Daily Clips
October 1, 2017
LOCAL
Bonifacio's three-run homer stings D-backs
Sept. 30, 2017 By Jeffrey Flanagan and Steve Gilbert/MLB.com
Junis delivers with AL rookie-leading 9th win
Royals right-hander logs 6 strong innings against D-backs
Sept. 30, 2017By Jeffrey Flanagan/MLB.com
Royals honor Moose for franchise HR mark
Sept. 30, 2017By Jeffrey Flanagan/MLB.com
Duffy set for procedure to clean up left elbow
Sept. 30, 2017By Jeffrey Flanagan/MLB.com
Vargas seeks 19th win as Royals go for sweep
Sept. 30, 2017By Steve Gilbert/MLB.com
Royals’ championship core returns the favor to fans in 4-3 victory over Arizona
Sept. 30, 2017By Rustin Dodd/KC Star
In pregame ceremony honoring home-run record, Royals’ Mike Moustakas gets a surprise visit
Sept. 30, 2017By Maria Torres/KC Star
Lorenzo Cain and the Royals: An understated love song
Sept. 30, 2017By Rustin Dodd/KC Star
Royals’ Danny Duffy to undergo minor elbow cleanout
Sept. 30, 2017By Rustin Dodd/KC Star
How about some Mike Moustakas stories you haven’t heard before?
Sept. 30, 2017By Lee Judge/KC Star
MLB TRANSACTIONS
October 1, 2017 •.CBSSports.com
LOCAL
Bonifacio's three-run homer stings D-backs
Sept. 30, 2017 By Jeffrey Flanagan and Steve Gilbert/MLB.com
Rookie Jorge Bonifacio smashed a three-run home run and rookie right-hander Jakob Junis tossed six strong innings as the Royals held on for a 4-3 win over the D-backs on Saturday night at Kauffman Stadium.
Junis gained his ninth victory, most by a rookie in the American League, by allowing five hits and two runs while walking two and striking out five. Left-hander Mike Minor worked around a leadoff double in the ninth to earn his sixth save and secure a series win.
"I didn't know that [rookie leader in wins], but it's pretty special," Junis said. "More than I could ever ask for in my rookie season."
D-backs right-hander Taijuan Walker was solid in his start through five innings, giving up three hits and one run. He walked one and struck out six.
Royals manager Ned Yost began the process of saluting several of the club's pending free agents, including Eric Hosmer, Mike Moustakas, Lorenzo Cain and Alcides Escobar, by removing them mid-game to huge ovations. Fans could be seeing some of them for the last time in a Royals uniform.
Yost took out Hosmer between innings, expecting the fans to notice. When they didn't, he took the rest of his players out during an inning.
"It was my screwup," Yost said. "I figured that they'd pay attention and they'd throw the ball down and they would see it, and nobody knew what was going on. Being a real smart guy, I figured out real quick that I better wait for an out and everybody get locked back in the game, and it would be right."
D-backs setup man Archie Bradley took the loss after giving up the homer to Bonifacio, just the fourth home run Bradley has allowed this year.
"Just not my best stuff," Bradley said. "I felt good. Velocity was there, just wasn't really executing pitches. I got lucky and picked a guy off, and had the chance to get out of the inning, just made a bad pitch and the guy hit it. Frustrating, you know, I'm used to coming into games and kind of getting into stuff like that or shutting them down. Just kind of use as a learning experience going into what we have coming ahead."
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
The turning point: Bonifacio jumped on a 2-2 four-seam fastball at 97 mph from Bradley in the sixth inning and belted it a projected 410 feet, according to Statcast™, to left-center with two out. Cain had singled with one out and Ramon Torres also singled with two out, setting up Bonifacio's 17th home run, the most by a Royals rookie since Hosmer hit 19 in 2011.
"I was looking fastball there," Bonifacio said. "He was, all the guys before me, pounding the fastball, fastball, fastball. I was looking for that fastball right there."
Bonifacio appears to have established himself as a strong candidate to be the everyday starter in right field in 2018.
"I don't know about that," Bonifacio said. "I'll just come ready for Spring Training and try to make the team."
Pollock goes yard: D-backs designated hitter A.J. Pollock came up in the sixth with the score tied at 1 against Junis. Pollock worked the count to 3-1 and then pounced on a sinker, belting a home run to left-center that traveled a projected 433 feet, according to Statcast™. It was his 14th homer of the season.
PERALTA AIMS TO GET HEALTHY
D-backs outfielder David Peralta, who logged an RBI double in the fifth, left the game with tightness in his back and neck in the seventh inning. While Peralta dove for a ball in the previous half inning, the back and neck issue started much earlier in the day.
"I just felt some tightness today around my back and my neck," Peralta said. "We did some stuff before the game and everything was feeling better, but just during the game it was getting stiff so I didn't want to do anything crazy or swing and make it like really bad because the important day is Wednesday."
Peralta and manager Torey Lovullo expect him to be in the starting lineup on Sunday. Lovullo would like to get his starters a few at-bats before taking them out in preparation for Wednesday's National League Wild Card Game.
