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One Royal Way (OOTP 23)
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Royal Rumblings (06/23)
Royal Rumblings
By Brian Douglas | Kansas City Star | June 23rd, 2022
Royals Deal Santana To Milwaukee: Roughly three weeks since returning from the injured list and a subsequent rehab trip, the Royals traded Carlos Santana to the Milwaukee Brewers for veteran utility player Jace Peterson late on Tuesday night.
While Santana was able to make it to Milwaukee in time to suit up for the Brewers last night (and go 0-for-4), Peterson was unable to get to Los Angeles in time as his flight out of Milwaukee was delayed early on Wednesday morning due to a mechanical issue with the plane.
Including the 0-fer last night, Santana is hitting for a robust .986 OPS (173 OPS+) in June. The Padres also reportedly showed interest, but were asking the Royals to wear a pretty significant chunk of his contract to facilitate any deal.
What are the Royals getting in Peterson? Well, he's a free agent at the end of the year, so there's no commitment to him beyond this season. He's also incredibly versatile, playing all three outfield spots and all four infield spots at various points in his career.
Between 2020 and 2021, he was roughly a league-average player (101 OPS+) with Milwaukee, and also brings solid walk rates (11.1%), and a decent 21.1% strikeout rate.
Most importantly, though, the move unloads a net $5 million in payroll, bringing the Royals down to about $92 million for the team. It also slightly eases the logjam at first base, although the Royals now have prized prospect Nick Pratto at first to take at-bats.
Pitcher Maximum Of Fourteen To Remain Through July 1st: The active roster maximum of fourteen pitchers has been extended through games on July 1st, according to the MLB league office's press release today. It was set to expire tomorrow, June 24th, but the owners and players' association voted unanimously to extend it another week.
This is good news for the Royals -- lefty Gabe Speier is set to come off the injured list at some time today, and others like Taylor Clarke and Zack Greinke are also on the tail end of injury recoveries. Other teams, like Atlanta and St. Louis, have been ravaged by injuries to their pitching staffs.
The press release also stated that this would be the last extension, citing the upcoming trade deadline that teams could use to add healthy pitching help. Rosters will also increase to twenty-eight beginning September 1st, as normally scheduled, with a pitcher maximum of fourteen.Comment
Series Preview: Oakland (30-41) @ Kansas City (31-37)
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PITCHING MATCHUPS
06/24: RHP Daulton Jefferies (3-9, 2.23) vs LHP Angel Zerpa (0-0, 0.60)
06/25: RHP Paul Blackburn (4-0, 1.91) vs LHP Daniel Lynch (5-5, 4.58)
06/26: RHP J.T. Ginn (3-4, 1.74) vs RHP Brady Singer (5-2, 5.33)
WHO'S HOT?
RHP J.T. Ginn, Oakland -- 10 IP, 7 K, ER (2 starts)
RHP Daulton Jefferies, Oakland -- 11.1 IP, 9 K, ER (2 starts)
WHO'S NOT?
IF Hunter Dozier, Kansas City -- 3-for-28 (.107), BB, 10 K
C MJ Melendez, Kansas City -- 1-for-21 (.047), 2B, 3 BB, 5 K
OF Ramon Laureano, Oakland -- 3-for-38 (.078), 2B, 3 BB
OAKLAND INJURED LIST
RHP Deolis Guerra (elbow) -- 60-day IL
RHP Frankie Montas (forearm) -- 60-day IL
KANSAS CITY INJURED LIST
RHP Jonathan Bowlan (elbow) -- 60-day IL
RHP Taylor Clarke (knee) -- 10-day IL
RHP Zack Greinke (hamstring) -- 10-day IL
RHP Brad Keller (elbow) -- 10-day IL
LHP Richard Lovelady (elbow) -- 60-day IL
SS Adalberto Mondesi (knee) -- 60-day IL
OF Edward Olivares (quad) -- 10-day ILComment
Oakland @ Kansas City (06/24 -- 06/26)
Series Recap: Oakland Athletics
By Brian Douglas | Kansas City Star | June 27th, 2022
Oakland Athletics at Kansas City Royals Jun 24, 2022 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E Oakland Athletics (31-41) 0 0 0 0 5 0 1 2 1 9 14 1 Kansas City Royals (31-38) 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 7 12 1 W: Colin Peluse (1-0) L: Angel Zerpa (0-1) S: Adrian Martinez (4)
Friday, June 24th, 2022
Down 9-3 going into the bottom of the ninth, the Royals nearly pulled off the single best comeback in the league this season, but ultimately fell a few runs short as the A's took the first game of the return series in Kansas City by a 9-7 score. With one out and the bases loaded in the frame, lefty Sam Moll delivered up a gopher ball to Whit Merrifield, who parked it over the left field bullpen wall to get the Royals back in the game.
