Daily Clips
June 26, 2017
LOCAL
Royals unable to overcome rough 6th inning
June 25, 2017 By Wilson Alexander and Robert Falkoff/MLB.com
Moylan, Royals deal with tough calls vs. Jays
June 25, 2017ByWilson Alexander/MLB.com
Duffy makes first Triple-A rehab start
June 25, 2017By Wilson Alexander/MLB.com
Strahm, Royals open series against Detroit
June 25, 2017By Wilson Alexander/MLB.com
Shaky relief corps, tight strike zone doom Royals in 8-2 loss to Blue Jays
June 25, 2017By Rustin Dodd/KC Star
Royals backup catcher Drew Butera is seeing success in a difficult role
June 25, 2017By Alec McChesney/KC Star
How Jason Vargas has won 11 games with an 86 mph fastball
June 25, 2017By Lee Judge/KC Star
MINORS
Farrell, Soler Lead Chasers to 5-3 Win
Soler drives in 4 & homers, Farrell earns team-best 7th victory
June 25, 2017 By Andrew Green/Omaha Storm Chasers
Naturals Edge Drillers in Top Pitching Matchup
Griffin and Buehler shine in matchup of first-round picks
June 25, 2017By Tulsa Drillers
Blue Rocks Drop Series Finale in Salem
Downes, Lopez Provide Offense for Rocks
June 25, 2017By Wilmington Blue Rocks
Legends win 5-2 for split of series
June 25, 2017By Lexington Legends
Royals Falter at Blue Jays Sunday
Bluefield Blows Open Close Game Late
June 25, 2017By Matt Krause/Burlington Royals
MLB TRANSACTIONS
June 26, 2017 •.CBSSports.com
LOCAL
Royals unable to overcome rough 6th inning
June 25, 2017 By Wilson Alexander and Robert Falkoff/MLB.com
Left-hander Francisco Liriano won the 100th game of his career, and the Blue Jays scored five runs in the sixth inning to beat the Royals, 8-2, on Sunday afternoon at Kauffman Stadium.
Liriano limited a Royals club that had won 11 of its last 13 games to two runs over six innings as he recorded his third quality start of the season. Toronto's offense supported his start, collecting 11 hits and seven walks to build a sizeable lead. The Blue Jays' win snapped a three-game skid and prevented a sweep.
Royals right-hander Jason Hammel threw 105 pitches over five innings. He held the Blue Jays scoreless until Jose Bautista hit a two-run home run that tied the game in the fifth inning.
The Royals, who expressed displeasure in home-plate umpire John Tumpane's strike zone, used six relievers to finish the game, including three in the sixth inning when the Blue Jays capitalized on three walks and an error to score five runs.
"I felt like we made a lot of good pitches and didn't really get the strikes," Hammel said. "For whatever reason, they were able to be on them when we made a mistake."
The Blue Jays were stuck in neutral until getting a jolt from Bautista, who finished with four RBIs. It was his top-RBI effort since he had four on Apr. 9, 2016 versus Boston.
"He has been one of the all-time (Blue Jays) greats," Toronto manager John Gibbons said. "I've seen him at his best."
Liriano became the 13th Dominican-born pitcher to record 100 wins in the Majors.
"The stuff was good," Gibbons said. "The fastball looks like it has a little more jump than earlier in the year and he's always got that good slider that he can throw for a strike when he needs one."
Roberto Osuna came on in the ninth inning and struck out three of the four batters he faced.
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
Bautista's big shot: Bautista gave the Blue Jays a huge lift in the fifth with his mammoth two-run homer that made it 2-2. After having dropped two frustrating one-run decisions and stranding seven runners through four innings Sunday, the Jays saw Bautista get the green light on a 3-0 Hammel offering and drill his 450-foot homer. It was his third longest home run recorded since Statcast™ began in 2015 and the longest for Bautista this season.
Gibbons has no qualms about having Bautista swinging 3-0 because of Bautista's eye at the plate.
"He has one of the best in baseball and has for years," Gibbons said.
Costly error: After the Blue Jays took a 3-2 lead in the sixth when the first four batters of the inning reached base, right-hander Peter Moylan induced a groundball to third baseman Cheslor Cuthbert. With the option to throw home or possibly turn a double-play, Cuthbert dropped the ball. His throw to first pulled Eric Hosmer off the bag and Russell Martin reached there safely.
AFTER FURTHER REVIEW
Trailing 8-2 in the eighth inning with Lorenzo Cain on second and two outs, Eric Hosmer hit a ball into center field. As the Blue Jays took their time getting to the ball, Hosmer tried to stretch the hit into a double. Cain didn't cross the plate beforehand, and Hosmer was called out at second base. After a review that lasted two minutes, 27 seconds, the call stood.
WHAT'S NEXT
Blue Jays: Right-hander Joe Biagini (2-6, 4.45 ERA) gets the call Tuesday in the opener of the Baltimore series at 7:07 p.m. ET. Biagini has started nine games and three of those nine have been quality starts. The Jays are 4-5 when Biagini takes the mound.
