Royals Undefeated In Preseason

The Royals’ preseason has gotten off to a great start, as the team is the only club in baseball to still be undefeated in exhibition play. Kansas City’s offense has been hot all spring, and that continued yesterday in an 8-2 win over the Oakland Athletics.

Royals fans have to be encouraged from how well the team has hit so far in spring ball. Third baseman Mike Moustakas currently has a .545 batting average, while first baseman Eric Hosmer is hitting .391. Kansas City needs both Moustakas and Hosmer to take the next step this season if the team is going to compete for the postseason, and both are producing so far. Alex Gordon may also be in-line for another good season, as he has hit .471 through exhibition play.

A battle for the fifth starter spot is still taking place between Luke Hochevar and Bruce Chen, and it appears that the Royals are now considering trading the pitcher that doesn’t make the starting rotation (as long as the team’s other starters remain healthy). Both Chen and Hochevar will earn $4.5 million this season, and with the Royals’ payroll at a franchise-record $79 million at the moment, it would make sense to trade whichever pitcher will not be starting.

Several scouts were in attendance for the team’s victory over the A’s to watch both Chen and Hochevar pitch. Chen allowed one run on two hits with zero walks, while Hochevar pitched three scoreless innings with three hits and one walk. Chen has led the team in victories over the past three years, but many feel that Hochevar is the current favorite to win the rotation spot.

Kansas City’s undefeated record in spring ball will be put to the test this afternoon, when the team plays the Arizona Diamondbacks. The game will begin at 1:10 p.m.

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Guthrie Flirts With No-Hitter, Royals Sweep White Sox

Jeremy Guthrie has been on fire lately, and that trend continued yesterday. Guthrie took a no-hitter into the seventh inning, and the Royals defeated the White Sox 5-2. The win gave Kansas City a sweep over their AL Central rival, and the team has been playing winning baseball over the past two weeks.

The hit that broke up Guthrie’s no-hitter attempt has been a controversial subject. Paul Konerko hit a ground ball that shortstop Alcides Escobar had to dive for. Escobar was able to make an accurate throw to first baseman Eric Hosmer, however the throw took a bounce that Hosmer was unable to field. It appeared the play should have been an error on Hosmer, however the official scorer Del Black decided that Escobar had to make too tough a play which resulted in an infield single. As a result, Guthrie didn’t even get a victory, as Chicago tacked on two runs later in the 8th inning. Luckily, Kansas City got some great hitting from Salvador Perez, who drove in runs in the 6th and 8th to twice give Kansas City the lead.

Dayton Moore has taken some heat this year, particularly for trading Melky Cabrera to the Giants for Jonathan Sanchez, who was a complete disaster for the Royals. However, he should be commended for trading Sanchez for Guthrie, who has been absolutely lights-out over his past several starts. Guthrie has likely earned a permanent spot in the Royals’ rotation, and could be part of the team’s future plans. With some key pitchers returning from injury next season, suddenly one of Kansas City’s biggest weaknesses – starting pitching – has a potentially bright future.

Kansas City’s sweep of Chicago improved the team’s record to 54-66 on the season, and the team will look to continue its winning ways when it travels to Tampa Bay for a three game series with the Rays. The first game starts tonight at 6:10 p.m., and Will Smith (4-4) will start for the Royals. Jeremy Hellickson (7-8) will be the starting pitcher for the Rays.

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Royals Avoid Sweep With Extra Innings Victory Over Rangers

The Royals pulled off an improbably comeback today, beating the Texas Rangers in extra innings, 7-6. The game winning run was scored by Eric Hosmer, who scored on a costly throwing error by rookie Mike Olt to end the game. With the win, Kansas City moves to 45-62 on the season.

With the scored tied up at 6 in the bottom of the 10^th, the Rangers made several critical mistakes that allowed the Royals to steal the game. Olt’s error lead to the end of the game on Jeff Francoeur’s grounder, but Texas had shot itself in the foot previously in the inning to put themselves in that position. Alberto Gonzalez botched a routine ground ball only three pitches earlier which allowed Hosmer to advance.

