Daily Clips
May 21, 2017
Royals-Twins postponed; twin bill on Sunday
May 21, 2017 By Shane Jackson/MLB.com
http://m.royals.mlb.com/news/article/231386368/royals-twins-game-postponed/?topicId=27118382
Karns has stiff forearm examined after outing
Royals righty allowed one run over five innings in no-decision Friday
May 21, 2017 By Shane Jackson/MLB.com
http://m.royals.mlb.com/news/article/231394252/royals-nate-karns-has-stiff-forearm-examined/
Kennedy returns from DL to face Twins in DH
May 21, 2017 By Shane Jackson/MLB.com
http://m.royals.mlb.com/news/article/231395026/twins-royals-close-series-with-traditional-dh/?topicId=26688836
After rainout in Minnesota, Royals move to alter their starting rotation
May 21, 2017 By Rustin Dodd/KC Star
http://www.kansascity.com/sports/mlb/kansas-city-royals/article151723187.html
Royals starter Nathan Karns undergoes tests after experiencing forearm stiffness
May 21, 2017 By Rustin Dodd/KC Star
http://www.kansascity.com/sports/mlb/kansas-city-royals/article151726872.html
MINORS
Aces Topple Chasers 7-3
Toups collects 3 hits, including HR, Starling's hit streak goes to 10
May 21, 2017 Omaha Storm Chasers
https://www.milb.com/storm-chasers/news/aces-topple-chasers-7-3/c-231494652/t-196093384
Lyons, Sierra and Cards cruise past Naturals, 8-2
May 21, 2017 Springfield Cardinals
https://www.milb.com/springfield-cardinals/news/lyons-sierra-and-cards-cruise-past-naturals-8-2/c-231469354/t-196093320
Blue Rocks Struggle in Loss
Wilmington Suffers Lopsided Defeat
May 21, 2017 By Cory Nidoh/Wilmington Blue Rocks
https://www.milb.com/blue-rocks/news/wilmington-suffers-lopsided-defeat/c-231463652/t-196097164
Legends hold on for 12-10 win over Rome
May 21, 2017 Lexington Legends
https://www.milb.com/legends/news/legends-hold-on-for-12-10-win-over-rome/c-231466286/t-196097274
MLB TRANSACTIONS
May 21, 2017 •.CBSSports.com
http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/transactions
LOCAL
Royals-Twins postponed; twin bill on Sunday
May 21, 2017 By Shane Jackson/MLB.com
http://m.royals.mlb.com/news/article/231386368/royals-twins-game-postponed/?topicId=27118382
Saturday's game between the Royals and Twins at Target Field was postponed due to inclement weather. The game be made up Sunday as part of a straight doubleheader starting at 1:10 p.m. CT.
Right-hander Ian Kennedy of Kansas City was scheduled to start opposite Minnesota left-hander Adalberto Mejia on Saturday. The Royals' pitching plans for the doubleheader were not yet known, while Mejia has been rescheduled to start the second game on Sunday, with right-hander Phil Hughes starting Game 1.
Minnesota has won all six meetings against Kansas City this season.
Karns has stiff forearm examined after outing
Royals righty allowed one run over five innings in no-decision Friday
May 21, 2017 By Shane Jackson/MLB.com
http://m.royals.mlb.com/news/article/231394252/royals-nate-karns-has-stiff-forearm-examined/
Royals manager Ned Yost told reporters Saturday that right-hander Nate Karns is having his forearm examined.
"Of course, he's getting looked at. But we have no updates," Yost said.
Karns spun five innings of one-run ball in a no-decision against the Twins in Friday's 4-3 loss. He was pulled after just 72 pitches, however, as he felt stiffness near the top of his right forearm starting in the second inning.
Afterward, Karns said if it were later in the year, he may have been able to go deeper into the game despite the stiffness.
"It was one of those things, every time I went out there it was a little bit harder to get going," Karns said on Friday. "It's nothing alarming or anything. Just a precautionary move. Later on the year, maybe I could have kept going."
Karns has recorded five straight starts of at least five innings pitched, while allowing two runs or fewer. This season, the right-hander is 2-2 with a 4.17 ERA in nine appearances, including eight starts.
Yost said Saturday that the stiffness was similar to what Chris Young dealt with in 2016. But the Royals are going to wait for the results before they decide to do anything.
"We will look at it and try to make a determination of where we are at with it," Yost said.
Worth noting
• Ian Kennedy was penciled in as the starter for the Royals on Saturday prior to the rainout. He was expected to be activated from the 10-day disabled list (hamstring), though the club will wait to announce a corresponding move until Sunday. Kennedy is expected to start the second game of Sunday's doubleheader.
Kennedy returns from DL to face Twins in DH
May 21, 2017 By Shane Jackson/MLB.com
http://m.royals.mlb.com/news/article/231395026/twins-royals-close-series-with-traditional-dh/?topicId=26688836
For the second time in as many series this homestand, the Twins will play a doubleheader due to inclement weather. After Saturday's postponement, Kansas City and Minnesota will close out a three-game set with a traditional doubleheader on Sunday, starting at 1:10 p.m. CT. The Royals have lost all six meetings this season.
