-48) 1
Texas (59-69) 1, Oakland (66-60) 7
Houston (77-49) 2, Seattle (63-64) 3
NY Yankees (79-46) 5, Miami (46-81) 6
Philadelphia (65-60) 2, Washington (64-62) 8
Atlanta (69-57) 1, Pittsburgh (65-61) 2
San Francisco (66-60) 3, NY Mets (57-68) 2 (Final/10)
Cincinnati (50-75) 5, Milwaukee (70-58) 7
LA Angels (61-66) 1, Arizona (71-55) 2
San Diego (61-67) 1, Colorado (63-61) 4
St. Louis (63-64) 3, LA Dodgers (68-59) 8

August 22nd, 2018
Royals (55-72) 1, Rays (61-66) 4
Winner: Diego Castillo (4-4) Loser: Brad Keller (4-7) Save: Chaz Roe (10)

Defense Costs the Royals Another One

Lucas Duda's throwing error on a sacrifice bunt attempt in the seventh inning indirectly resulted in two unearned runs charged to starter Brad Keller, and those runs turned out to be a big reason for the defeat as the Royals dropped a 4-1 decision at Tampa Bay. Keller went six-plus innings, allowing a single to Curt Casali to begin the seventh, followed by Matt Duffy reaching second base on the Duda error. Southpaw Tim Hill came in and got two big outs in Kevin Kiermaier and Jake Bauers, but C.J. Cron lined a single to left to bring in Casali and Duffy, and the Rays bullpen made that lead stand up throughout the rest of the game. Rays starter Tyler Glasnow had a no-hitter through five and one-third innings, but had issued seven walks, and was lifted for Diego Castillo. Castillo gave up the Royals' first hit to Adalberto Mondesi, but set down the next five Royals in order. Sergio Romo and Chaz Roe pitched scoreless eighth and ninth innings, and after an eight-game skid, the Rays have now won two in a row to stop their streak cold.

MLB SCOREBOARD
Minnesota (60-67) 8, Chi. Sox (49-76) 0
Chi. Cubs (73-53) 4, Detroit (57-70) 1
Kansas City (55-72) 1, Tampa Bay (61-66) 2
Baltimore (50-78) 11, Toronto (56) 7
Oakland (65-60) 3, Texas (59-68) 5
Cleveland (72-54) 2, Boston (80-48) 5
Texas (59-70) 1, Oakland (67-60) 2
Houston (77-50) 5, Seattle (64-64) 10
NY Yankees (80-46) 6, Miami (46-82) 2
Philadelphia (65-61) 4, Washington (65-62) 6
Atlanta (70-57) 4, Pittsburgh (65-62) 3
San Francisco (66-61) 4, NY Mets (58-68) 5
Cincinnati (50-76) 1, Milwaukee (71-58) 3
LA Angels (61-67) 1, Arizona (72-55) 4
San Diego (62-67) 4, Colorado (63-62) 2
St. Louis (63-65) 4, LA Dodgers (69-59) 5

August 23rd, 2018
Royals (55-73) 2, Rays (62-66) 3
Winner: Chaz Roe (3-9) Loser: Brandon Maurer (2-3) Save: None

Rays Walk Royals Off With Sac Fly

It didn't result in an unearned run for Brandon Maurer, but Drew Butera's wild pickoff throw to first base with no one out in the ninth inning put Daniel Robertson on second base, and two batters later scored on a sac fly from Matt Duffy to seal the victory. Danny Duffy made his return from the disabled list; and while he wasn't sharp, he still managed to allow just two earned runs in six and two-third innings, allowing eight hits and three walks while fanning five in 102 pitches. Alcides Escobar singled three times and drove in a run, and Butera drove in the other Royals' run in a 1-for-4 performance. Matt Duffy was 2-for-3 with two RBI, including the game-winner in the ninth.

MLB SCOREBOARD
Chi. Sox (50-76) 7, Detroit (57-71) 5 (Final/13)
Kansas City (55-73) 2, Tampa Bay (62-66) 3
Cleveland (73-54) 4, Boston (80-49) 2
Oakland (67-61) 1, Minnesota (61-67) 6
Cincinnati (50-77) 6, Chi. Cubs (74-53) 9
Philadelphia (66-61) 5, Washington (65-63) 2
Atlanta (71-57) 6, Miami (46-83) 5
San Francisco (66-62) 3, NY Mets (59-68) 8
San Diego (62-68) 5, Colorado (64-62) 7

MAJOR NEWS/INJURIES/TRANSACTIONS
08/20: Tigers' Candelario, Nats' Harper named Players of the Week
08/21: 1B Matt Adams returns to St. Louis in trade from Washington for cash considerations
08/21: Cubs acquire IF Daniel Murphy from Washington for IF Andrew Monasterio and PTBNL
08/23: Orioles' Tejada, Jays' McCreery suspended four and two games by MLB for brawl
08/23: Mets' Syndergaard day-to-day with tired arm; likely to go on disabled list

[artoodeetoo]

Re: Royal Rebuild [OOTP 19]