After Hunter Dozier struck out for the second out against Moll, both Salvador Perez and Nick Pratto singled off closer Adrian Martinez to put the game-winning run at the plate in the form of MJ Melendez, but fanned for the second time in the game to dash the Royals' hopes of pulling off the stunner.
Kansas City jumped out to a 3-0 lead after two innings, with the Royals getting a two-run homerun from Perez in the first, and then Bobby Witt, Jr., scored on a single by Michael A. Taylor in the second. They barely threatened again until the ninth, when they put together their furious rally.
Meanwhile, Angel Zerpa cruised through the first four innings before running into trouble in inning number five. He got through the fifth, but not before getting tagged for five runs. In sum, he allowed seven hits, three walks, and struck out four.
A pair of Royals' relievers had their scoreless appearances streaks snapped -- Will Kincanon's ended at five (7 IP), while Scott Barlow's ended at nine (9 1/3 IP).
Oakland Athletics at Kansas City Royals Jun 24, 2022 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E Oakland Athletics (31-42) 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 6 0 Kansas City Royals (32-38) 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 2 X 4 9 1 W: Dylan Coleman (2-2) L: Tony Watson (2-2) S: Scott Barlow (10)
Saturday, June 25th, 2022
RBI doubles from Andrew Benintendi and Nick Pratto in the eighth inning turned a 3-2 deficit into a 4-3 lead, and Scott Barlow locked down the ninth to secure the victory in Saturday night's contest. Through five MLB games, Pratto is hitting .350/.409/.950 with three doubles, two walks, and three homeruns.
"As I said earlier in the week, he just doesn't look like that anything bothers him," said manager Mike Matheny. "His confidence level is just through the roof right now, and is playing with that veteran's poise."
Starting pitcher Daniel Lynch also turned in a nice effort after a slow start, allowing two earned runs over 6 1/3 innings, striking out five while walking just two.
Kansas City struck first on an RBI triple by MJ Melendez in the second inning, and then added a solo homerun in the fifth. The two hits snapped a lengthy slump for him in which he had just one hit in his last twenty-seven at-bats.
Oakland Athletics at Kansas City Royals Jun 24, 2022 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E Oakland Athletics (31-42) 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 6 0 Kansas City Royals (32-38) 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 2 X 4 9 1 W: Brady Singer (6-2) L: Adam Oller (1-5) S: Amir Garrett (1)
Sunday, June 26th, 2022
Seven innings of two-run baseball from Brady Singer, along with some timely contributions from Nick Pratto and Salvador Perez, the Royals claimed the home and season series with Oakland in a 5-4 victory.
With two outs in the sixth, Perez's two-run single put the Royals up for good as it broke a 2-2 stalemate at the time. MJ Melendez seems to be breaking out of a slump, as he added another homerun in the seventh as part of a 1-for-2 day. He also walked and struck out once.
Singer moved to 6-2 on the season, striking out three, scattering three hits, and walking just one as part of his statline. Amir Garrett came into the game with one out in the ninth in relief of Josh Staumont, and picked up the save despite allowing a hit and a walk.