It appeared as if the Royals were on the verge of being swept all game, as Texas took a three run lead in the fourth inning. After Kansas City regained the lead thanks to home runs by Francoeur and Bryan Pena, Olt tied the game up for the Rangers on a double from Michael Young. Elvis Andrus attempted to give the Rangers the lead on the same play, but was thrown out at home. Texas would have another opportunity to win the game in the top of the tenth, when they loaded the bases with only one out. Alcides Escobar made a great diving catch for the second out of the inning, and Greg Holland struck out Olt to keep Kansas City alive.

The Royals start a seven game road trip tomorrow, when they travel to Chicago to take on the White Sox. Luis Mendoza (5-7), who has been pitching well of late, will take the mound for Kansas City.  Chris Sale (12-3), in the midst of one of the best pitching seasons in the majors this year, will start for Chicago.

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Royals Swept By Mariners

The Royals have been in a total funk since the 2012 MLB All Star break, and their poor play has lead to another embarrassing sweep. This time, the Royals were downed by the lowly Mariners, losing game four in heartbreaking fashion, 7-6. The loss dropped the team to 41-60 on the season, and Kansas City is now dead last in the AL Central.

Today's game featured a furious rally late, but the Royals once again were undone by some poor pitching late in the game. After Seattle raced out to a 5-2 lead, Kansas City tied it up with clutch hits from Billy Butler and Eric Hosmer. However, the team quickly gave up runs due to some poor pitching and fielding from Jose Mijares, who committed a throwing error after allowing several players to get on base.

The sad news for Royals fans is that the season is essentially over now, as the team has continued to dig a hole it cannot get out of. The team has gone 4-13 since play resumed, despite several series against easy opponents. Kansas City has continued to get some great play from several of its players, most notably All Star Billy Butler, but injuries to the pitching staff has been too damaging to overcome.

The team has two upcoming home series next, hosting the Cleveland Indians and the Texas Rangers. Game one against Cleveland will be Tuesday, July 31st, and Luke Hochevar (6-9) will get the start for Kansas City.

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MLB Releases Rosters For 2012 All-Star Futures Game

The 14th annual Sirius XM All-Star Futures game has released its rosters, compromising of the top minor league players in Major League Baseball. The game will be a part of the Taco Bell All-Star Sunday lineup, and is scheduled to take place at 4:00 p.m. ESPN2 and MLB.TV will carry the broadcast of the game.

The futures game is a great opportunity for baseball fans to see the next wave of the league’s stars, and to also catch a glimpse of the top minor league prospects in their organization. Current Royals stars such as Eric Hosmer participated in the event before being called up the major leagues, and some of the league’s top young talent, including players such as Bryce Harper, have participated in the past. The Royals have three players participating in the game – more than any other MLB team. Will Myers, Jake Odorizzi and Yordano Ventura will be representing Kansas City in the exhibition.

There are 31 players on MLB’s top 100 prospects list on the two rosters. The 3-8 prospects on the list - Manny Machado, Jurickson Profar, Jameson Taillon, Trevor Bauer, Dylan Bundy and Gerrit Cole - will be participating, and nearly half of the Top 50 are on the roster.

The World Team features players from 11 different countries and territories outside the United States. The Dominican Republic has eight players, followed by Venezuela with six, Cuba with two and Puerto Rico with two. There are also players representing Aruba, Canada, Curacao, England, Panama, Taiwan and South Korea.

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Home Runs Help Royals End 12 Game Losing Streak

The Royals 12 game losing streak started with a home sweep at the hands of the Indians, so it was fitting that Kansas City ended its horrendous slide against the team that started it all. Backed by several key home runs, the Royals creamed the Indians 8-2, ending its 12 game losing streak and improving its record to 4-14 on the season.

The Royals relied on the long ball last night, and Kansas City’s big three delivered. Billy Butler started off the offensive barrage with a two run blast in the first, and later added a solo shot in the ninth. Eric Hosmer’s two-run home run in the fifth made it 4-0, while Alex Gordon belted a three run home run in the ninth to ensure the streak was over.

