Daily Clips
August 13, 2017
LOCAL
Melky gives Royals final say vs. former team
August 13, 2017 By Jeffrey Flanagan and Scott Merkin/MLB.com
Drama aside, order restored in Royals' bullpen
August 13, 2017By Jeffrey Flanagan/MLB.com
Salvy reports no pain after throwing session
August 12, 2017By Jeffrey Flanagan/MLB.com
Vargas aiming to reclaim early dominance
August 12, 2017By Scott Merkin/MLB.com
Melky Cabrera turns heel as Royals snap losing streak in Chicago
August 12, 2017By Rustin Dodd/KC Star
Royals’ Salvador Perez progressing toward return
August 12, 2017By Rustin Dodd/KC Star
Royals’ Mike Moustakas focused on wins, not home run record
August 12, 2017By Rustin Dodd/KC Star
Scuffling Royals remain in playoff race. Thanks, Bud Selig!
August 12, 2017By Sam Mellinger/KC Star
This Royals losing streak — it’s not all bad luck
August 12, 2017By Lee Judge/KC Star
MINORS
Omaha Tops Iowa 5-2 In Front of 8,739
Schwindel tallies 2 knocks, Machado spins 6 solid frames
August 12, 2017 By Andrew Green/Omaha Storm Chasers
Griffin Stymies RoughRiders in 4-2 Win
LHP Foster Griffin earns his ninth win by twirling 7.2 innings of two-run baseball in the victory over Frisco
August 12, 2017By Naturals PR Department
Three-Run Sixth Inning Dooms Rocks
Wilmington Falls for Seventh Time in Nine Games at Salem in 2017
August 12, 2017By Wilmington Blue Rocks
Charleston takes early lead in 7-3 win
August 12, 2017By Lexington Legends
First Shutout Vaults Voyagers to First Place
Reyes 2nd-Inning Homer Provides Necessary Offense
August 13, 2017 By Shawn Tiemann/Great Falls Voyagers
Early Start Fizzles, Royals Fall to Braves
Matias doubles twice in loss
August 12, 2017By Matt Krause/Burlington Royals
NATIONAL
Sweet victory (and relief): Struggling Royals snap losing streak
August 13, 2017By Bradford Doolittle/ESPN
Royals' Mike Moustakas nears franchise record with two more homers Friday
August 12, 2017By Mike Axisa/CBS Sports
MLB TRANSACTIONS
August 13, 2017 •.CBSSports.com
LOCAL
Melky gives Royals final say vs. former team
August 13, 2017 By Jeffrey Flanagan and Scott Merkin/MLB.com
It took a former White Sox to beat the White Sox and end the Royals' recent misery.
Melky Cabrera, acquired before the Trade Deadline, belted a two-run home run off reliever Aaron Bummer in the eighth inning, and the Royals rallied for a 5-4 win on Saturday, ending a five-game losing streak and snapping the White Sox four-game winning streak.
The Royals remained five games behind first-place Cleveland in the American League Central. They had lost 10 of 12 before Saturday's win.
"It was huge," Royals manager Ned Yost said. "These are the kind of wins that help stop the bleeding. Good to hear [postgame music] again. I have been thinking about this group of guys, but what do you tell them? They're not pressing. They're competing their tails off. All you can tell them is hang in there and keep battling."
"He was trying to get down underneath it a little bit lower than that and it ended up staying up enough," said White Sox manager Rick Renteria, of the culmination of the nine-pitch at-bat between Bummer and Cabrera. "It ended up staying out over the plate. He put a good swing on it. Melky does what sometimes he does -- he drove it out of the ballpark."
Jose Abreu belted two homers, Nos. 20 and 21, for the White Sox, who overcame a 3-0 deficit and went ahead, 4-3, on Leury Garcia's two-run single in the seventh.
White Sox starter James Shields, a former Royal, maneuvered past a rough start and delivered six innings, giving up seven hits and three runs while walking one and striking out eight.
"It was nice to get some swings and misses today, get some strikeouts when I needed them," Shields said. "We're just going to work off of that. It was good."
Right-hander Ian Kennedy gave the Royals a rare quality start of late, lasting 6 1/3 innings while giving up seven hits and three runs. He walked one and struck out seven. Eric Hosmer hit his 19th home run in the first for the Royals.
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
Game saver: The White Sox nearly tied it in the ninth off Royals closer Kelvin Herrera. With two out, Omar Narvaez walked. Pinch-runner Tyler Saladino stole second. And then Adam Engel shot a ground ball headed for left field. But third baseman Mike Moustakas made a diving stop to his left and made a strong throw to first to end the game.
"It's definitely a bang-bang play," Moustakas said. "I thought he might be early on something so I was ready. And I knew he had speed so I had to get it out fast."
Added Yost, "Great play. Tough play. Game saver."
What stop sign?: The White Sox gifted the Royals three outs with bad baserunning plays. It started in the first when with two out, Avisail Garcia ripped a double into the left-field corner with Abreu on first. Left-fielder Alex Gordon grabbed the ball off the wall and fired to relay man Alcides Escobar. Third base coach Nick Capra put up the stop sign on Abreu, who barrelled home anyway and was thrown out by 10 feet. It was Gordon's 82nd career assist, tops among outfielder since 2010. YoanMoncada also was caught stealing in the first (and didn't slide), and Garcia was caught in a rundown in the sixth trying to reach second after an infield single.