The win keeps the Royals on the very periphery of the playoff race, as they sit 7.5 games out of first place in the division, and 6.5 games out of the third and final wildcard series. An important home series begins tonight, as they'll face off against the Rangers, a team that resides just a game back of them in the wildcard race.Comment
MLB News (06/27)
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Royal Rumblings (06/27)
Royal Rumblings
By Brian Douglas | Kansas City Star | June 27th, 2022
Zuber Outrighted To Minors: Coming off a shoulder injury and subsequent rehab assignment in the minors, right-hander Tyler Zuber was outrighted to Triple-A Omaha on Friday after clearing waivers. He had a successful run through Double-A and Triple-A on his rehab assignment, striking out sixteen and walking five with a 2.70 ERA over ten innings between the two stops, but was still not re-added to the 40-man roster.
In 49 1/3 career MLB innings, Zuber holds a career 5.29 ERA and a career strikeout rate of 24.7%. He could be counted on to provide additional upper minors depth in case of injury.
Speier To Begin Rehab Assignment: Lefty Gabe Speier (shoulder) was routed to Triple-A to begin a rehab assignment today after coming off the 10-day IL. Manager Mike Matheny does not expect him to be gone long, but much of it would be dependent on his progress.
"He's pretty close to 100-percent," Matheny noted when asked about him in a recent press conference. "He said he had been fighting through some discomfort in his last few appearances before going on the injured list, which might have explained some of his performance."Comment
Series Preview: Texas (32-39) @ Kansas City (33-38)
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PITCHING MATCHUPS
06/27: RHP Cole Winn (0-2, 3.86) vs RHP Carlos Hernandez (0-1, 6.55)
06/28: RHP Spencer Howard (1-4, 8.28) vs LHP Kris Bubic (0-2. 7.82)
06/29: RHP Jon Gray (3-7, 6.49) vs LHP Angel Zerpa (0-1, 2.70)
WHO'S HOT?
IF Brad Miller, Texas -- 9-for-25 (.360), 2B, HR, 4 BB
WHO'S NOT?
IF Hunter Dozier, Kansas City -- 1-for-20 (.050), BB, 7 K
OF Willie Calhoun, Texas -- 1-for-20 (.050), HR, BB, 3 K
TEXAS INJURED LIST
RHP Jose Leclerc (elbow) -- 60-day IL
KANSAS CITY INJURED LIST
RHP Jonathan Bowlan (elbow) -- 60-day IL
RHP Taylor Clarke (knee) -- 10-day IL
RHP Zack Greinke (hamstring) -- 10-day IL
SS Adalberto Mondesi (knee) -- 60-day IL
OF Edward Olivares (quad) -- 10-day ILComment
Texas @ Kansas City (06/27 -- 06/29)
Series Recap: Texas Rangers
By Brian Douglas | Kansas City Star | June 30th, 2022
Texas Rangers at Kansas City Royals Jun 27, 2022 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E Texas Rangers (32-39) 0 1 0 0 4 5 1 2 0 13 14 1 Kansas City Royals (33-39) 3 0 0 2 1 3 3 0 0 12 14 1 W: Dennis Santana (3-2) L: Jake Brentz (1-5) S: Joe Barlow (14)
Monday, June 27th, 2022
With twenty-five total runs scored, twenty-eight total hits, and ten total pitchers used, the game between the Rangers and Royals ended in a 13-12 slugfest loss for the hosts.
Kansas City led 5-1 after four innings, but the wheels fell off in the fifth, as the Rangers would go on to score nine times over their next two at-bats to take a commanding 10-6 lead.
The Royals would eventually fight back and take the lead on Jace Peterson's two-run double in the seventh, but Brad Miller hit his second homerun of the day to give the Rangers the lead back for good.
Miller went 3-for-4 with two homeruns and six RBI, a career high for the veteran. Andrew Benintendi went 3-for-4 with three RBI, three runs scored, and a homerun for Kansas City.
A rare error by Nicky Lopez opened the floodgates in the fifth, as reliever Matt Peacock was charged with four unearned runs thanks to that miscue. Carlos Hernandez went just 4 2/3 innings, allowing five earned runs with five walks and seven hits.
Only Josh Staumont and Amir Garrett were able to have much success out of the pen, as they combined for two scoreless innings.
