Daily Clips
April 18, 2018
LOCAL
Royals squander Duffy's fine start in nightcap
Lefty logs 8 K's, but bullpen labors late in walk-off loss to Jays
April 17, 2018By Keegan Matheson/MLB.com
Guthrie to step into booth for broadcasting debut
Former Royals pitcher excited for opportunity in KC-TOR game
April 18, 2018By Jeffrey Flanagan/MLB.com
Moose, Duda homers aren't enough vs. Jays
April 17, 2018By Keegan Matheson/MLB.com
Royals add righty Barlow as their 26th man
Yost: Postponements taking toll on pitching staff
April 17, 2018By Keegan Matheson/MLB.com
Here is Statcast breakdown of back-to-back homers by Mike Moustakas, Lucas Duda
April 18, 2018By Pete Grathhoff/KC Star
Royals' bullpen falls apart twice as Blue Jays sweep doubleheader
April 17, 2018By Maria Torres/KC Star
Here's what you need to know about watching Royals' game Wednesday on Facebook
April 17, 2018By Pete Grathoff/KC Star
Royals' Blaine Boyer took wheel of team bus after chunk of ice smashed windshield
April 17, 2018By Maria Torres & Pete Grathoff/KC Star
Who will start Saturday's game in Detroit? The Royals aren't sure yet
April 17, 2018By Maria Torres/KC Star
Mellinger Minutes: KU & the FBI, Royals & stinking, Vermes & Reid switching jobs & more
April 17, 2018By Sam Mellinger/KC Star
Once the envy of baseball, the Royals' bullpen is the league's worst. What's the answer?
April 18, 2018By Rustin Dodd/The Athletic
Kansas City Royals' Past, Present Linked By A Singular Trade
April 18, 2018By Greg Echlin/KCUR
Metro teen artist with autism throws first pitch at Royals game
April 17, 2018By Shannon O'Brien/FOX 4 KC
MINORS
Legends Take A Step Into the Future With New Technology
April 17, 2018By NBC 18 Lexington
Chasers Walk Off With 4-3 Win In Ten Innings
Dziedzic fires gem, Schwindel drives in 2 in series-opening triumph
April 17, 2018By Andrew Green/Omaha Storm Chasers
Rocks Rally Falls Short in Loss
April 17, 2018By Wilmington Blue Rocks
Trailing Early, Legends Could Not Catch Crawdads in Game Two Loss
April 17, 2018By Lexington Legends
NATIONAL
Royals pitcher helps avert disaster after chunk of ice crashes into team bus
April 17, 2018By Rob Longley/Toronto Sun
MRI indicates UCL injury in Walker's elbow
With severity unclear, D-backs righty heading to New York for second opinion
April 17, 2018By Steve Gilbert/MLB.com
MLB TRANSACTIONS
April 18, 2018 •.CBSSports.com
LOCAL
Royals squander Duffy's fine start in nightcap
Lefty logs 8 K's, but bullpen labors late in walk-off loss to Jays
April 17, 2018By Keegan Matheson/MLB.com
It was deja vu for the Royals as an excellent start from Danny Duffy went for naught in a 5-4 walk-off loss to the Blue Jays in the nightcap of a doubleheader on Tuesday night at Rogers Centre.
The Blue Jays couldn't solve Duffy, who allowed just two hits while striking out eight over six innings after Kansas City's 11-3 loss in the opener. But the bullpen labored late in Game 2 as Brian Flynn loaded the bases in the 10th inning before giving up Luke Maile's walk-off single to right field.
"Phenomenal," manager Ned Yost said of Duffy's outing. "His arm strength is getting better each time he goes out and he's really polishing his command."
Duffy's fastball velocity was also encouraging. The left-hander averaged 91.6 mph on his four-seam fastball through his first three starts this season, which was lower than any season average in his career. Duffy corrected that against the Blue Jays, as he averaged 93.1 mph and maxed out at 95.5 mph.