Royals: Following an off-day on Monday, the Royals will begin a three-game series in Detroit on Tuesday at 6:10 p.m. CT. Left-hander Matt Strahm will make his third start of the season. He allowed five runs in three innings his last time out.
Moylan, Royals deal with tough calls vs. Jays
June 25, 2017ByWilson Alexander/MLB.com
As right-hander Peter Moylan walked off the pitcher's mound in the midst of the Blue Jays' five-run sixth inning on Sunday, he began to tell home-plate umpire John Tumpanehis thoughts on the size of his strike zone. Tumpane quickly ejected Moylan, who continued to express his displeasure as he walked off the field.
"I don't usually get emotional like that, but I had enough," Moylan said.
Moylan's reaction was the most visible form of dissatisfaction with Tumpane's strike zone, which the Royals were not pleased with in their 8-2 loss to Toronto, particularly during that pivotal sixth inning.
"An umpire's strike zone is an umpire's strike zone," Royals manager Ned Yost said. "He was consistent with it, it was just a very small zone."
Though starter Jason Hammel threw 105 pitches over five innings, a high pitch count Yost partially credited to the strike zone's size, the Royals' perspective on Tumpane's calls was not obvious until the top of the sixth inning, when the game was tied at 2.
That's when left-hander Scott Alexander entered the game and allowed the three batters he faced to reach base, two on walks. In the midst of his outing, Alexander, who took the loss, was visibly frustrated.
After Alexander issued his second walk, Moylan replaced him to face Jose Bautista. On a 2-1 pitch that Moylan believed to be a strike, Tumpane called a ball.
"In that situation, a 2-2 count versus a 3-1 count changes the whole at-bat," Moylan said. "Changes the whole game, really."
Moylan walked Bautista on the next pitch and the Blue Jays took the lead. He induced a ground ball from the next batter, but third baseman Cheslor Cuthbert dropped it and pulled Eric Hosmer off the bag at first base with his throw. All runners were safe. The Blue Jays led, 4-2. Two pitches later, Josh Donaldson hit a double, and Toronto took a four-run lead.
"There's computers out there now and everything gets tracked," Moylan said. "It's not like you have to guess. You can go back and look at it."
According to MLB.com's pitch tracker, there were five balls called during the inning that were within or on the border of the strike zone. Others ran close to it. Yost said he's seen those pitches called strikes, but knew it wasn't definite. Moylan, who was calm after the game, agreed.
"I don't want the umpire to try and change what I'm doing," Alexander said. "I felt like I was attacking the ball low in the zone. Sometimes you get them, sometimes you don't."
Duffy makes first Triple-A rehab start
June 25, 2017By Wilson Alexander/MLB.com
Royals left-hander Danny Duffy pitched 2 2/3 innings in his first rehab start for Triple-A Omaha on Saturday as he works to return from a right oblique strain.
Duffy, who hadn't pitched in a game since sustaining the injury on May 28 in Cleveland, struck out three batters and gave up two hits. In the third inning, he allowed a two-run home run to his final batter, Memphis Redbirds left fielder Randal Grichuk. Duffy threw 48 pitches.
"Good first step," Royals manager Ned Yost said.
On Saturday morning, Yost said Duffy would throw four innings and around 60 pitches in his next rehab start. He will then attempt to stretch out to five innings and 75 pitches. After that, the Royals will evaluate if he's ready to return to the starting rotation.
"Then we'll see where we're at because he'll be at the 85-pitch mark at that point," Yost said. "If he needs another one, we'll take him to 85 [pitches], and then he'll be ready to come back here and pitch 100 pitches."
Strahm, Royals open series against Detroit
June 25, 2017By Wilson Alexander/MLB.com
Following an off-day on Monday for both teams, the Tigers and Royals will start a three-game set on Tuesday in Detroit at Comerica Park. The Tigers hope right-hander Justin Verlander can start turning their season around, while left-hander Matt Strahm will try to continue the Royals' hot streak.
Verlander, who allowed three runs over 5 2/3 innings in his last start, was almost lights out when he pitched against Kansas City in late May. He gave up one run over seven innings, but took the loss.
Strahm makes his third start this season after appearing 20 times out of the bullpen. The Angels scored one unearned run on him in five innings in his first start, but he allowed five runs in three innings in the second one.
Things to know about this game
• Salvador Perez is the only Royals player who has at least 15 at-bats and an average above .265 against Verlander. The Royals catcher is hitting .418 (23-for-55) with 14 RBIs and two home runs against Verlander in his career.
• The Royals hold a 334-333 advantage in the all-time series with the Tigers. In Detroit, the Tigers are 174-159 against Kansas City, including an 82-72 record at Comerica Park.
• Verlander has been using his curveball more often, and more effectively, in his last two starts. According to Statcast, in his first 13 starts of the season, Verlander threw his curveball 17.2 percent of the time, whereas that figure has jumped to 23.1 percent of the time since June 15.
Shaky relief corps, tight strike zone doom Royals in 8-2 loss to Blue Jays
June 25, 2017By Rustin Dodd/KC Star
Late Sunday afternoon, Peter Moylan pulled his iPhone off the top shelf of his locker and went searching for a photo. He swiped his right thumb across the screen, tapped on the image, then turned his phone upward, so a reporter could see.