CLEVELAND INDIANS (73-54) @ KANSAS CITY ROYALS (55-73)



PITCHING MATCHUPS

08/24: RHP Carlos Carrasco (11-8, 4.93) vs RHP Heath Fillmyer (3-2, 4.25)
08/25: RHP Trevor Bauer (6-9, 4.48) vs RHP Jake Junis (9-8, 3.30)
08/26: RHP Danny Salazar (8-5, 4.71) vs RHP Trevor Oaks (3-3, 4.38)

GAME RECAPS

August 24th, 2018
Indians (74-54) 9, Royals (55-74) 5
Winner: Carlos Carrasco (12-8) Loser: Heath Fillmyer (3-3) Save: None

Kansas City Can't Cool Off Red-Hot Indians

Cleveland jumped all over young Royals starter Heath Fillmyer in the first two innings, with a three-run homerun from Jose Ramirez in the first, and a run in the second to take a 4-1 lead after two innings. He settled in, however, and didn't allow a run over the next three innings, going five innings in all in falling to 3-3 on the year. Lucas Duda homered in the first, and was the first of three Royals homeruns in the contest, with Whit Merrifield hitting a two-run bomb in the sixth, and an Alex Gordon solo homerun in the seventh to finally chase Carlos Carrasco from the contest. The loss dropped the Royals to nineteen games under .500, a season-worst mark.

MLB SCOREBOARD
NY Yankees (81-46) 6, Baltimore (50-79) 4
Houston (77-51) 1, LA Angels (62-67) 2
Boston (81-49) 4, Tampa Bay (62-67) 2
Philadelphia (66-62) 1, Toronto (57-70) 2
Oakland (68-61) 9, Minnesota (61-68) 2
Chi. Sox (51-76) 7, Detroit (57-72) 2
Cleveland (74-54) 9, Kansas City (55-74) 5
Cincinnati (51-77) 10, Chi. Cubs (74-54) 8
Texas (59-71) 3, San Francisco (67-62) 7
Seattle (64-65) 4, Arizona (73-55) 5
St. Louis (64-65) 10, Colorado (64-63) 7
Pittsburgh (66-62) 8, Milwaukee (71-59) 5
Atlanta (71-58) 2, Miami (47-83) 3
Washington (66-63) 6, NY Mets (59-69) 5
San Diego (62-69) 2, LA Dodgers (70-59) 3

August 25th, 2018
Indians (75-54) 5, Royals (55-75) 4
Winner: Trevor Bauer (7-9) Loser: Jake Junis (9-9) Save: Andrew Miller (33)

Late Rally Falls Short

With one in the first, and two each in the third and fourth, the Indians raced out to a 5-1 lead before hanging on to a 5-4 victory. Jake Junis got the ball for the last time in August, and didn't have his best stuff as he went six innings, allowing five runs with two homeruns. He fanned five, and didn't walk anyone. Francisco Lindor was the biggest thorn in his side, hitting an RBI double in the first, and a long two-run homerun off him in the third. Trevor Bauer earned the victory, going six innings, scattering five hits with eight punchouts and a walk. Jorge Bonifacio was 3-for-4 with two RBI, and Adalberto Mondesi went 2-for-4 with a double, single, and RBI. Salvador Perez also went 1-for-3 with an RBI single in the seventh.

MLB SCOREBOARD
NY Yankees (82-46) 4, Baltimore (50-80) 1
Houston (78-51) 5, LA Angels (62-68) 2
Boston (81-50) 2, Tampa Bay (63-67) 5
Philadelphia (66-63) 4, Toronto (58-70) 6
Oakland (68-62) 1, Minnesota (62-68) 10
Chi. Sox (51-77) 4, Detroit (58-72) 5 (Final/11)
Cleveland (75-54) 5, Kansas City (55-75) 4
Cincinnati (52-77) 2, Chi. Cubs (74-55) 1
Texas (59-72) 1, San Francisco (68-62) 6
Seattle (64-66) 3, Arizona (74-55) 7
St. Louis (65-65) 23, Colorado (64-64) 10
Pittsburgh (67-62) 4, Milwaukee (71-60) 1
Atlanta (72-58) 9, Miami (47-84) 2
Washington (66-64) 3, NY Mets (60-69) 8
San Diego (62-70) 5, LA Dodgers (71-59) 8

August 26th, 2018
Indians (75-55) 1, Royals (56-75) 2
Winner: Trevor Oaks (4-3) Loser: Danny Salazar (8-6) Save: Brandon Maurer (1)

Kansas City Hangs On In Nailbiter; Snaps Losing Skid

An RBI double from Drew Butera in the fifth, and a solo homerun from Whit Merrifield was all the Royals needed as they claimed a 2-1 victory to salvage the final game of the series. Trevor Oaks went six shutout innings, scattering seven hits and walking just one while fanning four to pick up his fourth victory. Danny Salazar was a hard-luck loser, going seven innings while giving up just two runs with seven strikeouts and a walk. The win snaps a five-game losing streak dating back to the second game of the most recent series against Tampa Bay. Brandon Maurer picked up the save, his first of the season in three tries as he continues his solid second half after a brutal first few months of the season.