"I felt like I was behind the ball," Duffy said. "I felt like everything was working. That mound was phenomenal. I don't know what it is about this mound and [the Rays'] mound, but I really enjoy pitching off these mountains."
Justin Grimm, who came on in the seventh with the Royals holding a 3-0 lead, walked all three batters he faced while throwing just five strikes on 17 pitches. Brad Keller, who allowed all three inherited runners to score, gave up the lead with a go-ahead RBI single by Steve Pearce.
"Grimm just could not find his slot today," Yost said, "[He] just couldn't do it. Then you get bases loaded, you bring in Keller, who's got really good stuff, but it just kind of snowballs on you."
Kelvin Herrera was a bright spot for the Royals in the late innings and gave them a chance in extras. With runners on the corners and one out in the ninth, Herrera struck out pinch-hitter Curtis Granderson and Justin Smoak to escape the jam and force a 10th inning.
The Royals gave Duffy an early 1-0 lead after Lucas Duda was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded. Blue Jays starter Joe Biagini retired the next three batters, however, to escape the inning without further damage.
Abraham Almonte hit his first home run of the season for the Royals in the sixth inning off Biagini.
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
Esky magic: After the Blue Jays' rally in the seventh, Royals shortstop Alcides Escobar tied the game at 4 with a towering shot to right field in the eighth inning off reliever Ryan Tepera. It was Escobar's first home run of the season and left his bat with a launch angle of 35 degrees, according to Statcast™.
Moose stays loose: Royals third baseman Mike Moustakas, who homered in Game 1 and added three hits in the nightcap, extended his hitting streak to nine games on Tuesday and has gone 18-for-34 (.529) with four home runs and nine RBIs in that span. This comes on the heels of a relatively slow start as he hit just .174 with no home runs over his first six games.
YOU GOTTA SEE THIS
Royals right fielder Whit Merrifield robbed Yangervis Solarte of extra bases in the 10th inning with a nice running catch. Merrifield got a great jump on the deep fly ball and made a leaping grab near the wall.
HE SAID IT
"Nine times out of 10, Grimm's going to get that done. That's one thing I hate hearing, is 'sorry' after a reliever has a tough go. Don't apologize. These guys are nasty. They're here for a reason, and they're going to get the job done more times than not. There's no discouraged dudes in here." -- Duffy, on the bullpen
UP NEXT
Right-hander Ian Kennedy starts the series finale at 3:07 p.m. CT on Wednesday at Rogers Centre, while the Blue Jays will counter with J.A. Happ in a game that will be broadcast exclusively on Facebook. Kennedy has been one of the hottest pitchers in baseball this season with a 1.00 ERA over his first three starts.
Guthrie to step into booth for broadcasting debut
Former Royals pitcher excited for opportunity in KC-TOR game
April 18, 2018By Jeffrey Flanagan/MLB.com
When asked what his broadcasting style might be as he prepared to make his debut in Wednesday's Facebook-exclusive Royals-Blue Jays game, former Kansas City right-hander Jeremy Guthrie paused briefly.
"I don't know. Anyone got any tips?" Guthrie deadpanned.
Chances are, Guthrie will be just fine as he works in the booth for the 3:07 p.m. CT game in Toronto. Guthrie will be working with MLB Network play-by-play announcer Scott Braun and former Expo Cliff Floyd. Alexa Datt will serve as the in-game reporter.
Those who have known Guthrie over the years have felt he might have a second career in the booth. He has an insightful knowledge of the game and easily finds the levity in situations.
"It's certainly something I have interest in," Guthrie said. "MLB reached out to me to do this, and I was pretty excited. Nervous, but excited."
Guthrie and Royals vice president of communications Mike Swanson had several chats about Guthrie pursuing a career in broadcasting.
"I [thought] he could have the skill set for it," Swanson said. "Jeremy played the game a long time, which gives him the on-field knowledge, and the Jeremy Guthrie I know analyzes every situation, which could play well on the air for him. … I think [Wednesday] will give him a great opportunity to get a feel for the timing in the booth."