WHAT'S NEXT
D-backs: Left-hander Robbie Ray will get the ball at 12:15 p.m. MST on Sunday against the Royals at Kauffman Stadium as the D-backs play their final tuneup before the postseason. Ray's outing is expected to be an abbreviated one so he can be ready if needed in relief against the Rockies.
Royals: Left-hander Jason Vargas (18-10, 3.94 ERA) will start the season finale against the D-backs on Sunday at 2:15 p.m. CT. Vargas is trying to become the first Royals pitcher to win at least 19 games since Bret Saberhagen in 1989. Vargas gave up one run and five hits over six innings in a 2-1 win over the Tigers on Tuesday.
Junis delivers with AL rookie-leading 9th win
Royals right-hander logs 6 strong innings against D-backs
Sept. 30, 2017By Jeffrey Flanagan/MLB.com
In a tough final two months of the season for the Royals, they did find a potential starter for their rotation in 2018 in rookie right-hander Jakob Junis.
Junis made his final start of the season an impressive one, throwing six innings against the D-backs and giving up five hits and two runs in a 4-3 win on Saturday night at Kauffman Stadium. He struck out five.
Junis took over a spot in the rotation and held it through the finish line. He finished 9-3 with a 4.30 ERA.
"Just getting the opportunity to make my debut has been a lot of fun," Junis said. "Even though it's been an up and down year for the most part, the last two months have been a lot of fun being in the rotation every five days and having some success. It's been a blast. Couldn't ask for anything more."
Junis leads the American League in wins for a rookie entering the final day of the regular season.
"I didn't know that, but it's pretty special," Junis said. "More than I could ever ask for in my rookie season."
Junis also showed he could handle tough lineups, such as the D-backs.
"My sinker was saving me tonight, my two-seamer," Junis said. "I got some outs with that. The defense saved my butt a few times, too."
The first two hitters of the game swung at the first pitch. David Peralta crushed a double, and Ketel Marte hit one to the wall in center for an out. Junis then escaped with no damage by getting two flyouts.
"A big out in the first inning was when [center fielder Lorenzo Cain] ran that one down by Marte -- that saved a run," Junis said. "They're a pretty good hitting team, so to hold them in check was pretty good."
Junis now will focus on how to improve in the offseason before heading to Surprise, Ariz., in February as a strong rotation candidate.
"Absolutely. There are a lot of things to work on in the offseason," he said. "I want to get stronger. I want to work on mechanics, stuff like that. Hopefully come into spring stronger and ready to go."
Royals honor Moose for franchise HR mark
Sept. 30, 2017By Jeffrey Flanagan/MLB.com
Prior to Saturday night's game against the D-backs, the Royals honored third baseman Mike Moustakas for his single-season franchise home run record (38).
General manager Dayton Moore, manager Ned Yost, first baseman Eric Hosmer and left-hander Jason Vargas participated in the presentation of a trophy and flowers. Moustakas' wife, Stephanie, and their young daughter, Mila, also were there.
And to Moustakas' surprise, his father, Mike, was brought in by the Royals to throw out the ceremonial first pitch.
Yost said he knew Moustakas could become a big-time power hitter back in 2010, when Moustakas hit 36 home runs combined between Double-A and Triple-A.
"I remember thinking at the time that Salvy [catcher Salvador Perez] could hit 25-30 home runs," Yost said. "I thought [Hosmer] could hit 25-30. And I thought Moose could hit 25-35. So I was close."
And if Moustakas hit in a more homer-friendly park?
"He could hit 50 at some of these places," Yost said.
Duffy set for procedure to clean up left elbow
Sept. 30, 2017By Jeffrey Flanagan/MLB.com
Royals left-hander Danny Duffy will undergo a procedure in Kansas City on Tuesday to remove "loose bodies" in the back of his elbow, manager Ned Yost said.
Duffy had mentioned almost three weeks ago that there was an issue in the elbow area that was causing pain and inflammation.
"I have what I have," Duffy said then. "It's something that is inflaming something in there. So we'll get it looked at when we need to. But until then, right now, I could go. Nothing in my elbow is going to compromise my ligament."
Duffy also said he felt a little bit of inflammation last offseason, but thought he could pitch through the discomfort this season.
"I have a high pain threshold," Duffy said.
Duffy didn't start feeling any noticeable pain until August. He eventually was diagnosed with a low-grade pronator strain and was placed on the disabled list.
"A lot of players have slight tears or chips or whatever and play through it," Yost said. "You don't address it until you have to, until it affects your performance."
Duffy said he should be fine for Spring Training after the procedure.
Vargas seeks 19th win as Royals go for sweep
Sept. 30, 2017By Steve Gilbert/MLB.com
For the Royals, Sunday marks the end of the baseball season. For the D-backs, though, the series finale at Kauffman Stadium is a prelude to the postseason, which begins with Wednesday's National League Wild Card Game against the Rockies at Chase Field.