Phil Hughes will start the first game for Minnesota. He has posted a 4-2 record with a 5.23 ERA in eight starts. In his last outing, Hughes gave up five runs on eight hits in a loss to the Rockies. Hughes has faced Kansas City 15 times in his career, going 8-5 with a 5.01 ERA in 82 2/3 innings.
The Royals have not announced their plans for Game 1. They originally had Jason Hammel scheduled to start the series finale, but they could elect to push him back a day to start against the Yankees. If that were the case, Chris Young could get a spot start in his place.
For Game 2, both teams are expected to make a roster move to enlist their respective starters. Royals right-hander Ian Kennedy will be activated from the 10-day disabled list (hamstring), while lefty Adalberto Mejia will be promoted from Triple-A Rochester.
Both clubs can add a 26th player to the roster for Game 2 of the doubleheader without having to make a corresponding move until after the second game.
Kennedy is 0-3 with a 3.03 ERA in six starts. Mejia, Minnesota's No. 8 prospect, according to MLBPipeline.com, has made three starts for the Twins in 2017, going 0-1 with a 5.79 ERA.
Three things to know about this game
• The Twins have already seen Kennedy once this season. He held Minnesota to two runs on two hits in 5 1/3 innings. Because of the injury, he has made just one start since that meeting on April 28.
• Kennedy has made nine starts against the Twins in his career, posting a 4-2 record with a 3.74 ERA. In 53 innings, Kennedy has fanned 47 batters and walked 17.
• Brian Dozier's 20 career at-bats is the most for any Minnesota batter against Kennedy. Dozier has a career slash line of .200/.304/.500 against the right-hander. Eduardo Escobar has a clip of .438/.471/.625 in 16 at-bats.
After rainout in Minnesota, Royals move to alter their starting rotation
May 21, 2017 By Rustin Dodd/KC Star
http://www.kansascity.com/sports/mlb/kansas-city-royals/article151723187.html
The Royals were poised to shift their starting rotation after Saturday’s game against the Twins was postponed because of heavy rain.
The Royals and Twins will play a traditional doubleheader on Sunday at Target Field. The first game will begin at 1:10 p.m., as previously scheduled. The second game will start 30 minutes after the first game.
As of early Saturday afternoon, the Royals listed right-hander Ian Kennedy as the scheduled starting pitcher for the second game. The club was waiting to announce its starter for the first game.
Kennedy was scheduled to return from the disabled list on Saturday and make his first start since May 4. Jason Hammel was scheduled to start on Sunday. Now it appears that Hammel will be pushed back in the rotation.
The Royals have the option of adding a 26th man to the roster for the second game of the doubleheader, which could allow them to reinstate Kennedy without making a corresponding roster move until after the second game. Right-hander Chris Young, who made two spot starts while Kennedy was on the disabled list with a hamstring strain, could make a third start in the opening game of the doubleheader. The Royals could also make an additional roster move on Sunday to add another pitcher.
The Twins will counter with rookie left-hander Adalberto Mejia in the first game and right-hander Phil Hughes in the second game.
For the Royals, the rotation shuffling came one night after starting pitcher Nathan Karns experienced stiffness in the top of his forearm during a 4-3 loss to the Twins in 10 innings. Karns allowed just one run in five innings, but he departed after throwing just 72 pitches.
The Royals described the early exit as precautionary. Karns left the Royals’ clubhouse on Saturday morning and headed for medical tests on his forearm.
“It’s just in one spot right here,” Yost said, pointing to the top of the forearm. “We’re looking at it, trying to make a determination of where we’re at with it.”
After concluding a three-game series here at Target Field, the Royals (17-24) will begin a four-game series against the Yankees in New York on Monday night. The 10-game road trip will finish with three games in Cleveland next weekend.
Royals starter Nathan Karns undergoes tests after experiencing forearm stiffness
May 21, 2017 By Rustin Dodd/KC Star
http://www.kansascity.com/sports/mlb/kansas-city-royals/article151726872.html
One night after experiencing stiffness in his right forearm, Royals starter Nathan Karns departed the visitors clubhouse here on Saturday morning and headed to undergo tests on his arm.
Karns allowed just one run in five innings in a 4-3 loss to the Minnesota Twins on Friday night at Target Field. The stiffness surfaced in the latter part of the second inning and remained for the rest of the night, he said. After throwing 72 pitches, Karns exited the game.
Afterward, he described the measure as “precautionary” and “nothing alarming”. On Saturday morning, Royals manager Ned Yost compared the symptoms as similar to those of Chris Young, who went on the disabled list last May after straining a muscle in the top of the foream.
The location of the stiffness offers some positive news. Forearm tightness in the bottom of the arm, or the flexor muscle, is often viewed as a precursor to problems with the ulnar collateral ligament and possible Tommy John surgery. But a forearm strain on top of the arm is not as ominous.