MLB SCOREBOARD
NY Yankees (83-46) 8, Baltimore (50-81) 1
Houston (79-51) 6, LA Angels (62-69) 3
Boston (82-50) 1, Tampa Bay (63-68) 0
Philadelphia (66-64) 4, Toronto (59-70) 5
Oakland (69-62) 12, Minnesota (62-69) 4
Chi. Sox (52-77) 7, Detroit (58-73) 6
Cleveland (75-55) 1, Kansas City (56-75) 2
Cincinnati (52-78) 2, Chi. Cubs (75-55) 6
Texas (60-72) 5, San Francisco (68-63) 3
Seattle (64-67) 1, Arizona (75-55) 2 (Final/10)
St. Louis (66-65) 3, Colorado (64-65) 1
Pittsburgh (67-63) 6, Milwaukee (72-60) 8
Atlanta (73-58) 10, Miami (47-85) 2
Washington (66-65) 1, NY Mets (61-69) 2 (Final/10)
San Diego (62-71) 5, LA Dodgers (72-59) 6

MAJOR NEWS/INJURIES/TRANSACTIONS
08/24: Philadelphia activates IF Asdrubal Cabrera from the disabled list; designates IF Pedro Florimon for assignment
08/24: Minnesota places IF Jorge Polanco on 10-day disabled list; retroactive to 08/23/2018 (back tightness)
08/25: Angels RHP Garrett Richards goes on 60-day disabled list (torn labrum)
08/26: Southsiders' Moncada, Cardinals' Ozuna named Players of the Week
08/26: Seattle activates RHP Hisashi Iwakuma; sends to Triple-A for rehab assignment

[artoodeetoo]

Re: Royal Rebuild [OOTP 19]

ROYALS DEAL DUDA TO SEATTLE FOR TWO PROSPECTS
By artoodeetoo
08/27/2018

After clearing waivers a week ago, most figured it was only a matter of time before the Royals found a trade partner for Lucas Duda. Late last night, the Royals traded him to Seattle for outfielder Braden Bishop and reliever Wyatt Mills. Nelson Cruz went down with back stiffness earlier this week, and Duda fills a valuable left-handed power bat need for the M's in the meantime.

In return, the Royals received not one, but two mid-level prospects in Bishop and Mills. Bishop is a defense-first outfielder who has a solid walk rate of 9% throughout his minor-league career. Defensively, he profiles as a RF with his range and arm, but won't hit enough to stick there, so his quickest path to the majors is as a CF. He's a bit old for Double-A (just turned 25), but has a career slash of .344/.420/.450 in 151 Double-A at-bats, and appears to be a bit more big-league ready than current prospects Khalil Lee and Blake Perkins. It's pretty likely he'll begin next season in Triple-A with a chance at being called up in September of 2019 if he produces well there, as the Terrance Gore trade and Bubba Starling's continued struggles leave the Royals with a need in the outfield.

Mills is a righty sidearmer with just two pitches; but his sinker and slider are above-average right now, and project to be plus-plus offerings in the future. He was a third-round pick in 2017 out of Gonzaga, and carries a career ERA of 1.86 and twenty-five saves in seventy-five total minor league appearances (covering 77 1/3 IP). He struggles against LHB, with hitters raking him to the tune of .307/.354/.387. Righties, however, struggle mightily against him with a .187/.260/.246 line, likely limiting him to situational duty in the higher levels. He was sent to Wilmington to begin his Royals career.

[artoodeetoo]

Re: Royal Rebuild [OOTP 19]

DETROIT TIGERS (58-73) @ KANSAS CITY ROYALS (56-75)



PITCHING MATCHUPS

08/28: LHP Francisco Liriano (6-6, 4.76) vs RHP Brad Keller (4-7, 3.75)
09/29: RHP Michael Fulmer (10-10, 4.26) vs LHP Danny Duffy (9-11, 4.31)

GAME RECAPS

August 28th, 2018
Tigers (58-74) 1, Royals (57-75) 6
Winner: Brad Keller (5-7) Loser: Francisco Liriano (6-7) Save: None

Keller Dazzles as Royals Roll Detroit

Brad Keller tossed a complete-game, going the full nine while allowing just one run on nine hits as the Royals posted a 6-1 victory over Detroit to open a quick, two-game home series. He walked two and only fanned one batter, but coaxed fourteen ground ball outs, which is outstanding by any measure. Whit Merrifield singled twice, stole a base, and scored three times to lead Kansas City offensively, while Alex Gordon doubled twice with three RBI to back him up. Salvador Perez was 2-for-3 with two RBI, including a two-run single in the seventh to give the Royals some unneeded insurance runs.