QUOTABLE
"It's the only way I know how to play baseball. Working hard, putting myself in the best position I can be to play. Also, if I don't do that, I know that my mom is going to call me and is going to say something to me." -- Abreu
SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS
When Abreu went deep with one out in the fourth, he became the first in White Sox history with four consecutive seasons of at least 20 home runs to start his career. Jermaine Dye and Jose Valentin opened the White Sox portion of their careers with five consecutive seasons of at least 20 homers, and Jim Thome, Paul Konerko and Carlos Quentin started their White Sox careers with four consecutive seasons of at least 20 homers. Abreu homered again in the sixth, marking his ninth career multi-homer game.
WALK THIS WAY
Tim Anderson's one-out walk in the seventh represented his first free pass since July 16 against Seattle.
WHAT'S NEXT
Royals: The Royals finish up the series against the White Sox on Sunday at 1:10 p.m. CT with left-hander Jason Vargas (13-6, 3.40 ERA) taking the mound. Vargas gave up six runs and eight hits over 4 2/3 innings in a 10-3 loss to St. Louis on Tuesday.
White Sox: Derek Holland (6-11, 5.25) gets the call for the final game of this series against the Royals and a six-game homestand for the White Sox. Holland got the victory in his last start on Aug. 8 against the Astros, marking his first win since June 13 against Baltimore.
Drama aside, order restored in Royals' bullpen
August 13, 2017By Jeffrey Flanagan/MLB.com
When Royals left-handed reliever Scott Alexander gave up a 3-2 lead in the seventh inning Saturday night against the White Sox, there had to be a feeling of here-we-go-again among the Royals' faithful.
After all, this was a bullpen that came into the game with a 7.25 ERA during a 2-9 August. The bullpen that had a Major League best ERA of 2.00 in July also had allowed runs in 10 of the previous 11 games.
Make that 11 of 12 when Alexander gave up the lead on a two-run single by Leury Garcia, giving the White Sox a 4-3 lead.
But after Melky Cabrera belted a two-run home run in the eighth to answer, the Royals' bullpen finished off the White Sox in a much-needed 5-4 win at Guaranteed Rate Field.
Joakim Soria put the White Sox down 1-2-3 in the eighth, and closer Kelvin Herrera recorded a scoreless ninth for his 25th save, and the Royals broke a five-game losing streak.
"It was huge," Royals manager Ned Yost said. "These are the kind of wins that help stop the bleeding."
The ninth didn't come without a little drama, though.
Herrera, who hasn't had a save opportunity since Aug. 3, got two quick outs. But one strike away from a win, Herrera walked Omar Narvaez instead.
With Adam Engel, who had two triples on Friday, at the plate, pinch-runner Tyler Saladino stole second, putting the potential tying run in scoring position.
Then Yost's heart skipped a little when Engel shot a grounder headed to left. But third baseman Mike Moustakas made a diving stop to his left, got up, and threw a strike to first to end it.
"Great play. Tough play," Yost said. "Game saver."
Yost was relieved the back end of his bullpen, so trusted for much of the season, restored some order.
"Jack came in and had a great inning," Yost said. "And Kel got two quick outs and you never like to see that walk. But he got out of it."
And as the Royals' traditional postgame victory music blared in the background, Yost acknowledged, "Good to hear that again."
Salvy reports no pain after throwing session
August 12, 2017By Jeffrey Flanagan/MLB.com
Royals catcher Salvador Perez, on the 10-day disabled list with a right intercostal strain, threw for about 10 minutes before Saturday's game against the White Sox and reported no pain.
Perez threw with catching coach Pedro Grifol from about 120 feet.
Perez, who suffered the injury on Aug. 4, has been running and sprinting for about three days, and threw for the second time in three days.
Perez reported some discomfort when he threw on Thursday in St. Louis.
"He was doing really good and then he tried to amp it up and felt a little pain," Royals manager Ned Yost said.
But there were no issues Saturday.
"I don't feel any pain in the throwing or running," Perez said. "We're going the right way."
Perez said he is hoping he can start taking some bullpen sessions and hitting off the tee soon.
"Maybe next week we start catching bullpens and maybe start swinging," Perez said. "We'll see what the progress is by then and go from there.
"I think the first thing will be to hit off the tee. I don't know what day. We go day by day. Whatever they tell me, I'll do. So far, so good."
The intercostal is a group of muscles in the rib cage that help support the chest wall.
Vargas aiming to reclaim early dominance
August 12, 2017By Scott Merkin/MLB.com
Sunday's series finale between the White Sox and Royals features a battle of veteran southpaws at Guaranteed Rate Field.
Derek Holland takes the mound for the White Sox, coming off of a victory over Houston on Aug. 8 during which he allowed three runs on five hits with seven walks and five strikeouts in 5 2/3 innings. It was Holland's first victory since June 13 against Baltimore.