In the moments after the Royals’ 8-2 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays at Kauffman Stadium, somebody had sent Moylan a screen shot of a strike zone graphic from MLB.com’sGameDay feature, which tracks the pitches for every at-bat. In this instant, Moylan, a 38-year-old reliever, was showing a computerized breakdown of a battle with Toronto’s Jose Bautista in the sixth inning. With the bases loaded and the game tied 2-2, Moylan had thrown a 2-1 sinker that appeared to clip the outside edge of the strike zone. In the graphic, the ball was fully on the plate. Yet, home plate umpire John Tumpane called a ball.
The count went to 3-1. Moylan walked Bautista on the next pitch, forcing in the go-ahead run. The inning and the afternoon would unravel from there. Moylan and left-hander Scott Alexander were ravaged for five runs while issuing three walks in the inning. An error by third baseman Cheslor Cuthbert exacerbated the issue.
“A very small strike zone today,” Royals manager Ned Yost would say.
In the moments after the missed call against Bautista, Moylan barked a buffet of expletives at Tumpane, eventually earning an ejection after his day was over. Standing in the clubhouse after the game, Moylan was slightly more reserved.
“In that sort of situation, a 2-2 count versus a 3-1 count changes the whole at-bat,” Moylan said. “It changes the whole game, really.
“I don’t usually get emotional like that. But I’d sort of had enough.”
The loss could not mar the weekend. The Royals (37-37) won two out of three, engineering a stunning comeback victory on Friday night. They clinched their fifth straight series victory. Even after Sunday’s frustration, they have won 11 of 14 and sprinted back into contention in the American League Central.
“If you can win series,” Yost said, “you’re going to be in pretty good shape.”
Series sweeps are also precious. So as the Royals prepared for a day off Monday before opening a series against the Detroit Tigers on Tuesday night, they could feel the disappointment from a missed opportunity.
They built a two-run lead in the early innings against Toronto starter Francisco Liriano. Starter Jason Hammel opened the game with four scoreless innings. But Bautista knotted the game at 2-2 with a booming 450-foot homer in the fifth, and operating under Tumpane’s tiny strike zone, Hammel’s pitch count reached 105 as he finished out the inning.
Hammel lamented that Tumpane’s strike zone did not reward well-executed pitches at the bottom of the zone. In no inning was that more apparent than the sixth.
The game tied, the Royals sensing a three-game sweep,Yost called on Alexander, his sinker-ball specialist, to neutralize the Blue Jays’ powerful lineup.
The tactic seemed mostly sound. In 26 innings this season, Alexander had logged a 1.38 ERA, controlling hitters with a darting sinker that reaches the strike zone then disappears. On Sunday, the combination of sinkers and Tumpane’s tight strike zone turned a sound decision into a disastrous one.
“A very small strike zone,” Yost said for a second time during his postgame press conference.
Alexander opened the inning by allowing a single to Darwin Barney and issuing walks to Kevin Pillar and Steve Pearce. His command was not awful, yet the results were not ideal.
Alexander kept hurling sinkers that arrived near the bottom of the strike zone. Tumpane kept watching the pitches and calling balls. In the view of Yost, the pitches were mostly borderline. The calls were not egregious. Yet, for a sinker-baller, they were crippling.
“I felt like I was attacking the ball low in the zone,” Alexander said. “Sometimes you get them, sometimes you don’t.”
Alexander’s day was over after three hitters, and on came Moylan to face Bautista. The matchup would initiate more controversy.
“We throw sinkers,” Moylan said. “Our whole goal is to try to get the guys to hit the ball on the ground, and that’s where you have to live.”
Moments later, Moylan hinted at the idea of a computerized strike zone, one programmed to be consistent. He did not know the reliability of the strike zone diagram from the MLB.com app, yet something like that seemed more satisfying than the whims of individual umpires.
“There’s computers out there now, and everything gets tracked,” Moylan said. “So it’s not like you have to guess. You can go back and look at it, and you see that it was a clearly a strike.”
Moments later, a reporter asked Moylan if the umpire received the message.
“I’ve got an accent, so we’ll see,” said Moylan, an Australian native. “I hope so.”
Perhaps the strike zone did not decide the game. The Royals scored just two runs, of course. Jorge Bonifacio clubbed his 11th homer. Eric Hosmer drove in another run. And that was it. But inside the clubhouse, the frustration was prominent. It stemmed from a strike zone that seemed tilted toward the hitter.
“I think we should have been rewarded a little bit more,” Hammel said. “That being said, Liriano was able to pitch that way.”
Royals backup catcher Drew Butera is seeing success in a difficult role
June 25, 2017By Alec McChesney/KC Star
For backup catchers, life in Major League Baseball isn’t as glamorous as it may seem. Often, they play only once a week, appearing in blowouts, rain-delayed games or day games following a late-night game.
And yet, backup catchers are expected to stay fresh, with limited opportunities to hone their craft.