MLB SCOREBOARD
Detroit (58-74) 1, Kansas City (57-75) 6
Chi. Sox (53-79) 4, NY Yankees (85-47) 1
Toronto (60-71) 3, Baltimore (51-82) 13
Miami (48-85) 4, Boston (82-51) 2
Minnesota (62-70) 2, Cleveland (76-55) 6
Oakland (69-64) 4, Houston (81-51) 5 (Final/14)
LA Dodgers (73-59) 11, Texas (60-73) 2
Colorado (65-66) 2, LA Angels (63-70) 3
Washington (67-67) 4, Philadelphia (68-65) 11
Tampa Bay (65-68) 6, Atlanta (73-60) 4
Milwaukee (73-61) 3, Cincinnati (53-79) 7
NY Mets (61-72) 0, Chi. Cubs (78-55) 3
Pittsburgh (68-64) 1, St. Louis (67-66) 7
Arizona (77-56) 6, San Francisco (69-65) 7
Seattle (65-68) 4, San Diego (63-72) 3

August 29th, 2018
Tigers (58-75) 2, Royals (58-75) 3
Winner: Danny Duffy (10-11) Loser: Michael Fulmer (10-11) Save: Tim Hill (4)

Salvy's 4-for-4 Day; Duffy Goes Off

Danny Duffy logged eight strong innings, walking just one and fanning six; and Salvador Perez collected four base hits as part of a 4-for-4 day in a 3-2 victory over Detroit. Duffy became the first Royals pitcher to reach the double-digit wins mark with the victory. Brett Phillips also tagged three hits, and Adalberto Mondesi drove in a pair of runs as part of a 2-for-4 day. The Royals got on the board in the first, as Jorge Bonifacio drove in a run with a sacrifice fly before James McCann tied it in the second with a solo homerun. Victor Martinez tied the score in the fifth with a homerun, but Mondesi drove in the second of his two runs with a sixth-inning single off Michael Fulmer, who was the tough-luck loser. Tim Hill pitched a perfect ninth to lock down the team's victory, and his fourth save of the 2018 campaign.

MLB SCOREBOARD
LA Dodgers (73-60) 4, Texas (61-73) 6
Detroit (58-75) 2, Kansas City (58-75) 3
Chi. Sox (53-80) 8, NY Yankees (86-47) 10
Toronto (61-71) 10, Baltimore (51-83) 2
Miami (48-86) 1, Boston (83-51) 6
Minnesota (62-71) 4, Cleveland (77-55) 6
Oakland (69-65) 1, Houston (82-51) 8
Colorado (65-66) 2, LA Angels (63-70) 3
Washington (67-66) 5, Philadelphia (67-65) 6
Tampa Bay (64-68) 4, Atlanta (73-59) 1
Milwaukee (72-61) 6, Cincinnati (53-78) 7
NY Mets (61-71) 3, Chi. Cubs (77-55) 6
Pittsburgh (68-63) 3, St. Louis (66-66) 2
Arizona (77-55) 3, San Francisco (68-65) 2
Seattle (64-68) 1, San Diego (63-71) 3

MAJOR NEWS/INJURIES/TRANSACTIONS
08/27: Royals trade 1B Lucas Duda to Seattle for OF Braden Bishop, RHP Wyatt Mills in waiver deal
08/27: Giants OF Andrew McCutchen claimed off waivers by Red Sox; teams unable to reach trade agreement
08/28: Milwaukee LHP Dan Jennings placed on 60-day disabled list (ruptured UCL), will need Tommy John surgery
08/28: Red Sox place OF Mookie Betts on 10-day disabled list (herniated disc in back)
08/29: Twins 1B Logan Morrison, Indians RHP Mike Clevinger suspended three and six games apiece for fracas

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Re: Royal Rebuild [OOTP 19]

AMERICAN LEAGUE HITTING LEADERS

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Re: Royal Rebuild [OOTP 19]

AMERICAN LEAGUE PITCHING LEADERS

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Re: Royal Rebuild [OOTP 19]

NATIONAL LEAGUE HITTING LEADERS

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Re: Royal Rebuild [OOTP 19]

NATIONAL LEAGUE PITCHING LEADERS

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Re: Royal Rebuild [OOTP 19]

BALTIMORE ORIOLES (51-83) @ KANSAS CITY ROYALS (58-75)



PITCHING MATCHUPS

08/31: LHP Jayson Aquino (5-14, 7.48) vs RHP Heath Fillmyer (3-3, 4.70)
09/01: RHP Dylan Bundy (4-12, 6.79) vs RHP Jake Junis (9-9, 3.45)
09/02: RHP Chris Tillman (6-11, 5.23) vs RHP Trevor Oaks (4-3, 3.99)

GAME RECAPS

August 31st, 2018
Orioles (51-84) 4, Royals (59-75) 5
Winner: Burch Smith (6-1) Loser: Donnie Hart (0-2) Save: Brandon Maurer (2)

Late Rally Sparks Royals Victory

Whit Merrifield's eighth-inning RBI double brought home the winning run, as Brandon Maurer worked a shaky ninth to save the Royals' 5-4 victory over Baltimore. Brett Phillips homered twice in the victory, giving him twenty on the season total. His second homerun in the seventh tied the score after a two-run homerun off the bat of Jonathan Villar in the top of the inning. Burch Smith worked a scoreless eighth to pick up the victory, his sixth in relief. Heath Fillmyer went seven innings, allowing four earned runs with six strikeouts to no walks. Every Royal starter collected at least one hit, with four Royals notching at least two hits.