Jason Vargas will get the start for the Royals and manager Ned Yost plans on starting all his regulars in order for the fans to get a chance to see them one more time. Whether that includes catcher Salvador Perez remains to be seen as he is battling a sore groin.
Robbie Ray will start for the D-backs, but it will likely be a very short outing for the left-hander. Arizona wants to have Ray available to pitch in relief if need be Wednesday and pitching on Sunday would allow him to start a possible Game 1 of the NL Division Series on regular rest on Friday.
Three things to know about this game
• Ray is tied with Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw for the best road ERA in the Majors this year at 1.79. In his 14 starts away from Chase Field, Ray is 8-1 with 118 strikeouts in 85 1/3 innings.
• Vargas is looking to become the first Royals pitcher to win 19 or more games since Bret Saberhagen (23 in 1989).
• Vargas is tied with Kershaw, Carlos Carrasco and Corey Kluber for the most wins in the Majors. Ray, meanwhile enters the game with 217 strikeouts, most by a lefty in the NL and second in the Majors to Red Sox lefty Chris Sale.
Royals’ championship core returns the favor to fans in 4-3 victory over Arizona
Sept. 30, 2017By Rustin Dodd/KC Star
One by one, they exited. Eric Hosmer in the moments before the fifth inning. Mike Moustakas with one out in the sixth. Lorenzo Cain for a pinch runner. Alcides Escobar in the middle of the seventh.
Royals manager Ned Yost planned this, of course, planned it as his team approached its final weekend here at Kauffman Stadium. He wanted to give his pending free agents another chance to soak in the adulation as the curtain closed on the 2017 season. The choreography began on Saturday night.
And while the execution was not perfect — Hosmer’s departure before the fifth caught most fans off guard — the emotions remained the same. In a 4-3 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks, the Royals’ championship core combined with a youth brigade to pay back the favor to a crowd of 32,727.
“I think it’s important,” Yost said, “that our fans get the opportunity to see our players play, but also let our players know how much they appreciate them.”
Cain finished 1 for 2 with a walk and a run scored. Moustakas went hitless after an emotional pregame ceremony celebrating his record-breaking 38 homers. Hosmer racked up another hit as his batting average settled at .317.
Yet it was the Royals’ collection of young talent that made the difference. Rookie right fielder Jorge Bonifacio clubbed a three-run homer against Arizona’s shutdown reliever Archie Bradley in the bottom of the sixth, erasing a 2-1 deficit. Rookie starter Jakob Junis notched his ninth win after allowing two runs in six innings.
“We’re expecting to win with them next year,” Yost said. “It was nice to see them be able to produce right there.”
Kansas City secured its 46th come-from-behind win of the season, the second most in franchise history behind 50 in 1977. As the season finale loomed, the victory kept alive hopes of a .500 finish or better for a fifth straight season. A possible 81-81 finish will be secondary on Sunday afternoon, when Hosmer, Moustakas, Cain and Escobar play what could be their final game in a Royals uniform. But if you are going to say goodbye, well, might as well do it in style.
On Saturday, the evening began with a special surprise during the pregame ceremony. The Royals had planned to honor Moustakas for his record-breaking season at the plate. Yet as he stood out near the mound, ready to throw out the first pitch, he was surprised by what transpired next. Hosmer grabbed a microphone and began speaking to the crowd. Moments later, he announced the arrival of Moustakas’ father, Mike Sr., who walked slowly out to the mound to join his son.
Two years after the death of his mother, Connie, Moustakas threw out the first pitch with his daughter, Mila, in his arms and his father by his side. The scene set the mood for the rest of the evening.
The Royals took a 1-0 lead in the fourth when Moustakas grounded into a double play with Cain on third base. Junis allowed two runs, striking out five and walking two, before departing after six innings. Around that time, Yost began to organize his substitutions — with one hitch.
Before the fifth inning, Yost sent Cheslor Cuthbert to replace Hosmer before the inning started. But the crowd did not quite realize what was happening. Hosmer returned to the dugout, receiving a small cheer from those behind the bench.
“I screwed that one up,” Yost said. “I figured that they’d pay attention, and they’d throw the ball down and they would see it and nobody knew what was going on. Being a real smart guy, I figured out real quick that I better wait for an out and everybody get locked back in the game.”
The rest of the substitutions drew loud ovations from the large crowd. As the Royals’ regulars left the game, the game began to turn.
Cain singled with one out in the sixth before Ramon Torres extended the inning with a two-out single to left-center. One batter later, Bradley hurled a 2-2 fastball that tailed toward the inside part of the plate at 98 mph. Bonifacio dropped his barrel on the pitch, cranking a no-doubt, 410-foot shot out to left-center.
“I was looking fastball there,” Bonifacio said. “He was — all the guys before me — pounding the fastball, fastball, fastball. I was looking for that.”
In his rookie season, Bonifacio has batted .253 with 17 homers in 112 games. He has positioned himself to win a starting job next season. On Saturday, his blast represented the Royals’ 192nd of the year, extending their club record.
“I’ll just come ready for spring training and try to make the team,” Bonifacio said.