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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What Will The Royals Do At The 2012 MLB Trade Deadline?

The 2012 MLB trade deadline is only hours away, and some talk has been heating up regarding Kansas City making a deal. Now that the team is almost 20 games under .500 and is officially heading towards another horrendous final record, it is time for Kansas City to consider its future and shed some dead weight.

Perhaps the player that has gotten the most trade consideration lately is closer Jonathan Broxton, who has resurrected his career this year with 22 saves and a 2.34 ERA. Broxton’s numbers were good enough to merit All Star consideration, and teams in the playoff hunt or missing a closer may take a flyer on the right-hander. The Yankees, Angels, Giants and Rangers have all expressed interest. With Joakim Soria returning next year and the Royals out of contention, there really is no need to hang on to Broxton, as good as he has been. Hopefully the team can get some young arms in return, as Broxton has demonstrated strong value all season long.

Kansas City also has two veteran hitters that have become some dead weight to the organization in Jeff Francoeur and Yuniesky Betancourt. After putting together a solid season at the plate last year, Francoeur has struggled this season, batting only .247 with eight home runs. He is a good option defensively, and is a leader in the club house, so Kansas City may be able to find looking for a veteran presence. Betancourt has similar numbers to Francoeur – a .245 average and seven home runs – although he is a bit of a liability defensively.

The final player mentioned in trade rumors is pitcher Jose Mijares, who despite some recent struggles has had a pretty good season. Mijares has posted a 1.72 ERA in 46 appearances, and could be attractive for a team looking for some bullpen help.

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Johnny Giavotella, Bruce Chen Lead Royals To Win Over Tigers

It appears that the Kansas City Royals may have found their second baseman of the future. Johnny Giavotella, who was recently called up from triple A ball, had a monster game today against Detroit, leading the Royals to a 4-3 victory.

Giavotella's start to his big league career has been stunning; since being called up, he has gone 5 for 11 from the plate with a .909 slugging percentage. He has also played very solid defense and has not been intimidated by some of the best pitchers in the American League. Giavotella put up very impressive numbers at Omaha, boasting a .338 batting average, suggesting that his fast start in the big leagues isn't a fluke.

While Giavotella got the Royals' offense going with a homer and a double, Bruce Chen made sure his efforts were not in vain. Chen finally displayed a glimpse of the stuff that made him so effective earlier this season, striking out five over five plus innings while allowing only three runs. Not the most dominating performance, but a significant improvement over his last several outings.

Alex Gordon picked up his 18th outfield assist for the season, breaking the club record shared by Jermaine Dye and Mark Teahen. Kansas City now has 40 outfield assists this season, which leads the major leagues. Jeff Francoeur also picked up an outfield assist in the seventh inning, and has the most assists in MLB since he debuted in 2005.

Royals Take Series Against Indians

With a strong performance from Danny Duffy and some timely hitting, Kansas City was able to defeat Cleveland today, 5-3. The win gave Kansas City a series victory over their struggling AL Central rival, and the Royals have now won eight of 12.

Duffy, who was filling in for the injured Kyle Davies, was able to escape several jams and struck out six in five innings of work. He gave up eight hits, but was also able to pick off two runners. Joakim Soria picked up the save, his 20th in 26 chances.

Offensively, the Royals were aided by Alex Gordon, who has been putting on a clinic during Kansas City's hot streak. In the month of July, Gordon batted .323 with four home runs and 13 RBI, and has raised his average on the season to .302. Gordon's emergence, paired with strong seasons from Jeff Francoeur and Billy Butler, has given the Royals offense some much-needed consistency.

Kansas City has tomorrow off, then starts a home series against Baltimore on Tuesday. The game is scheduled to start at 7:10 pm

Slumping Royals Drop Second Game to Padres

The Royals' series vs. the San Diego Padres got off to a bad start, as Kansas City dropped game one 4-3. Game two didn't go any better, as the Royals once again couldn't get their offense going, losing 4-2.

Kansas City has a disturbing trend this season of allowing struggling players to have a coming out party, and this game was no different. San Diego pitcher Clayton Richard (4-9), who had been winless in his last 12 starts, absolutely shut down Kansas City's offense. Kansas City got solid pitching once again from Felipe Paulino, who has slowly turned into the best pitcher on the Royals' staff. Paulino (0-2) has yet to record a victory for Kansas City, although that can largely be blamed on a lack of run support.