MLB SCOREBOARD
Tampa Bay (66-68) 1, Cleveland (78-56) 0 (Final/11)
Baltimore (51-84) 4, Kansas City (59-75) 5
Detroit (59-76) 3, NY Yankees (87-48) 10
Minnesota (63-72) 10, Texas (61-74) 8
Boston (84-52) 8, Chi. Sox (54-81) 7
Seattle (66-69) 2, Oakland (70-66) 8
LA Angels (63-72) 8, Houston (84-51) 9
Milwaukee (73-63) 3, Washington (68-67) 4
Toronto (61-72) 2, Miami (49-86) 3
Chi. Cubs (78-56) 5, Philadelphia (69-65) 6
Pittsburgh (68-66) 1, Atlanta (74-60) 2
Cincinnati (55-79) 4, St. Louis (68-67) 2
Colorado (66-67) 4, San Diego (64-73) 2
Arizona (77-58) 8, LA Dodgers (75-60) 9
NY Mets (62-72) 2, San Francisco (69-66) 1

September 1st, 2018
Orioles (51-85) 5, Royals (60-75) 4
Winner: Jake Junis (10-9) Loser: Dylan Bundy (4-13) Save: Brian Flynn (1)

Royals Secure Series Victory Over Baltimore

It wasn't his sharpest effort, but Jake Junis picked up his tenth victory of the season in a 7-4 triumph for the Royals. He went just five innings, allowing eight hits and four runs while fanning five. Making his first appearance in over ten days, Jorge Lopez gave the Royals three shutout innings of relief before Brian Flynn saved it for the Royals in the ninth to pick up his first save of the 2018 season. Adalberto Mondesi went 2-for-4 with a homerun and a single, with his homerun being his fourth of the season. Salvador Perez recorded only one official at-bat, as he was 1-for-1 with a sac fly and two walks, driving in a pair of runs. Whit Merrifield was 2-for-5 with two runs scored.

MLB SCOREBOARD
Tampa Bay (66-69) 3, Cleveland (79-56) 4
Baltimore (51-85) 4, Kansas City (60-75) 7
Detroit (60-76) 9, NY Yankees (87-49) 4
Minnesota (63-73) 5, Texas (62-74) 7
Boston (85-52) 11, Chi. Sox (54-82) 5
Seattle (67-69) 7, Oakland (70-67) 6 (Final/12)
LA Angels (64-72) 5, Houston (84-52) 3
Milwaukee (74-63) 8, Washington (68-68) 4
Toronto (62-72) 11, Miami (49-87) 4
Chi. Cubs (79-56) 6, Philadelphia (69-66) 3
Pittsburgh (68-67) 1, Atlanta (75-60) 2
Cincinnati (55-80) 3, St. Louis (69-67) 8
Colorado (67-67) 9, San Diego (64-74) 5
Arizona (78-58) 3, LA Dodgers (75-61) 2
NY Mets (63-72) 3, San Francisco (69-67) 2

September 2nd, 2018
Orioles (52-85) 3, Royals (60-76) 2
Winner: Ryan Meisinger (3-1) Loser: Jesse Hahn (0-1) Save: Mychal Givens (7)

Orioles Best Royals To Salvage Final Game

Making his first appearance of the 2018 season, Jesse Hahn would have liked it to have gone a little better as he took the loss in the Royals' 3-2 defeat to Baltimore. Hahn came on with two outs in the eighth inning; and got the final out of that inning, but surrendered a pair of baserunners sandwiched around an out before being pulled for Tim Hill. Hill uncorked a wild pitch, bringing one of Hahn's runners home. Hill got out of the jam, but the Royals couldn't mount a rally against Orioles closer Mychal Givens, going down 1-2-3. Whit Merrifield was responsible for both Royals runs, hitting a solo homerun in the first, followed by an RBI double in the second. Trevor Oaks didn't factor into the decision, but continues to solidify a spot in next year's rotation with a superb performance, going six and one-third innings, allowing just two runs while fanning five.

MLB SCOREBOARD
Tampa Bay (66-70) 4, Cleveland (80-56) 9
Baltimore (52-85) 3, Kansas City (60-76) 2
Detroit (60-77) 1, NY Yankees (88-49) 4
Minnesota (64-73) 9, Texas (62-75) 1
Boston (85-53) 0, Chi. Sox (55-82) 9
Seattle (67-70) 4, Oakland (71-67) 6
LA Angels (64-73) 3, Houston (85-52) 5
Chi. Cubs (79-56) @ Philadelphia (69-66) -- PPD
Milwaukee (74-64) 4, Washington (69-68) 5
Toronto (62-73) 1, Miami (50-87) 2
Pittsburgh (68-68) 2, Atlanta (76-60) 10
Cincinnati (56-80) 7, St. Louis (69-68) 4
Colorado (68-67) 6, San Diego (64-75) 3
Arizona (78-59) 4, LA Dodgers (76-61) 5
NY Mets (63-73) 0, San Francisco (70-67) 2