Texas Rangers at Kansas City Royals Jun 28, 2022 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 R H E Texas Rangers (34-39) 0 1 0 0 1 1 1 0 0 5 9 14 0 Kansas City Royals (33-40) 0 0 2 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 4 10 0 W: Joe Barlow (3-5) L: Joel Payamps (0-2) S: None
Tuesday, June 28th, 2022
Kris Bubic turned in an outstanding effort, allowing three earned runs over 6 1/3 innings, striking out six with no walks. However, it wasn't enough as the Rangers ended up winning in ten innings by a 9-4 score.
Andrew Benintendi pushed the game into extras with an RBI double to tie the game at four, but five Ranger runs in the top of the tenth put the game too far out of reach. The first four hitters of the inning reached before Scott Barlow finally rung up Kole Calhoun for the first out. A wild pitch and a single brought home the final three runs before Barlow got the last two outs of the inning via fly out.
Bubic threw just eighty-seven pitches; sixty-five were strikes. Manager Mike Matheny commended his effort after his struggles against the Angels last time out.
"That's the kind of line that we think he's capable of on an average night," he said when a reporter brought up his statline. "He made the one mistake to (Marcus) Semien, but overall, he pounded the zone and kept the ball down, which is what you want with the kind of guys we have behind our pitchers making plays on defense."
Benintendi poked four more hits, giving him a dozen in his last five games. He has three doubles, a homerun, and a stolen base to his credit in that same span, as well as a walk and five RBI. MJ Melendez is also riding a short four-game hitting streak, getting two more hits to nudge his average back to the Mendoza line.
Texas Rangers at Kansas City Royals Jun 29, 2022 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E Texas Rangers (35-39) 1 0 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 4 8 0 Kansas City Royals (33-41) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 W: Jon Gray (4-7) L: Angel Zerpa (0-2) S: None
Wednesday, June 29th, 2022
After twenty-four hits and sixteen runs the last two games, the offense sputtered with just two hits and three walks (zero runs!) in a 4-0 shutout loss to the Rangers to cap off a disappointing homestand, as they went 2-4 with a home sweep at the hands of Texas.
One of the higher-profile starting pitching signings this past offseason, Jon Gray has been a disappointment to this point, coming in with an ERA of nearly 6.50 and a 3-7 record. But he dusted off the Royals with just one hit over 6 2/3 innings, striking out four with a trio of walks.
Three runs over five innings allowed by Angel Zerpa was a solid outing, but received little support from his offense. He fanned five with two walks, scattering six hits.
Nick Pratto kept his hitting streak alive at nine games to begin his career by going 1-for-2 with a walk, which is a team rookie record. Nicky Lopez's ninth-inning single was the only other hit of the game for the offense, as both Lopez and Pratto reached base safely twice.
After a day off tomorrow, Kansas City will head out on a seven-game, two-city road trip to Detroit for three and Houston for four.Last edited by artoodeetoo; 06-06-2022, 02:08 PM.Comment
MLB News (06/30)
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Royal Rumblings (06/30)
Royal Rumblings
By Brian Douglas | Kansas City Star | June 30th, 2022
Royals Select Pasquantino; Option Melendez: In what might be the latest indication that the Royals are looking towards 2023, they have purchased the contract of Omaha first baseman/DH Vinnie Pasquantino, and have designated catcher Sebastian Rivero for assignment to make room for him on the roster.
Despite a homestand in which he went 7-for-22 with two homeruns and a triple, catcher M.J. Melendez was optioned to the minors, putting the Royals back to two catchers on the active roster with Salvador Perez and Cam Gallagher.
His defense has been lauded in the past; however, he's made four errors and has thrown out just 1-of-9 would-be base stealers through 160 innings behind the plate for Kansas City.
"He has some things to work on down in the minors game-calling wise and with some of his technique," manager Mike Matheny noted, himself a former MLB backstop. "The talent is there, clearly. I think pitchers at this level demand more from their catchers, and right now, Salvy and Cam are ahead of M.J. in this regard. He'll be back, though."
Pasquantino is expected to split first base and DH duties with Hunter Dozier and Nick Pratto, although Pratto has torn the cover off the ball through his first nine games, so it's hard to imagine he'll come out of the lineup anytime soon.