There is no way to sugar coat this win – things were getting beyond desperate for Kansas City and the Royals needed to get the monkey of their backs. Not only did the team pick up a much-needed win, but Butler, Gordon and Hosmer all should get a good deal of confidence after great days at the plate. Luke Hochevar also pitched very well, giving Royals fans hope that he can produce the way he did after the All-Star break last season.

Kansas City wraps up its series with Cleveland today before traveling to Minnesota to begin a three game series with the Twins. Luis Mendoza (0-2) will start for the Royals, while Josh Tomlin (1-1) will get the nod for the Indians.

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Royals 2012 Home Opener Preview - Kansas City News

The Royals 2012 home opener is just hours away! After starting the season off with a road trip out west, Kansas City will play its first home game this afternoon at 3:10 p.m. The Royals (3-3) will take on the struggling Cleveland Indians (1-4).

For the second year in a row, Luke Hochevar (1-0) will get the start in Kansas City’s home opener. Hochevar looked impressive in his first outing of the season, allowing only two runs in 6 innings pitched against the Angels. While Cleveland has looked terrible so far this season, the Royals will face one of the league’s better pitchers in Derek Lowe. In his only start this season, Lowe threw seven scoreless innings against Toronto to lead the Indians to their only win of the season. The pitching matchup suggests that this could be a very low scoring affair; however Hochevar has struggled against Cleveland in the past. In 2011, the Royals’ Ace went 1-2 against the Indians with a 5.31 ERA. Derek Lowe has struggled against the Royals in his career, with a 5.72 ERA in games played in Kansas City.

After a disappointing end to its series against the A’s, Kansas City has a great opportunity to take this series and build some momentum. The Royals’ next three series are at home, and several AL Central matchups loom in the near future as well. A hot start could catapult this team into playoff contention, and this year, the Royals seem capable of living up to their early hype.

This will be the first home opener for both Eric Hosmer and Mike Moustakas, as both were called up from the minor leagues during last season. The Indians went 12-6 against the Royals last season, and won 4 out of the 5 games played in Kansas City.

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Royals Shut Out Again In Loss To A's - Kansas City News

For the second time this season, the Royals’ offense failed to put a run on the board, and Kansas City fell to Oakland 1-0 last night. The Royals had absolutely no answer for Tommy Milone, who threw eight scoreless innings while only surrendering three hits. The loss dropped the Royals record to 2-2 on the season.

The embarrassing offensive output wasted a great outing from Luis Mendoza, who pitched 5 2/3rds innings and only gave up one run on five hits. Mendoza had a fantastic spring, compiling a 4-0 record and a 0.47 ERA in exhibition play, and hopefully this is a sign of things to come for the journeyman the Royals are counting on this year.

While early, it has been hard to figure out the Royals this season. The offense has looked great in the team’s two wins, and dreadful in Kansas City’s two losses. One constant so far has been starting pitching – the Royals starters have all pitched extremely well. With a young and talented lineup, the Royals offense should start to find some consistency. The big question mark entering the season was the starting rotation, and so far, the Royals’ rotation has looked good.

With Kansas City hosting the 2012 All Star game and young stars like Eric Hosmer, there has been a lot of buzz surrounding the Royals early in the season. With an easy early schedule, the Royals have a great chance to build some momentum and live up to the early hype.

Kansas City faces Oakland again today at 9:05 PM. Danny Duffy (0-0) will get the start for the Royals, while Graham Godfrey (0-0) will start for the A’s.

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Royals Fall To Rays

A dominant pitching performance by Luke Hochevar wasn't enough, as the Royals' offense couldn't get anything going all night against Rays starter Jeremy Hellickson. Kansas City ended up on the wrong end of a pitchers' dual, losing 2-1.

Hochevar, who had won his previous three starts, certainly pitched well enough to earn another victory last night. He pitched seven strong innings, only giving up one run and five hits while striking out seven. After falling to 4-8 earlier in the year, Hochevar has been downright dominant for the Royals lately. It appears the light may have finally come on for the former top overall pick.