MAJOR NEWS/INJURIES/TRANSACTIONS
08/30: Red Sox win Adam Jones sweepstakes over Colorado, Cleveland; O's get top prospect 3B Michael Chavis and cash in return
08/30: Waiver deals for the Nats' Bryce Harper, Jays' Josh Donaldson scuttled over compensation
08/31: Brewers acquire RHP David Hernandez for minor-league RHP Freddy Peralta
09/01: Rosters expand to 40 as minor-league seasons wrap; MLB season begins to wind down
09/01: Stanton, Harper win league Batter of the Month awards; Yanks' Tanaka, Mets' Swarzak win NL pitching honors for August
09/01: Rox' McMahon, Royals' Phillips win AL Rookie of the Month honors for August
09/02: Angels LHP Tyler Skaggs' 2019 season in doubt after torn UCL diagnosis; placed on 60-day disabled list

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Re: Royal Rebuild [OOTP 19]

AUGUST IN REVIEW

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Re: Royal Rebuild [OOTP 19]

KANSAS CITY ROYALS (60-76) @ CLEVELAND INDIANS (80-56)



PITCHING MATCHUPS

09/03: RHP Brad Keller (5-7, 3.46) vs RHP Carlos Carrasco (12-8, 5.07)
09/04: LHP Danny Duffy (10-11, 4.22) vs RHP Mike Clevinger (4-5, 4.96)
09/05: RHP Jake Junis (10-9, 3.56) vs RHP Trevor Bauer (7-9, 4.22)

GAME RECAPS

September 3rd, 2018
Royals (60-77) 2, Indians (81-56) 7
Winner: Carlos Carrasco (13-8) Loser: Brad Keller (5-8) Save: Adam Cimber (1)

Royals' Offense Punchless in Defeat

Up just 3-2 entering the fifth, Cleveland turned on the jets with four runs in the next three innings, capped off by a two-run homerun from Jason Kipnis as Cleveland ran away with a 7-2 victory to begin the last Royals-Indians series in Cleveland for 2018. Brad Keller pitched admirably, taking the loss despite six innings and four runs allowed, fanning one with two walks. The Royals five through nine hitters combined to go 0-for-16 with seven strikeouts, which was a major factor in the loss. Carlos Carrasco went just five innings, allowing two runs on five hits, fanning six with one walk. Adam Cimber, the other half of the return in the Brad Hand trade with San Diego, earned one of baseball's rarities -- a four-inning save while retiring all twelve hitters he faced, fanning six of twelve in the process. It was his first save of the 2018 season.

MLB SCOREBOARD
Detroit (61-77) 8, Chi. Sox (55-83) 5
Kansas City (60-77) 2, Cleveland (81-56) 7
Minnesota (64-74) 2, Houston (86-52) 3
NY Yankees (89-49) 9, Oakland (71-68) 5
Tampa Bay (67-70) 4, Toronto (62-74) 2
Baltimore (53-85) 6, Seattle (67-71) 3
LA Angels (65-73) 9, Texas (62-76) 5
San Francisco (71-67) 10, Colorado (68-68) 5 (G1)
San Francisco (72-67) 7, Colorado (68-69) 3 (G2)
St. Louis (70-68) 2, Washington (69-69) 0
Boston (85-54) 1, Atlanta (77-60) 10
Philadelphia (70-66) 9, Miami (50-88) 5
Cincinnati (57-80) 9, Pittsburgh (68-69) 3
Chi. Cubs (79-57) 3, Milwaukee (75-64) 7
San Diego (64-76) 1, Arizona (79-59) 6
NY Mets (64-73) 4, LA Dodgers (76-62) 2

September 4th, 2018
Royals (61-77) 9, Indians (81-57) 3
Winner: Danny Duffy (11-11) Loser: Mike Clevinger (4-6) Save: None

Kansas City Bashes Four Homeruns in Rout of Cleveland

Led by an eighteen-hit attack, the Royals scored early and often in a 9-3 drubbing of the AL Central-leading Indians. Mike Clevinger lasted just five innings, allowing four runs on eight hits, including a trio of homeruns. Seven Royals starters collected at least two hits, with Alex Gordon, Brett Phillips, and Alcides Escobar notching three hits apiece. In his first game since late July, Brian Goodwin was 2-for-5 with an RBI single, and Whit Merrifield was 2-for-5 with a homerun and a double. Danny Duffy went seven strong innings, carrying a one-hitter into the seventh with no walks to even his record at eleven wins and losses apiece. Highly-touted southpaw reliever prospect Richard Lovelady, who was just added to the 40-man roster and has been bandied about as a possible solution as a closer; went two innings in his MLB debut, fanning four with one walk while allowing one earned run.