The lone bright spot for Kansas City offensively was Jeff Francoeur, who continues to make the best case for Kansas City's All-Star representative. Francoeur scored the Royals' first run, and hit a solo homerun in the seventh. He also flashed some defensive skill as well, throwing out Anthony Rizzo in the third inning for an outfield assist.

Kansas City wraps up its series with San Diego today at 2:35. Bruce Chen (4-1) will start for Kansas City, making his second appearance since returning from injury.

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 Beat Cubs, Win Series

The Kansas City Royals defeated the Chicago Cubs 6-3 today, giving them a rare inter-league series victory. Luke Hochevar pitched well, giving up only three runs in 5 2/3rds innings to improve his record on the season to 5-8. Joakim Soria earned another save, and has now converted 13 saves in his last 18 opportunities.

The Royals' bats were hot from the start, as Billy Butler, Alex Gordon and Jeff Francoeur all delivered RBI hits in the first inning. Gordon's RBI double in the first extended his hitting streak to 13 games, and the young outfielder has been playing at an all-star level the past month. Six Royals batters wound up reaching base in the first inning, as Kansas City quickly built a four run lead it would not relinquish.

The Cubs battled back, cutting the lead to 4-3 with runs in the third and fourth inning. However, Eric Hosmer and Chris Getz added RBI singles in the bottom of the fourth to give Kansas City a bigger cushion and fend off Chicago's comeback bid. It was the most runs the Royals have scored in a game since June 14, when they defeated the Oakland A's 7-4.

The win moved Kansas City out of last place in the AL Central, as they are now a half game better than the Minnesota Twins. The Royals will be back in action tonight, traveling to San Diego to begin a series with the Padres. Jeff Francis (3-8) will get the start for Kansas City.

Royals Win Game One of the 1-70 Series

The Royals held on to beat the St. Louis Cardinals, 5-4 in the first game of the annually-hyped 1-70 series. Alcides Escobar continued to stay hot at the plate, contributing two hits and a run for Kansas City. Escobar is now 14 of 24 from the plate over the past seven games, with eight runs scored.

Escobar was also involved in the game's deciding play during the eighth inning. Escobar hit a hard ground ball towards gold-glove first baseman Albert Pujols, however Pujols was unable to make the stop. Mike Moustakas scored the go-ahead run, and Pujols was charged with an error. Pujols had a chance to get revenge on the Royals in the ninth, as he faced closer Joakim Soria with the tying run on first. However, Soria was able to get the out, and Kansas City stole game one of the series.

Kansas City raced out to an early 3-0 lead thanks to RBI hits from Jeff Francoeur and Alex Gordon, only to watch St. Louis roar back and take a 4-3 lead in the third. Game two of the series starts tonight at 6:15 p.m., and Vin Mazzaro will get the start for the Royals.

Royals Fall to Twins

Fresh off a dramatic walk-off win over the Angels, the Royals fell flat on their faces last night. Kansas City got embarrassed by the Twins, 8-2, as starting pitcher Sean O'Sullivan continued to struggle.

I'm not sure if it is possible for anyone to pitch as poorly as Sullivan has recently. He gave up five home runs in less than three innings of work last night, and he has struggled all season long. It is time for Kansas City to explore other options and to cut ties with Sullivan. He has proven he doesn't have what it takes to make it in the big leagues, and Kansas City has plenty of prospects ready for a shot.

The lone bright spot for Kansas City was Jeff Francoeur, who had a big day at the plate. Francoeur hit two doubles and a triple, and was responsible for batting in both of the Royals' runs. Francoeur now leads the team with 32 RBI, and continues to be a pleasant surprise for the team. Joakim Soria, in his first appearance since losing his closer role, retired all six batters he faced.

Kansas City will face the Twins again tonight at 7:10 PM. Carl Pavano, who has struggled this season, will get the start for Minnesota. Danny Duffy will get the start for the Royals, as he continues to search for his first major league victory.

Royals Drop Series to Cardinals in Wild Fashion

The Royals dropped a wild 9-8 game to the Cardinals, losing the 1-70 series and falling to 22-24 overall. The loss moves Kansas City to eight games back of Cleveland in the AL Central.