Early in the game, it appeared that Kansas City's offense was poised to put up some big numbers against Hellickson. Alex Gordon lead off the game with a double, and scored on Eric Hosmer's bloop single. The Royals would have plenty of chances to add to their lead later in the game, but failed to drive in several runners in scoring position.

Kansas City faces Tampa Bay again tonight at 6:10 p.m. Jeff Francis (4-11) will get the start for Kansas City, while James Shields (10-9) gets the start for the Rays.

Royals Take Series Vs. White Sox, Pitching Continues To Impress

After Felipe Paulino and the Royals bullpen shut down the Chicago White Sox on Wednesday, Bruce Chen delivered an even better performance yesterday. Chen only allowed one run in six innings of work, and Kansas City won 4-1. The win gave the Royals a series victory over the White Sox.

Kansas City's offense quickly gave Chen a lead, highlighted by Eric Hosmer's eighth home run of the season. Hosmer now has three multi-hit games in the last four days, and he has given the Royals' offense a major shot in the arm since being called up.

The biggest story of the day, however, was Chen. Time and time again, he was able to escape jams while keeping Chicago's batters off balance all day long. Starting pitching was a major concern a few weeks ago, however Paulino and Chen's recent performances have given Kansas City fans some renewed hope. The team still needs to address its starting rotation if it wants to compete in the future, but the situation doesn't seem nearly as dire as it did earlier in the season.

The Royals begin a new series tonight against the struggling Detroit Tigers. Danny Duffy (1-3) will get the start for Kansas City.

Who Will Represent the Royals in the 2011 MLB All Star Game?

The 2011 MLB All Star game is approaching, and managers will be making their player selections soon. In baseball, each team must have at least one representative in the game, which means Kansas City will be sending someone to Phoenix - we just don't know who that player will be.

Several candidates are being mentioned as a possible representative for the Royals. Many experts feel Billy Butler should be in the All Star game. Butler leads the team with a .303 batting average and a .403 on base percentage. Others feel that Jeff Francoeur is deserving of a bid, and for good reason. Francoeur leads the team in home runs (10) and RBI (46).

Despite the impressive stats of both Butler and Francoeur, Alex Gordon is leading most fan polls in regards to which Kansas City player should earn the big. Gordon leads the Royals in runs and OPS, while hitting a respectable .293. He also narrowly trails Francoeur in home runs with nine. Gordon's well-rounded game certainly make him worth of a bid, but Francoeur seems to be the man to beat at this point.

Other Royals in consideration are relief pitcher Aaron Crow, centerfielder Melky Cabrera, shortstop Alcides Escobar, relief pitcher Joakim Soria, and first baseman Eric Hosmer. The results will be announced on July 3rd on TBS.

Royals Wrap Up Series Vs. Rangers Today

The Royals wrap up a wild series with the Rangers today at 2:05. Today's game will serve as a rubber match, as Kansas City won the first game before getting blasted by Texas yesterday. Danny Duffy will take the mound for the Royals, seeking his first major league victory.

The series got off to an explosive start, as Kansas City rallied to take the first game 12-7 in 14 innings. The win snapped a six game losing streak, and was done in dramatic fashion. Alex Gordon unloaded a home run into the upper deck in the ninth inning to send the game to extras, before the Royals exploded in the 14th inning for five runs to seal the game. Melky Cabrera and Eric Hosmer hit back to back home runs to seal the victory for Kansas City, and Blake Wood picked up the win.

The Royals couldn't keep the momentum going last night, as Sean O'Sullivan got shelled in an embarrassing 10-1 loss. The loss had to be disheartening for Kansas City, coming off the heels of a big victory that could turn things around. Today's game provides the Royals with an opportunity to win a series, something it hasn't done in weeks.

Eric Hosmer is the Real Deal

Just when it looked like the Royals' season was starting to slip away, Kansas City rebounded to take a series from the Yankees. Rookie phenom Eric Hosmer led the charge in an 11-5 beatdown at Yankee Stadium last night, blasting two homers to give him three for the series.