Holland has a 2-6 mark and 7.32 ERA in his last 12 starts. He's has yielded 15 home runs and a .311 average against in the past 55 1/3 innings.
Vargas' 13 victories rank second in the American League behind Chris Sale (14). But Vargas has struggled recently, posting a 1-3 record, 7.32 ERA and 1.037 OPS over his last six starts. Vargas carries an 0-1 record and 6.26 ERA in five career starts at Guaranteed Rate Field.
Three things to know about this game
• Holland is 3-1 with a 3.91 ERA lifetime against the Royals. He received a no-decision on July 23 at Kauffman Stadium, allowing three consecutive home runs -- to Whit Merrifield, Jorge Bonifacio and Eric Hosmer -- to open the fourth inning.
• The White Sox are 21-28 against the American League Central this season, including 11-11 at home.
• Melky Cabrera is hitting .314 with 13 RBIs in 13 games since the White Sox traded him to the Royals on July 30.
Melky Cabrera turns heel as Royals snap losing streak in Chicago
August 12, 2017By Rustin Dodd/KC Star
In theory, a baseball game cannot be distilled down to two moments. There are too many pitches, too many at-bats, too many plays on which the night can pivot.
Yet in the aftermath of the Royals’ 5-4 victory over the White Sox on Saturday night, a performance that snapped a five-game losing streak and turned a visitors clubhouse into a joyous scene, there were two moments on which to dwell.
Melky Cabrera had pounced on a 3-2 slider in the top of the eighth, ripping a two-run shot to left-center and rescuing the bullpen from another costly breakdown. Third baseball Mike Moustakas had gone sprawling with two outs in the bottom of the ninth, diving to his left and throwing across the diamond to save a run and preserve the win.
Two moments. Two men. Two plays that separated a sixth-straight loss from a .500 record and a feeling of relief.
“These are the kind of wins that help stop the bleeding,” Royals manager Ned Yost said.
The Royals (58-58) did not craft the complete performance that they craved on Saturday night. They had not won since last Sunday against Seattle. The bullpen stumbled yet again in the seventh inning after starter Ian Kennedy offered 6 1/3 solid innings. A 3-2 lead turned into a one-run deficit when Kennedy issued a one-out walk and reliever Scott Alexander surrendered a double to Omar Narvaez and a two-out, two-run single to Leury Garcia.
But relief would come from the bat of Cabrera, the former White Sox outfielder who turned heel on Saturday at Guaranteed Rate Park.
Cabrera had spent nearly three full seasons here, manning a corner spot in the outfield, winning over the locals with his consistent hustle and goofy charisma. He feels a connection to this place, he says, one that breaks through the language barrier and his quiet demeanor. But in his first series back in Chicago, he jumped on a slider from the arm of reliever Aaron Bummer and deposited the baseball into the seats in left-center field.
“It was huge to answer back,” Yost said.
Cabrera had battled for eight pitches, falling behind in the count 1-2 before spoiling two sliders and a fastball. As the count went full, he was simply looking for something he could hit, he said. He saw a slider and reacted.
“I just want to help the team win,” Cabrera said in Spanish.
The inning had opened with a walk from Lorenzo Cain. He moved to second when White Sox rookie second baseman YoanMoncada bobbled a ground ball. The late two-run surge held up as the decisive runs. The official save would go to closer Kelvin Herrera, his 25th of the season, while the unofficial one was recorded by the glove of Moustakas.
With two outs in the ninth inning and a man on second base, Chicago’s Adam Engel ripped a grounder to the left side. Moustakas flopped to his left and corralled the baseball before scrambling to his feet and firing a throw to first base. Eric Hosmer hauled in the final out and pumped his left fist. The Royals would blare rap music in the clubhouse for the first time since Sunday night.
“I was trying to keep it in the infield to make sure the run doesn’t score,” Moustakas said. “But I got a pretty good read on the hop, so I was able to get there.”
Moustakas attempted to credit Herrera for making a good pitch and inducing a ground ball. Yost sought to heap praise on his third baseman.
“Great play,” Yost said. “Game saver. Tough play.”
In the first 11 days of August, not much had gone right. The Royals had been outscored 74-46 while losing nine of 11. The bullpen had allowed 29 earned runs in 36 innings. The defense was a nightly question mark. On Saturday, they blunted the momentum and evened the series.
Still in the thick of the American League wild-card race despite 10 losses in 12 games, the Royals must now streak in the other direction to offset the cold start to August.
It will have to start with pitching. Kennedy was coming off consecutive starts across which he yielded 10 earned runs in 10 innings. His last outing was marked by inconsistent command and a rash of walks. In the moments after an 11-3 loss to the Cardinals at Kauffman Stadium, Kennedy appeared confounded by the mini-slump.
“It’s like you get into a funk,” he said.
In his previous six appearances, Kennedy had logged five ‘quality’ starts. In the days before taking the mound here in Chicago, pitching coach Dave Eiland discovered a slight mechanical flaw. Kennedy was pulling his head to the left during his delivery, causing his body to drift and his arm to lag. The issue was minor. Yet Kennedy sought to clean it up during a bullpen session this week.