MLB SCOREBOARD
Detroit (61-78) 1, Chi. Sox (56-83) 5
Kansas City (61-77) 9, Cleveland (81-57) 3
Minnesota (65-74) 3, Houston (86-53) 1
NY Yankees (90-49) 12, Oakland (71-69) 8
Tampa Bay (67-71) 3, Toronto (63-74) 8
Baltimore (53-86) 0, Seattle (68-71) 6
LA Angels (65-74) 4, Texas (63-76) 5
St. Louis (70-68) @ Washington (69-69) -- PPD
San Francisco (72-68) 5, Colorado (69-69) 6
Boston (86-54) 6, Atlanta (77-61) 5
Philadelphia (70-67) 2, Miami (51-88) 3
Cincinnati (57-81) 1, Pittsburgh (69-69) 3
Chi. Cubs (79-58) 3, Milwaukee (76-64) 10
San Diego (65-76) 12, Arizona (79-60) 8
NY Mets (64-74) 0, LA Dodgers (77-62) 5

September 5th, 2018
Royals (61-78) 3, Indians (82-57) 9
Winner: Zach McAllister (3-0) Loser: Jake Junis (10-10) Save: None

Indians Bury Royals With Nine-Run Barrage

Cleveland tagged Jake Junis for eight runs in five and two-third innings, including two runs charged to him after leaving the contest, as the Royals were shellacked 9-3 to drop the final game for the Royals in Cleveland. Yandy Diaz homered in the first off Junis, while Bradley Zimmer added a three-run bomb in the second. Junis settled in for the next three innings, throwing scoreless frames before getting knocked around in the sixth. Jesse Hahn was able to get the final out, but not before allowing a pair of runners to score. Kansas City put up little fight offensively, getting just a sac fly in the third from Whit Merrifield, and a pinch-hit, two-run homerun from Ryan O'Hearn off Zach McAllister in the ninth.

MLB SCOREBOARD
Detroit (61-79) 5, Chi. Sox (57-83) 6
Kansas City (61-78) 3, Cleveland (82-57) 9
Minnesota (65-75) 0, Houston (87-53) 9
NY Yankees (91-49) 3, Oakland (71-70) 1
Tampa Bay (68-71) 6, Toronto (63-75) 3
Baltimore (54-86) 4, Seattle (68-72) 2
LA Angels (66-74) 10, Texas (63-77) 5
St. Louis (71-68) 8, Washington (69-70) 4 (G1)
St. Louis (72-68) 7, Washington (69-71) 2 (G2)
San Francisco (73-68) 15, Colorado (69-70) 7
Boston (87-54) 7, Atlanta (77-62) 5 (Final/12)
Philadelphia (71-67) 10, Miami (51-89) 3
Cincinnati (58-81) 7, Pittsburgh (69-70) 2
Chi. Cubs (79-59) 0, Milwaukee (77-64) 5
San Diego (65-76) 12, Arizona (79-60) 8
NY Mets (64-75) 2, LA Dodgers (78-62) 3

MAJOR NEWS/INJURIES/TRANSACTIONS
09/03: Twins' Carter, Reds' Votto earn Player of the Week awards
09/03: Philadelphia 1B Carlos Santana set to undergo hand surgery; will miss remainder of season
09/04: Red Sox LHP David Price out for remainder of season with ruptured finger tendon; placed on 60-day disabled list
09/04: Royals designate C Drew Butera; select the contract of LHP Richard Lovelady
09/05: Giants RHP Johnny Cueto to miss four to five months with torn rotator cuff; placed on 60-day disabled list

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Re: Royal Rebuild [OOTP 19]

MLB STANDINGS UPDATE

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Re: Royal Rebuild [OOTP 19]

KANSAS CITY ROYALS (61-78) @ MINNESOTA TWINS (65-75)



PITCHING MATCHUPS

09/07: RHP Trevor Oaks (4-3, 3.89) vs LHP Adalberto Mejia (2-7, 6.85)
09/08: RHP Ian Kennedy (4-8, 4.17) vs RHP Jose Berrios (10-7, 3.22)
09/09: RHP Brad Keller (5-8, 3.63) vs RHP Michael Pineda (0-3, 8.25)

GAME RECAPS

September 7th, 2018
Royals (61-79) 2, Twins (66-75) 8
Winner: Adalberto Mejia (3-7) Loser: Trevor Oaks (4-4) Save: None

Homeruns Power Twins Win

Minnesota racked up sixteen hits and eight runs as they toppled the Royals 8-2 in AL Central action. Adalberto Mejia struggled against the Royals in his only other start against them this year, a 12-4 Twins loss where he allowed seven earned runs in four and two-third innings of work. This time out, however, he scattered four hits and an earned run over seven innings with seven strikeouts against Kansas City to pick up just his third victory of the season. The Royals' only runs came courtesy of a sixth-inning Brian Goodwin double, and a ninth-inning solo homerun off the bat of the other Adalberto, as in shortstop Adalberto Mondesi. After a string of solid starts, Trevor Oaks allowed ten hits and five earned runs in four-plus innings, and took the loss to fall to 4-4 on the season.