Hosmer had a lot of hype surrounding him when he was called up to the major leagues, and rightfully so. He was leading the minor leagues in hitting and had been billed as one of Kansas City's top prospects. How quickly he adjusted to the major leagues has many now billing him as the next big thing, and I am one of them. The guy just destroyed the Yankees in one of the biggest and most intimidating stadiums in all of sports. Clearly, he is ready for prime time, and he could be a piece the Royals build around for the next ten years - if Kansas City can hold on to him.

Hosmer's power has already had a positive effect on the rest of Kansas City's lineup. Billy Butler had four hits yesterday, and he other hitters can expect protection as long as Hosmer is blasting home runs. The Royals had a lot of guys who could hit and get on base, and the addition of a power hitter may be what pushes Kansas City's offense from good to great.

The Royals travel to Detroit today to face the Tigers' Justin Verlander, who is fresh off of tossing a no hitter. Should be a great test for Hosmer and the rest of Kansas City's offense.

Royals Win Series in New York for First Time Since 1999

The Royals finished an impressive series win over the Yankees last night in New York marking the first time the Royals had won a series in New York since 1999. This is quite a statement for this young club who have exceeded expectations thus far. Many Royals fans, myself included are simply waiting for the collapse to begin. I thought the 0-6 road trip was the beginning of the end, then I looked at this road trip to NY and Detroit and thought this might be it. Lo and behold, the Royals surprise again. I now am a believer as the Royals simply destroyed the Yankees last night 11-5, and young hope Eric Hosmer had three more hits including a HR for the second straight game.

To give some perspective on how long it's been since the Royals won a series over the Yankees in New York, I thought I would compile a list of how the world was back in 1999.

Elvis Grbac was the Chiefs Quarterback and it had only been 5 years since the Chiefs had won a playoff game. Gunther Cunnigham was their Head Coach.

Norm Stewart had just retired as Mizzou's Basketball coach.

Almost nobody in the US knew who Osama Bin Laden was.

Napster was released to very little fanfare.

Bill Clinton was President of the United States.

Lance Armstrong won his first Tour de France.

The Columbine Massacre occurred in Colorado.

Eric Hosmer was 9 years old.

Royals Fall to A's

The Royals' offense was flying high, and fireworks Friday at the K seemed like a good omen that Kansas City's bats would remain hot. However, Gio Gonzalez had other ideas. The young lefty baffled the Royals all night, and Kansas City fell to Oakland 3-2.

Kansas City wasted a great effort from Sean O'Sullivan, who only gave up three runs in eight innings of work. O'Sullivan gave up all of his runs in the deciding fifth inning, but otherwise was just as good as Gonzalez.

Eric Hosmer made his much anticipated debut to mixed results. He drew two walks and stole a base early, but ended up striking out in his final two plate appearances. Hosmer, who led the minor leagues in hitting, likely needs some time to adjust to major league pitching - and he should eventually provide Kansas City's offense with a boost.

The loss dropped Kansas City to 17-15 on the season, and the Royals currently sit alone in second place in the AL Central - five games behind the surprising Cleveland Indians.

Royals Blast Orioles, Take Series

Kansas City's offense caught fire again last night, as the Royals humiliated the Orioles 9-1. The win gave Kansas City the series, and after losing six straight, the Royals have rebounded to win five of its last six.

Bruce Chen had yet another solid start, and has established himself as Kansas City's top starter this season. Chen improved his record to 4-1 for the season, and the lefty has brought some consistency to a rotation that has been up and down all year. Following the win, the Royals announced that top prospect Eric Hosmer will be called up from the minors, while the struggling Kila Ka'aihue will be demoted to Omaha. Hosmer will join an offense that has been one of the best in the majors this season, and his gaudy minor league stats have shown he is ready to take on the big league.

The Royals have gone 14-6 at home this season, and will look to continue its dominance in Kansas City tonight against Oakland. The Royals will face a talented pitcher in Gio Gonzalez, however the A's offense hasn't been anything to write home about this season. I expect Hosmer to give Kansas City a boost, and the Royals should have no trouble at least taking the series from the A's.