The Royals pitching yesterday was downright terrible at times, as Kansas City walked 13 batters. However, St. Louis was called for only walk, which upset catcher Matt Treanor and manager Ned Yost so much that they both were ejected during the seventh inning. Kansas City had fallen behind by as much as six runs, but was able to battle back and tie up the game before eventually losing in extra innings. Kansas City's poor pitching and defense (the team's streak of 11 games without an error was broking) wasted a terrific offensive effort from the Royals, as Alex Gordon, Wilson Betemit and Jeff Francoeur all homered during the comeback.

The Royals have an opportunity to get a once promising season back on track in its next series against Baltimore. Danny Duffy has showed some promise, and he will get the start tonight against the Orioles.

Royals Win Fourth Straight, Beat Orioles 6-5

Charlie Sheen would be proud of all the winning going on in Kansas City these days. After sweeping the Minnesota Twins at home for the first time since 1994, the Royals kept the momentum going in a 6-5 win over Baltimore. The victory over the Orioles moves Kansas City's record to 16-13 on the season, and the Royals currently sit comfortably in second place in the struggling AL Central.

Kansas City has participated in several thrilling extra-inning contests this season, and last night's game was yet another nail-biter decided late. Jeff Francoeur ended up being the hero, tying the game with a home run in the sixth inning and hitting a sacrifice fly in tenth that gave the Royals the win. Francoeur is having a strong season, hitting for a .315 average with 7 HRs and 23 RBI. He was a very smart free agent pickup (I guess the Royals were finally due for one) who has helped spark Kansas City's offense while also providing much-needed veteran leadership.

Unfortunately for Kansas City, Jeff Francis continued to struggle. Francis is now winless in his seven starts this season, and has been shelled in his last couple of outings. If the Royals want to keep winning into the summer and make a surprise run at a playoff position, they will need Francis and other starting pitchers to consistently pitch well.

Royals Beat Angels in Marathon, Improve to 3-1

After a dismal start to the season on opening day, the Royals have now won three straight games in dramatic fashion. Sunday's series-clinching win against the Los Angeles Angels was the craziest of all, as the Royals rallied in extra innings to prevail, 12-9.

Kansas City's offense finally woke up, as the Royals jumped out to a quick 5-0 lead. However, Los Angeles continued to climb back into the game, and eventually took a 9-7 lead off a home run by former Royal Alberto Callaspo. When it looked like Kansas City was just about finished, the Royals were able to load up the bases thanks to some terrible pitching from the Angels. Wilson Betemit then doubled to tie up the game, a ball that was nearly caught by a diving Vernon Wells. After three terrific innings from new relief pitcher Tim Collins, another new Royal - catcher Matt Treanor - ended the game with a three run home run in the bottom of the 13th inning.

After relying on solid pitching and some timely hits to win its first two games, the Royals offense exploded against the struggling Scott Kazmir. Alex Gordon woke up and had a monster game, as did Jeff Francoeur. The Royals now find themselves two games over .500 for the first time since May of the 2009 season, and in first place. It may not last long, but so far, the Royals' season is off to a great start.

Royals Drop Home Opener

It may be a new season, but its the same old Royals. Kansas City dropped its home opener 4-2 to the visiting Los Angeles Angels, and fans have to wonder if the best record the Royals will post this season was yesterday's 0-0 mark.

Many pundits predicted that the Royals' offense would be among the worst in the majors this season, and yesterday's game did nothing to dispute these claims. Kansas City managed only two hits in seven innings against Jered Weaver. Luke Hochevar didn't pitch great, giving up 4 runs over 5 2/3rds innings, but the Royals' relief pitchers were solid. The problem in Kansas City continues to be offense.

The Royals did make it interesting late in the game, thanks to solo shots by Mike Aviles and Jeff Francoeur. In the ninth, Alex Gordon barely missed a home run with runners on the corners before striking out. It was a terrible day for Gordon, as he went 0-5 with three strikeouts. He continues to be yet another draft bust for a team that seems to have more than anyone else in the majors.

It is hard to take a lot from one game, especially given how long the MLB season is. Hopefully yesterday's effort was not a prediction of things to come, because it was all too familiar.