MLB SCOREBOARD
Texas (63-78) 3, Oakland (72-70) 5
LA Angels (67-74) 4, Chi. Sox (57-84) 1
NY Yankees (92-49) 2, Seattle (68-73) 0
Kansas City (61-79) 2, Minnesota (66-75) 8
Houston (88-53) 6, Boston (87-55) 4
Cleveland (83-58) 7, Toronto (64-76) 8
St. Louis (73-68) 6, Detroit (61-80) 3
Baltimore (54-87) 1, Tampa Bay (69-71) 8
San Diego (66-77) 6, Cincinnati (59-82) 2
Miami (51-90) 0, Pittsburgh (70-70) 2
Chi. Cubs (80-60) 10, Washington (70-72) 5
Philadelphia (71-68) 1, NY Mets (65-75) 4 (Final/10)
San Francisco (73-69) 3, Milwaukee (78-64) 4 (Final/14)
Atlanta (77-64) 2, Arizona (81-60) 7
LA Dodgers (78-63) 5, Colorado (70-70) 6

September 8th, 2018
Royals (62-79) 5, Twins (66-76) 4
Winner: Eric Stout (1-0) Loser: Jose Berrios (10-8) Save: Richard Lovelady (1)

Royals Emerge Victorious In Bullpen Game

With Ian Kennedy on an 85-pitch limit, the Royals had to deal with an hour-long rain delay; and needed to go into their bullpen early, but five relievers managed to hold a one-run lead as the Royals took the second game of the series by a 5-4 score. Kennedy went just four and one-third, allowing four runs on seven hits, while walking three and fanning two. Richard Lovelady breezed through the ninth to pick up his first MLB save, fanning both Byron Buxton and Jorge Polanco before coaxing a groundball out from pinch-hitter Chris Carter to end it. Offensively, the decisive blow was dealt by Jorge Bonifacio with a third-inning grand slam off Jose Berrios. Brett Phillips also continued his torrid hitting streak, going 2-for-2 with a pair of walks, a single, and a homerun to extend his hitting streak to double digits at ten games. Eric Stout pitched two-thirds of an inning to pick up his first MLB victory.

MLB SCOREBOARD
Texas (63-79) 6, Oakland (73-70) 10
LA Angels (68-74) 10, Chi. Sox (57-85) 5
NY Yankees (93-49) 6, Seattle (68-74) 5
Kansas City (62-79) 5, Minnesota (66-76) 4
Houston (88-54) 4, Boston (88-55) 7
Cleveland (84-58) 5, Toronto (64-77) 4
St. Louis (73-69) 6, Detroit (62-80) 7
Baltimore (54-88) 1, Tampa Bay (70-71) 2
San Diego (66-78) 8, Cincinnati (60-82) 10
Miami (51-91) 3, Pittsburgh (71-70) 6
Chi. Cubs (80-61) 3, Washington (71-72) 4
Philadelphia (71-69) 4, NY Mets (66-75) 5
San Francisco (73-70) 3, Milwaukee (79-64) 5
Atlanta (77-65) 0, Arizona (82-60) 5
LA Dodgers (79-63) 3, Colorado (70-71) 1

September 9th, 2018
Royals (63-79) 5, Twins (66-77) 2
Winner: Brad Keller (6-8) Loser: Michael Pineda (0-4) Save: Richard Lovelady (2)

Herrera, Merrifield Go Deep In Royals Victory

Brad Keller went six and one-third innings, allowing two runs with three walks and strikeouts apiece, to pick up his sixth victory of the season in the Royals' 5-2 victory to cap off the roadtrip. Rosell Herrera and Whit Merrifield each hit homeruns in the contest, with Merrifield now just one longball away from tying his career high set last year. Herrera's homerun was his third of the season, and they have all come against Minnesota. Richard Lovelady fanned five over two innings of work to pick up his second save.

MLB SCOREBOARD
Texas (63-80) 1, Oakland (74-70) 3
LA Angels (69-74) 10, Chi. Sox (57-86) 4
NY Yankees (94-49) 9, Seattle (68-75) 2
Kansas City (63-79) 5, Minnesota (66-77) 2
Houston (89-54) 11, Boston (88-56) 3
Cleveland (84-59) 3, Toronto (65-77) 5
St. Louis (74-69) 5, Detroit (62-81) 1
Baltimore (54-89) 0, Tampa Bay (71-71) 8
San Diego (66-79) 0, Cincinnati (61-82) 4
Miami (51-92) 3, Pittsburgh (72-70) 4 (Final/13)
Chi. Cubs (80-62) 3, Washington (72-72) 9
Philadelphia (71-70) 1, NY Mets (67-75) 8
San Francisco (73-71) 3, Milwaukee (80-64) 4
Atlanta (78-65) 14, Arizona (82-61) 6
LA Dodgers (80-63) 11, Colorado (70-72) 9

MAJOR NEWS/INJURIES/TRANSACTIONS
09/06: Marlins send IF Starlin Castro to Triple-A for rehab assignment
09/07: Cubs place RHP Ryan Williams (shoulder inflammation) on 60-day disabled list
09/08: Yankees become first team to clinch playoff spot
09/09: Mets OF Yoenis Cespedes asks to be traded in midst of career-worst season
09/09: Nats place CF Victor Robles on 10-day disabled list, retroactive to 09/06/2018 (knee bone bruise)
09/09: Twins sign free agent indy league RHP Scott Shuman to pro-rated one-year contract