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.

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 Fall To Orioles In Hottest Game In Team History

After an impressive series victory over Cleveland, Kansas City fell flat on its face last night. The Royals got hammered at home by the Orioles, 8-2, and fell to 28-30 at home for the season.

Kansas City had no answer for Baltimore's Mark Reynolds, who drove in five runs and outscored the Royals by himself. Kansas City cut the lead to two runs in the eighth inning when Alex Gordon scored on Billy Butler's sacrifice fly, only to watch Reynolds blast a three run homer in the ninth to put the game out of reach.

Bruce Chen picked up the loss for Kansas City, dropping his record to 5-5 on the season. Chen has now lost three of his last four decisions, and appears to have lost the magic he had earlier in the year. Chen has pitched past the fifth inning only once since the All-Star break, and Kansas City may need to sit him or send him down to the minors for a week or two to get it together.

The game time temperature was 107 degrees, which allegedly is a record for a game at Kauffman Stadium. With a record heat wave heating the area, tonight and tomorrow's games will likely be just as hot, and fans at the K are encouraged to stay hydrated and avoid the sun as much as possible.

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

Royals Can't Keep Up With Red Sox

The Royals enjoyed one of their better offensive games of the season, blasting several homers and notching seven runs by the fourth inning. Only problem was, Boston's offense was even better, and Kansas City fell 13-9.

Early on, it appeared that the Royals were en route to a victory. The team jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead, and later took a 7-5 lead in the fourth thanks to home runs by Alex Gordon and Billy Butler. However, Boston had a field day from the plate, and used a monster fifth inning to put the game out of reach.

The game was a polor opposite of Monday night's contest, a pitcher's dual that included a 1-1 tie entering the 14th inning. Kansas City was able to win that game despite scoring only one run in nine innings, yet nine runs weren't even close to good enough last night. Baseball can be a funny game sometimes.

Kansas City will play Boston again tonight at 6:10 PM. Bruce Chen (5-3) will get the start for the Royals. Chen only allowed one run over eight innings in his last start, a no decision against the White Sox.

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.

Paulino Leads Royals to Win Over White Sox

Despite failing to pick up a victory, Felipe Paulino has been the best pitcher in Kansas City since the Royals stole him from the Rockies. Paulino finally earned a win last night, once again pitching well in a 5-3 victory over Chicago.

Paulino had a strong game, striking out nine batters over six innings. The win was his first since June 4, 2010, which seems shocking given how well he has pitched in Kansas City. The Royals aquired him for cash considerations after he was designated for assignment by Colorado - a move that is now looking like one of the biggest steals of the season. Paulino has brought consistency to a starting rotation that desperately needed it, and the Royals management deserves credit for finding a diamond in the rough.

Kansas City's bullpen pitched well after Paulino left the game, as Louis Coleman and Joakim Soria both kept the White Sox scoreless over the final three innings. Coleman has been very consistent this season, while Soria seems to be working his way back into all-star form.

Bruce Chen (4-2) will start for Kansas City this afternoon when the Royals face Chicago in a rubber match. The game will start at 1:10 p.m., and Edwin Jackson (5-6) will get the start for the White Sox.

Royals Blow Out Rockies

We might not have an NFL season, but the Royals were on the winning end of a football looking score today in Colorado. Kansas City's offense exploded late, giving the Royals a 16-8 victory over the Rockies.

Kansas City's offense put up staggering numbers this afternoon, which helped it overcome some poor pitching and defense. The Royals set a franchise record with 12 extra base hits, and Melky Cabrera enjoyed a monster game from the plate. Cabrera hit home runs in the first and third inning, giving Kansas City a quick 6-0 lead.

Colorado didn't go away quietly, however, and soon cut the lead to 6-5 with a huge fifth inning. The Royals quickly answered back, scoring six runs in the sixth and four runs in the seventh to put the game out of reach. Kansas City ended the day with 21 hits, a season high.

Kansas City will get back to its American League schedule tomorrow, when they travel to Chicago to take on the White Sox. Game one starts at 6:10 p.m., and Jeff Francis (3-9) will get the start for the Royals.

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.

Royals Fall to Padres

Kansas City couldn't keep the momentum going after taking a series from the Cubs, dropping game one of its series vs. San Diego 4-3. Kansas City never lead, and its comeback effort came up just short against the struggling Padres.

The Royals got off to a poor start, and found themselves in a quick 2-0 hole afterRyan Ludwick blasted a two run homer in the first. The third inning wasn't much better, as San Diego scored on a Jeff Francis wild pitch as well as a throwing error by Eric Hosmer. Despite all the mistakes, the Royals only trailed by one after six innings due to Brayan Pena's two run double. However, the offense soon stalled and the Royals never got any closer.

Jeff Francis (3-9) never got it going against the Padres, and his performance on the road this season has been downright terrible. In games away from Kansas City, Francis is 1-5 with a 6.75 ERA. Kyle Davies is ready to come off the disabled list, who has been just as bad as Francis this year. Hopefully manager Ned Yost continues to use rookie Danny Duffy, who has pitched well this year, and sends either Francis or Davies (or both) packing.

Game two against the Padres starts tonight at 9:05 p.m. Felipe Paulino (0-1) gets the start for Kansas City, as he looks to rebound from his first loss as a Royal.

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 Drop Game One of Series vs. Diamondbacks

Kansas City gave up a homerun to Wily Mo Pena - the same Wily Mo Pena who hadn't hit a major league homer in over three years - en route to an embarrassing 7-2 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks. Royals pitcher Luke Hochevar gave up five earned runs in seven innings, earning the loss for Kansas City.