Keller, Lovelady Begin Rehab Stints: Brad Keller's first rehab appearance with Double-A went 'very well', per Naturals manager Chris Widger. Keller threw eighty pitches in six innings, mainly fastballs, fanning eight with just two walks and four hits.
He'll make one more start with the Naturals before heading up to Omaha for one last tune-up, and will likely re-join the Royals post-ASB.
Additionally, southpaw Richard Lovelady is also beginning his rehab assignment this weekend. He'll suit up for High-A Quad Cities for a few appearances this week, before likely stops with Double and Triple-A prior to the Royals making a decision on his roster status.
After ineffective 2019 and 2020 seasons with the Royals, Lovelady had a strong 2021, with a 3.48 ERA and FIP and SIERA figures of 3.88 and 2.96, respectively, in 23 innings of work. Also, his K% of 27.4 and walk rate of just over 7% are also impressive.Comment
Royals Mailbag (06/30)
Royals Mailbag
By Brian Douglas | Kansas City Star | June 30th, 2022
The last week to ten days have been some of the most eventful of the season, as the Royals have seen first baseman Carlos Santana traded away to Milwaukee for veteran infielder Jace Peterson, and first baseman Nick Pratto was finally called up from Triple-A. He's completely delivered through the first week and change that he's been in the majors, with four homeruns and a nine-game hitting streak to begin his career.
Also, not covered in this mailbag, but happening right about the time this went to print was that the Royals are also selecting the contract of Vinnie Pasquantino and calling him up to the big league club, designating catcher Sebastian Rivero for assignment, and optioning catcher M.J. Melendez to Omaha to work on his defense, paraphrasing from manager Mike Matheny in recent days.
Pratto's early tenure was discussed, as well as where the Royals sit in the wildcard and whether or not they'll be looking to buy at the deadline. Edited for length and clarity, as usual.
Why did it take so long to get Nick Pratto up?
It's pretty easy to look at the eye-popping production that he's put up to this point and lament towards the front office, but I'm not sure even they or the most die-hard fan would have expected this so quickly. He's homered four times, seven of his thirteen hits overall have gone for extra bases, he's struck out just five times in thirty-five plate appearances, and he's the most sure-handed fielder they've had at first base since Eric Hosmer left town. He might even be better than Hosmer was, which is saying something.
Getting him up was about opportunity. The lifeline that the Brewers sent the Royals by taking Carlos Santana off the books started the wheels in motion; and based on what I've seen so far, I wouldn't sit Pratto a single game the rest of the season unless he's injured.
Buyers or sellers on the Royals at this point?
It's real tough to see them as buyers right now. They're nine games out in the wildcard, and within the AL Central there's little chance they catch the third-place Guardians, let alone either the first place White Sox, or the Twins that are nipping at their heels. In fact, the Royals could be in dead last in the division by the All-Star break, thanks to seven games against the Tigers coming up over the next few weeks.
That said, given the track record of this front office, I wouldn't expect any deals to be completed until at least after the break; unless a needy team comes along and makes an offer the Royals can't pass up for someone like, let's say, Andrew Benintendi, who would be an attractive rental piece for a number of teams.
Should we be concerned about BWJ?
No, and I'll tell you why -- he's suffering from some awful luck. It's not all bad luck, mind you, as he could stand to draw a few more walks, but this is a guy on his current pace, taking his entire season into account (including his current lengthy slump), for thirty-two doubles, seven triples, and seventeen homeruns. If he gets back to being a league-average hitter, which he was a few short weeks ago, he's a 40-double, 20-homerun guy.
He's striking out just 20% of the time, which is unheard of for such a young player at this level, and is by far the best rate amongst qualified rookies. As said before, he could walk a few more times, but he's not far off his rate from last year between Double and Triple-A (9% to 8%), and his average exit velo is still humming along in the low-to-mid 90's, so he's not getting cheated at the plate often.
Given the return the Royals got for Santana, maybe they should have waited longer?