Guthrie said he has a great deal of respect for those in the broadcasting profession, and he listed Vin Scully, Keith Jackson, Al Michaels and Marv Levy as some of the broadcasters he has admired.
Any nerves Guthrie might have on Wednesday could be alleviated by his familiarity with Kansas City's organization.
Guthrie, who retired last season, came to the Royals in 2012 and was an instant hit, going 5-3 with a 3.16 ERA in 14 second-half starts. He started Game 7 of the 2014 World Series against the Giants, and he won a World Series championship ring in '15.
Of course, the Royals have experienced quite a roster turnover since Guthrie last played for them, but he remains in touch with Alex Gordon and Salvador Perez (presently on the disabled list), and can still count Alcides Escobar, Kelvin Herrera, Mike Moustakas, Danny Duffy, Drew Butera and Paulo Orlando as former teammates.
"Also, the game is in Toronto -- a great city and a place I had some success [2.62 career ERA] at," Guthrie said. "This could set up pretty well."
Wednesday's game will be the third Facebook game shown, part of a 25-game deal announced last month by Major League Baseball.
Moose, Duda homers aren't enough vs. Jays
April 17, 2018By Keegan Matheson/MLB.com
The Royals grabbed an early lead with back-to-back home runs, but starter Eric Skoglund and the bullpen couldn't hold it, as they dropped an 11-3 decision to the Blue Jays on Tuesday in the opener of a doubleheader at Rogers Centre.
Mike Moustakas was the first to go deep in the third inning and Lucas Duda followed suit with a rocket to right field just five pitches later. That was the fourth home run of the season for Moustakas and the third for Duda.
"Both of those guys have the ability any time they step in that box to put the ball out of the ballpark, too," manager Ned Yost said. "They both had a good day offensively."
Skoglund had settled into a groove in those early innings before the Blue Jays got to him for three runs in the fifth to regain the lead. The big left-hander was lifted after five innings and 77 pitches.
Skoglund allowed five earned runs on eight hits with one walk and six strikeouts. The one early blow that he allowed was a two-run home run to Yangervis Solarte in the first, which traveled a projected 416 feet, according to Statcast™.
"They had good approaches that second half," Skoglund said. "That last inning, they just took it where it was pitched and executed on what they had to do."
Blaine Boyer took over in the sixth inning and quickly allowed the Blue Jays to tack on some insurance runs. After Kevin Pillar reached on an error and Aledmys Diaz singled, Randal Grichuk launched a three-run home run to left field to extend Toronto's lead to 8-3.
"He's struggling," Yost said. "It's mostly location. He gets ahead, then the pitch that they hit for the three-run homer wasn't a horrible pitch, it just had too much plate."
Boyer then loaded the bases before being pulled for Burch Smith. He allowed six runs in total, but only two of those were earned.
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
The Royals had an opportunity to open up a lead early in the game with the bases loaded and none out, but they only managed to push one run across. Duda, Jorge Soler and Cheslor Cuthbert all singled to open the second inning, but Paulo Orlando grounded into a double play that snuffed out the momentum, despite Duda scoring on the play. Blue Jays starter Jaime Garcia then got Cam Gallagher to ground out to end the inning.
SOUND SMART
Duda's home run in the third inning left his bat at 114.1 mph, according to Statcast™, which matched his hardest-hit home run since Statcast™ was introduced in 2015. Later in the game, Grichuk's home run left his bat at the same speed (114.1 mph) and was his and the Blue Jays' hardest-hit home run, topping a 113.5-mph homer hit by Josh Donaldson on Sept. 17, 2017.
HE SAID IT
"The only stuff I have for this kind of weather is camouflage." -- Yost, on the troubles of travelling to Toronto, where freezing rain continues to delay the arrival of spring weather
MITEL REPLAY OF THE DAY
For a moment, it looked like Gallagher would be the latest to be featured on a defensive highlight reel for Kevin Pillar. Gallagher drove a ball deep to right-center in the fifth inning that Pillar initially caught on the run and then bobbled. It appeared that he secured the ball and Gallagher was called out, but after a review, the umpires determined the ball had hit the wall and Gallagher was awarded a double.
