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.

Royals Lose Heartbreaker to Rangers, Soria Blows Another Save

The Royals seemed to have a victory in hand, taking a 5-3 lead over the Texas Rangers into the ninth inning. However, Joakim Soria once again blew a save opportunity, and Kansas City lost, 7-6.

Soria once again blew an opportunity for young Danny Duffy to pick up a win. Since being called up only two weeks ago, Duffy has pitched very well for Kansas City. Twice he has been in a position to pick up the win, only to watch the Royals' former all-star closer get lit up in the ninth. I hope Soria has at the very least bought Duffy a beer (don't worry he is 22) or sent him a nice apology card, because his performances are getting downright embarrassing. He has now blown four saves in his last 11 opportunities. It is starting to look like Zack Grienke shouldn't have been the only all-star pitcher the Royals traded for young talent last offseason.

Despite Soria's best attempts to ruin another game, the Royals were in a position to take the game to extra innings in the ninth. After Nelson Cruz crushed a homer off Soria to tie the game, the Royals seemingly had an easy out at home plate when Mike Napoli rumbled in for the winning run. Despite a good throw from Eric Hosmer, Bryan Pena somehow missed an easy tag, and that was the ball game. While Pena and the rest of Kansas City argued the call, replays show that Napoli was indeed safe.

The loss was a perfect representation of Kansas City's season. When one thing goes right for the Royals, something else always goes wrong. The lone bright spot in the Royals' struggles continues to be Danny Duffy, who has pitched very well since being called up. While Duffy has earned a permanent spot in the starting rotation, it is time for the Royals to find another option at closer.

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.

Royals Pitching Continues to Struggle

Just one night after blowing a ninth inning lead, the Royals established early on that they had no chance in this one. The Orioles scored eight runs in the fourth inning, and went on to humiliate Kansas City 9-2. The pitching meltdown in this game came courtesy of Luke Hochevar, who dropped to 3-5 on the year.

While Hochevar, the team's number one starter, was getting lit up like the fourth of July, former Royal Zack Grienke pitched lights out in Milwaukee. Grienke struck out 10 batters in his seven innings of work, while also blasting a home run. Looks like the former Cy Young winner is joining a long list of former Royals that went on to do great things once they left Kansas City.

Kansas City's offense has been fairly good this season, but the only way the Royals were going to compete this year was if the pitching could hold up. Not only have the starters struggled, but former All-Star closer Joakim Soria has been a disaster recently. At least Royals fans can remain optimistic that Soria will return to form and get back to being one of the best pitchers in the AL. Hochevar, a former number one overall pick, has never lived up to his draft status, and is once again turning in a crappy season for KC. It is hard to watch the Royals' former top pick get shelled while Grienke enjoys success in Milwaukee.

Royals Fall to Orioles

Kansas City fell to Baltimore 5-3 last night, and has now lost 8 of its last 10 games. Royals closer Joakim Soria continued to struggle and gave up a two run walkoff homerun to Adam Jones.

Kansas City appeared to be in position to win the game, entering the ninth inning with a 3-2 lead. However, Soria quickly gave up two doubles which allowed Baltimore to tie the game. He then delivered a fastball that Jones, who hadn't hit a homer in over a month, blasted into the bleachers to send Kansas City on its way to another late inning loss.

Soria's meltdown wasted a solid effort from rookie pitcher Danny Duffy, who was in position to pick up his first major league win before Baltimore's late game heroics. Duffy gave up two runs and five hits in 5 1/3 innings, and has looked good in his first two starts as a Royal. Duffy's emergence could be a big boost for a pitching staff that is struggling, and the fact that he is only 22 years old has to have Kansas City fans excited about the future.

Alex Gordon homered for the second time in two games, and Billy Butler hit an RBI single to give Kansas City its 3-0 lead. The Royals play again tonight at 6:05.

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.

Are the Royals Finished?

It looks like the end of the line for the Kansas City Royals. A four game losing streak has lowered Kansas City's record to 20-21, and the Royals are now in third place in the AL Central. It appears that the magic Kansas City had early in the year has run out, and the Royals are still a team of the future.

Monday's disaster against Cleveland was the culmination of poor pitching and a stale offense. Kansas City didn't look a whole lot better in last night's 7-3 loss either. The Royals' pitching staff has been hit by the injury bug, which has forced them to call up more young players and attempt to patch up what was already an average at best rotation. Adding to the Royals' woes is the fact that Kansas City's offense has nearly vanished into thin air suring the team's six game losing streak. When you can't pitch well or get hits, you probably aren't going to win many games.

If the losing continues, the Royals will have no other choice but to groom the team for next year. Kansas City has already called up some of its top prospects, and may bring up several more. At least the team has shown some promise for the future, no matter how the 2011 shapes up.