The Royals recognized -- correctly -- that his value was not going to be any higher than it was, not without taking a pretty significant risk that he'd keep the hot streak going and try to parlay that into a prospect or two. In the end, they got a pretty versatile player in Jace Peterson (whom Dayton Moore has coveted for some time) and about $5 million in salary relief, which was really going to be the main goal of any Santana trade.
Reportedly, several other teams were interested in Santana, but wanted the Royals to eat a pretty big portion of his contract in order to even begin any negotiation on prospects, which generally indicates a player-to-be-named-later situation. I don't think that's the road they'd want to go down again after dealing Danny Duffy last year, who didn't throw a pitch for them down the stretch, and just now got off the injured list for the Dodgers.
Potential that they re-sign Greinke this offseason?
There's a chance if they can't find a taker for him prior to the deadline. There is some value for him as a #4 or #5, and also to serve as a mentor to younger pitching, which is pretty invaluable with such a young group of arms around him.
The market for a guy like Greinke could be limited because he can't miss bats on a consistent basis any more, but good defensive teams like the Mets or Twins could be good fits.
Who are some minor league guys on the horizon to watch for?
I'll give you a couple of underrated names. I really, really like what Brewer Hicklen brings to the table. No, he's not hitting for a super-high average (nearly 39% K-rate!), but he has some real pop in his bat when bat does meet ball, and is a dynamite base-stealer.
I don't see him being an MLB regular anytime soon, however, he's athletic enough to play any outfield spot and could fill the 'speed guy' role that others like Jarrod Dyson and Terrance Gore have played in the past.
On the pitching side, I'd watch out for right-hander Will Klein in High-A. He is absolutely tearing through that level after a slow-ish start in Single-A Columbus to begin the year. From all reports, his stuff is upper-echelon, but needs to polish command to anchor the back end of a bullpen.
He's done just that so far with the River Bandits in High-A, sporting a 21/4 K/BB ratio through just 10 2/3 innings with seven saves. If that continues through Double and Triple-A, look out. His fastball sits at 96-99, occasionally hitting 100-101, and has a hammer 12-6 curve that clocks in around the 81-84 MPH range.Comment
Series Preview: Kansas City (33-41) @ Detroit (33-43)
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PITCHING MATCHUPS
07/01: RHP Zack Greinke (1-5, 4.18) vs RHP Carlos Martinez (3-4, 5.11)
07/02: LHP Daniel Lynch (5-5, 4.44) vs RHP Michael Pineda (2-6, 7.01)
07/03: RHP Brady Singer (6-2, 5.02) vs LHP Eduardo Rodriguez (3-6, 5.45)
WHO'S HOT?
OF Austin Meadows, Detroit -- 14-for-30 (.467), 3 HR, 2 2B, 7 BB, 4 K
WHO'S NOT?
IF Jeimer Candelario, Detroit -- 1-for-20 (.050), 3 BB, 4 K
LHP Eduardo Rodriguez, Detroit -- 9.2 IP, 12 ER, 11 K (2 starts)
IF Hunter Dozier, Kansas City -- 0-for-21 (.000), BB, 10 K
IF Whit Merrifield, Kansas City -- 1-for-21 (.047), BB, 8 K
KANSAS CITY INJURED LIST
RHP Jonathan Bowlan (elbow) -- 60-day IL
RHP Taylor Clarke (knee) -- 10-day IL
SS Adalberto Mondesi (knee) -- 60-day IL
OF Edward Olivares (quad) -- 10-day IL
DETROIT INJURED LIST
SS Javier Baez (hand) -- 10-day IL
RHP Angel De Jesus (elbow) -- 60-day IL
RHP Casey Mize (elbow) -- 10-day ILComment
Re: Series Preview: Kansas City (33-41) @ Detroit (33-43)
He's actually having an OK year; he just can't strike people out anymore. With a good defense like I have behind him, that's fine. He's really a 4 or 5, but is the 1 or 2 right now.Comment
Kansas City @ Detroit (07/01 -- 07/03)
Series Recap: Detroit Tigers
By Brian Douglas | Kansas City Star | July 4th, 2022
Kansas City Royals at Detroit Tigers Jul 1, 2022 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 R H E Kansas City Royals (34-41) 0 2 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 3 7 14 0 Detroit Tigers (33-44) 0 0 0 1 2 0 1 0 0 1 4 10 0 W: Scott Barlow (4-1) L: Andrew Chafin (1-2) S: Josh Staumont (6)
Friday, July 1st, 2022
With a two-run homerun to lead off the 10th, Nick Pratto did two things -- strike the decisive blow in the Royals' eventual 7-5 victory, and extended his hitting streak to ten games, a team rookie record to begin a career. Bobby Witt, Jr., also went 2-for-4 with a homerun and two runs scored, also drawing a walk.