UP NEXT
Left-hander Danny Duffy starts the nightcap of the doubleheader. After allowing three home runs in a difficult season debut, Duffy looked better in his next two starts -- giving up just one earned run over 5 1/3 innings his last time out against the Mariners.
Royals add righty Barlow as their 26th man
Yost: Postponements taking toll on pitching staff
April 17, 2018By Keegan Matheson/MLB.com
The Royals added right-hander Scott Barlow to their roster for the second game of their doubleheader in Toronto on Tuesday.
In two starts with Triple-A Omaha this season, Barlow has allowed just one earned run on eight hits with 12 strikeouts over 10 innings. In 2017, Barlow posted a 3.29 ERA over 26 starts split between Double-A Tulsa and Triple-A Oklahoma City in the Dodgers' organization.
The Royals and Blue Jays had their series opener postponed on Monday after falling ice from the CN Tower in downtown Toronto punctured the roof of Rogers Centre. It was the first postponement at Rogers Centre since April 12, 2001, which was also against Kansas City.
Royals looking for traction
Having four postponements by mid-April has been hard on the Royals, and the impact will continue to be felt over the coming weeks.
"That's just the tip of the iceberg," manager Ned Yost said prior to Game 1 on Tuesday. "The challenge comes four days from now, when you've got a starter that's got to come back early."
Eric Skoglund and Danny Duffy started Tuesday's doubleheader, and one of the two will need to come back on short rest on Saturday in Detroit. Yost will make that decision based primarily on their Tuesday workload.
This comes after Kansas City's pitchers were pushed back due to postponements, which Yost wants to avoid. Skoglund, for example, last pitched on April 10, but Yost doesn't view the added rest as an advantage.
"It doesn't help, because it keeps them less sharp," Yost said. "If you're less sharp, it means that you're probably going to go less innings in the game, which puts a heavier workload on your bullpen."
Kansas City has another twin bill on April 28 against the White Sox at home.
Here is Statcast breakdown of back-to-back homers by Mike Moustakas, Lucas Duda
April 18, 2018By Pete Grathhoff/KC Star
While the outcomes were not great, there were a few highlights for the Royals on Tuesday despite being swept in a doubleheader in Toronto.
First, Danny Duffy looked good as he tossed six shutout innings in the nightcap.
In the opener, the Royals hit back-to-back homers as third baseman Mike Moustakas and first baseman Lucas Duda went deep.
Statcast broke down those home runs, which traveled a combined distance of 812 feet.
The exit velocity on Duda's blast was 114.1 miles per hour. It was a laser down the right-field line.
Here are the numbers from Statcast:
Click link to view the video.
Royals' bullpen falls apart twice as Blue Jays sweep doubleheader
April 17, 2018By Maria Torres/KC Star
Six days ago Danny Duffy stood at his locker at Kauffman Stadium and shouldered the loss in a no-decision against the Mariners. It was his fault, he said, that the Royals hadn’t won any of his starts to that point.
“We could easily be 6-4,” Duffy said. “That’s a teller.”
For the first time in this young, weather-beaten season, Duffy could not take any blame for a Royals loss.
On Tuesday night at Rogers Centre, in the second game of a doubleheader born of ice-induced roof damage, Royals reliever Brian Flynn was dealt the L in the Blue Jays’ 5-4 walk-off victory in 10 innings.
Luke Maile had the game-winning hit, an one-out single up the right side of the field. The bases were loaded, though they may not have been if home plate umpire John Tumpane had ruled a pitch in the dirt near Randal Grichuk's feet as the second ball of his at-bat. Instead, Tumpane ruled that Flynn hit Grichuk with the pitch and sent him to first.