The big story from the game was Pena, who has bounced around the minor leagues for the past couple of seasons. Predictably, he broke the game open with a home run with two outs in the fifth inning. Before Pena's blast, Hochevar had only given up one hit, and appeared to be cruising towards a rare victory. The Royals former first-overall draft pick has made a bad habit of pitching well for several innings, then imploding later in the game. It is his flashes of dominance that make him so frustrating, just when it looks like he is in control, he gives up five runs in an inning and the game is over.

The lone bright spot offensively for Kansas City was Alex Gordon, who fell a single shy of hitting for the cycle. Gordon's homerun and triple accounted for the Royals' only runs, and the young outfielder has raised his average to .287 for the season. Kansas City fans had waited patiently for Gordon to break out, and the former Nebraska star seems to finally be putting it all together.

Kansas City hosts the Diamondbacks again tonight at 7:10 p.m. Jeff Francis (3-7) will get the start for the Royals.

Royals Fall To Cardinals, Lose 1-70 Series

After winning game one of the 1-70 series, the Royals lost two consecutive heart-breakers to their Missouri rival. Kansas City lost two straight games by a 5-4 score to the Cardinals, falling in each game due to late St. Louis home runs.

Sunday night was a back and forth affair, and appeared to be heading towards extra innings thanks to more hot hitting from Alcides Escobar. Escobar tied the game up at 4 in the ninth inning with his first home run of the season, continuing a unprecidented offensive performance from the plate. Escobar's batting average has skyrocketed over the past few weeks, and it appears that Kansas City has finally found a shortstop that can both play defense and hit. Escobar's heroics were not enough, however, as St. Louis' Skip Schumaker hit a solo shot in the bottom of the ninth to give the Cardinals the win.

The game was eerily similar to saturday's game, in which Kansas City lost another 5-4 game due to a late home run. On saturday, the Royals actually held a late lead, thanks to Alex Gordon's home run in the seventh inning. Kansas City would fall behind in the eighth inning due to Matt Holliday's two run blast and was unable to recover. A disappointing end to two games the Royals were in position to win.

The Royals will continue their interleague portion of the schedule tomorrow, hosting the Arizona Diamondbacks. Game one starts at 7:10 p.m., and Luke Hochevar 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 Blue Jays 9-8

Kansas City's comeback effort came up just short, as the Royals lost a back-and-forth slugfest to the Blue Jays, 9-8. Despite three run home runs from Melky Cabrera and Billy Butler, Kansas City was undone by poor pitching. The loss dropped the Royals to 26-36 for the season, nine games behind Cleveland in the AL Central standings.

Early on, it appeared that Kansas City was in a good position to pick up the win. After falling behind 2-0 early, Cabrera blasted a three run shot to give the Royals a 4-2 lead. That lead would disappear quickly, however, as Jayson Nix hit a three run home run of his own to give Toronto the lead. The Blue Jays then seemingly put the game out of reach in the sixth inning, as Adam Lind hit a grand slam to give Toronto a 9-4 lead.

The Royals wouldn't quit, and made an impressive late charge to get back in the game. Butler's three run homer in eighth cut the lead to two runs, and Alex Gordon doubled in the ninth to make it a one run game.

It is a shame that such an impressive offensive performance came in a losing effort. The Royals get another shot at Toronto this afternoon. Luke Hochevar, who has really struggled over the last couple of games, will get the start for Kansas City.

Royals Swept by Twins

Kansas City earned a rare sweep of Minnesota earlier in the year, and the Twins returned the favor over the weekend. Kansas City couldn't get anything going against Minnesota's Brian Duensing this afternoon, and fell 6-0.

There weren't many positives that emerged from the disastrous weekend, but the Royals have to be encouraged by the sudden improvement by Joakim Soria. Soria has now had two impressive outings since losing his closer role, and he may be promoted back to that spot now that he appears to be pitching at an all-star level once again. The Royals were right to take Soria out of the closer spot, as he quickly went from one of the game's best to a disaster in a terrible two week stretch. Luckily, Soria has responded, and he should find himself closing Kansas City's games again soon.

The loss dropped Kansas City to 25-34 overall and nine games back of Cleveland in the AL Central. The Royals begin another home series Monday night against Toronto, and Felipe Paulino will get the start. Paulino has yet to give up an earned run as a Royal.

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.

Billy Butler Hits Game Winning Home Run, Royals Beat Angels

Billy Butler hit his first walk off home run to give Kansas City a 2-0 win over the Los Angeles Angels. The victory gave Kansas City a much-needed series win, and improved the Royals' record to 25-30 on the season.

Butler's ninth inning blast was originally ruled a double, as the ball bounced off some padding past the outfield wall and landed back in play. Officials later correctly ruled that Butler had hit a home run after watching a video replay of the at bat.

While Butler won the game with his homer, the Royals' Alcides Escobar kept Kansas City in the game with a tremendous defensive play in the eighth. Los Angeles loaded the bases, and former Royal Alberto Callaspo hit a hard grounder that appeared out of Escobar's reach. However, the shortstop not only made the stop but threw Callaspo out at first, preventing the Angels from scoring and keeping Kansas City in the game. Escobar has been brutal at the plate this season, but his defense has earned him a spot in Kansas City's starting lineup.

While Butler and Escobar made the big plays, Kansas City's pitching staff deserves most of the credit. Since being aquired from the Colorado Rockies, Felipe Paulino has pitched extremely well. He only gave up four singles in five scorless innings yesterday, and has yet to give up a run as a Royal. Kansas City's pullpen finished off what Paulino started, and Tim Collins picked up the win.