A bit more history was made earlier in the game -- Vinnie Pasquantino homered in his first MLB at-bat, becoming the first player this season to do so, and the first Royal since 1995 to do the trick (Jon Nunnally). He's the 131st player in MLB history to accomplish the feat, and the first since Seth Beer of Arizona on September 10th of last year.
Kansas City led 3-0 midway through the fourth, but the Tigers chipped away at the lead, scoring one in the fourth and two in the fifth to make it 4-3 after five stanzas. Derek Hill's solo shot in the seventh tied the score at four, ensuring that Zack Greinke would once again have a solid start wasted.
Greinke, who is still 1-5 on the season, went six innings while allowing just three earned runs on six hits, striking out two. Hill's homerun came against Dylan Coleman, who relieved Greinke for the bottom of the seventh.
Scott Barlow picked up the victory, his fourth of the season. Josh Staumont earned his sixth save of the season, striking out the final two hitters of the game in Riley Greene and Jeimer Candelario.
Kansas City Royals at Detroit Tigers Jul 2, 2022 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E Kansas City Royals (35-41) 0 0 0 1 2 0 0 0 3 6 9 0 Detroit Tigers (33-45) 4 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 11 1 W: Josh Staumont (3-4) L: Zac Houston (0-2) S: Scott Barlow (11)
Saturday, July 2nd, 2022
Kansas City welcomed Kyle Isbel back to the big-league club, and he returned the favor with a pinch-hit, three-run homerun in the top of the ninth to turn a 5-3 deficit into a 6-5 victory for the Royals, securing a series victory on the road. Scott Barlow pitched a scoreless ninth to pick up his 11th save of the season.
Isbel replaced a guy who had already hit a two-run homerun earlier in the game in Michael A. Taylor; as he hit his homerun off Eduardo Rodriguez in the fifth inning.
Things didn't look good at the outset, as the first five hitters reached base against starter Daniel Lynch, and the big lefty was forced from the game after three innings and five total earned runs allowed. But Collin Snider gave the Royals 3 1/3 spotless innings of relief, striking out four with a couple of walks and no runs allowed.
"Collin picked us up big time," said manager Mike Matheny. "That's all you can ask for in this kind of situation, and he delivered...it allowed our bats to stay in the game and give us a chance to win at the end. Kyle came through with probably the biggest hit of his young career so far."
Kansas City Royals at Detroit Tigers Jul 3, 2022 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E Kansas City Royals (35-42) 1 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 3 9 1 Detroit Tigers (34-45) 0 0 1 4 0 0 0 0 0 5 7 1 W: Ryan Sherriff (1-0) L: Brady Singer (6-3) S: Jacob Barnes (2)
Sunday, July 3rd, 2022
Once again, Detroit jumped out to an early lead, this time 5-1 after three. Only this time, the Royals were not able to make a comeback, falling short with the tying run at home in a 5-3 defeat at Detroit.
Brady Singer struggled through just 3 1/3, scattering four hits and two walks, fanning two and allowing four earned runs (five in all). Riley Greene's three-run homerun in the fourth turned a 1-1 tie into a 4-1 lead that the Tigers didn't relinquish.
With two more hits, Bobby Witt, Jr., capped off a solid series going 2-for-4 with an RBI double. Nicky Lopez and Michael A. Taylor also collected a pair of hits, and Whit Merrifield and Andrew Benintendi each doubled.Comment
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