“It’s just in one spot right here,” Yost said, pointing to the top of the forearm. “We’re looking at it, trying to make a determination of where we’re at with it.”
Acquired in the offseason in a trade that sent outfielder Jarrod Dyson to Seattle, Karns, 29, is 2-2 with a 4.17 ERA. His numbers, however, are slightly inflated by a poor relief outing during the first week of the season. In eight starts, Karns has posted a 3.43 ERA while striking out 9.9 batters per nine innings.
MINORS
Aces Topple Chasers 7-3
Toups collects 3 hits, including HR, Starling's hit streak goes to 10
May 21, 2017 Omaha Storm Chasers
https://www.milb.com/storm-chasers/news/aces-topple-chasers-7-3/c-231494652/t-196093384
Aces right fielder Zach Borenstein and first baseman Carlos Rivero both homered and starter Frank Duncan yielded just two runs in seven frames, while Chasers left fielder Corey Toups recorded three knocks and right fielder Bubba Starling extended his hit streak to ten in Omaha's 7-3 loss to Reno on Saturday evening at Werner Park.
Both teams traded single tallies in the opening frame, including an RBI double to right by SS Ramon Torres in the last half of the inning. The Aces, however, would counter with a three-spot in the sixth, which was capped by Borenstein's longball to center to make it a 4-1 Reno advantage.
Toups would answer back with a solo homer to left in the bottom of the sixth, his third of 2017, however the Aces would plate two in the seventh prior to Rivero's leadoff longball in the eighth. Starling in the ninth drew a one-out walk and eventually scored via 3B Garin Cecchini 's single to right, however the Storm Chasers would be kept off the board from that point on.
Eight of the nine hitters in the Reno batting order recorded a hit, with Borenstein (2-4, R, HR, RBI), SS Ketel Marte (2-5, R,2 2B, RBI), DH Oswaldo Arcia (2-4, 2 RBI) and C Hank Conger (2-4, R) collecting two knocks apiece. Toups (3-4, 2 R, HR, RBI) was the lone Omaha hitter to record a multi-hit effort with his game-high three hits.
Duncan (7.0 IP, 7 H, 2 R, ER, 0 BB, 2 K) earned his second victory with a quality start, allowing two runs, only one of which was earned, while scattering seven hits. Reliever Jake Barrett (1.0 IP, H) followed with a scoreless eighth before Matt Stites (1.0 IP, H, R, ER, 2 BB, K) finished the job. Omaha righty Mark Peterson (3.1 IP, 9 H, 6 R, 5 ER, 2 K) suffered the defeat to fall to 0-2 after southpaw Eric Stout (4.0 IP, 3 H, R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K) turned in a good spot start, just his third start in his pro career.
The two teams are set to play a doubleheader on Sunday afternoon, with the first game set for a 2:05 p.m. CT start. RHP Luke Farrell (4-1, 3.96) is anticipated to get the nod for Omaha, while RHP Braden Shipley (4-1, 3.35) is slated to toe the rubber for Reno. Game two will begin approximately 30 minutes after the conclusion of the day's lid-lifter, with RHP Yender Caramo (0-3, 4.45) expected to climb the hill for the Storm Chasers. He is set to face off against Aces RHP Keyvius Sampson (3-2, 6.83). Both games are scheduled to last seven innings.
Lyons, Sierra and Cards cruise past Naturals, 8-2
May 21, 2017 Springfield Cardinals
https://www.milb.com/springfield-cardinals/news/lyons-sierra-and-cards-cruise-past-naturals-8-2/c-231469354/t-196093320
With rehabbing St. Louis Cardinals LHP Tyler Lyons on the mound and OF Magneuris Sierra making his Double-A debut, the Springfield Cardinals blew past the Northwest Arkansas, 8-2, before 6,725 fans at Hammons Field on Saturday evening.
Facing LHP Tyler Lyons (W, 1-0), the Naturals (22-18) staked an early lead in the top of the first inning. With one on and two down, 3B Mauricio Ramos cleared the center field fence with a two-run home run, swinging the Naturals into the 2-0 lead.
After the home run, Lyons dug in with seven straight outs before the bats got going in the bottom of the third against RHP Ashton Goudeau (L, 2-3). With one away, 3B Jacob Wilson worked a walk and quickly moved to second base on a single from C Gabriel Lino. CF Oscar Mercado then drew a walk to load the bases with one away for LF Magneuris Sierra. In his Double-A debut after hitting .367 in seven games with St. Louis, Sierra came through with an RBI sacrifice fly to center field, bringing in Wilson to shave the deficit to 2-1.
Lyons extended his consecutive outs streak to 10 straight with a 1-2-3 top of the fourth, before the Cardinals completed the comeback in the bottom of the fourth. Leading off the inning, 2B Bruce Caldwell hammered a solo home run, his sixth long-ball of the year, tying the game at 2-2. One out later, 1B Casey Grayson followed suit with a solo blast of his own to swing the Cardinals into the 3-2 lead.