Royals Spring Training Updates – Hochevar Moved To Bullpen

Despite being a former top overall draft pick, Luke Hochevar has struggled with consistency as a starter his entire career in Kansas City. Now it appears that the right-hander’s days as a starter with the Royals are over, as Kansas City announced that Hochevar will be moved to the bullpen.

Hochevar had been competing with Bruce Chen and Luis Mendoza for the final spot in the starting rotation along with James Shields, Jeremy Guthrie, Ervin Santana and Wade Davis. Now the battle is between Chen and Mendoza. Chen has been steady for the Royals, and has the most wins of any pitcher with the organization over the past three years. Despite Chen’s consistency, Mendoza has to be the favorite. After a rocky start to last season, Mendoza has pitched very well and could be due for a big season.

Hochevar has baffled Kansas City fans with his inconsistency – at times he looks like a dominant starter, other times he looks like he doesn’t belong in the major leagues. Unfortunately, the bad has outweighed the good in his career, and the former top pick has a 5.39 ERA and a 38-59 record in 132 career starts.

While Mendoza and Chen are the front-runners to win the fifth starter’s spot, Will Smith has emerged as a dark horse candidate. Smith has a 1.29 ERA so far this spring and could be a potential starter down the road for Kansas City.

The emergence of Smith may lead to Kansas City considering trading Hochevar, as Kansas City already has a loaded bullpen. Greg Holland’s job as the closer and Kelvin Herrera’s position as his setup man are locks, and the Royals also have Aaron Crow, Tim Collins, Nate Adcock and Louis Coleman as relief pitchers. The loser of the Chen and Mendoza battle could also be used in relief, and it appears there isn’t much room for Hochevar. Don’t be surprised if the Royals try to shop Hochevar over the next couple of weeks.

luke hochevar trade moved to bullpen - KCMB Kansas City News, official kc news site with breaking stories on The Kansas City Royals, Chiefs, charity events, the 2012 MLB All Star Game, weather, sports, MU, KU, ufo sightings, dui checkpoints, Kansas City neighborhoods, nightlife, concerts, the Sprint Center, the Power and Light District and current Kansas City news articles.

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.

KCMB Kansas City News, official kc news site with breaking stories on The Kansas City Royals, Chiefs, charity events, the 2012 MLB All Star Game, weather, sports, MU, KU, ufo sightings, dui checkpoints, Kansas City neighborhoods, nightlife, concerts, the Sprint Center, the Power and Light District and current Kansas City news articles.

Royals Spring Training Begins, Competition At Pitcher Heats Up

Royals spring training is officially underway! The team has made several key offseason moves in hopes for contending for the playoffs, and several position battles are taking place that could have a big impact on the upcoming season.

Currently, all eyes are on the pitching rotation, as a battle for the fifth starter’s spot has developed. It appears that Luke Hochevar is an early favorite to land the position, but he will have stiff competition from Bruce Chen and Luis Mendoza. Hochevar has the most upside of the group, and manager Ned Yost is still high on the former top overall pick. However, Chen and Mendoza both had solid seasons in 2012, and while Hochevar occasionally flashes brilliance, he had an ERA north of five last year.

Kansas City has high hopes for its rotation, as the additions of James Shields, Wade Davis and Ervin Santana should provide a much-needed improvement. Royals starting pitchers went 47-69 last season with a 5.01 ERA – good for 26th in the majors. The three new additions will be paired with Jeremy Guthrie, who pitched incredibly well for Kansas City at the end of last season.

If Hochevar wins the fifth starter spot, Chen and Mendoza could be added to the bullpen, which already has several talented pitchers. Mendoza was recently named the MVP of the Caribbean Series while he pitched for Mexico, and Chen has been steady for the entirety of his career in Kansas City. If the Royals ever needed a spot-starter, or if a starter suffered an injury, Mendoza and Chen would both be worthy candidates.

Danny Duffy and Felipe Paulino are both recovering from elbow injuries, but the pair could be back sometime around the All-Star break. Duffy and Paulino were starters before getting hurt, and both have pitched well in that role for the Royals.

KCMB Kansas City News, official kc news site with breaking stories on The Kansas City Royals, Chiefs, charity events, the 2012 MLB All Star Game, weather, sports, MU, KU, ufo sightings, dui checkpoints, Kansas City neighborhoods, nightlife, concerts, the Sprint Center, the Power and Light District and current Kansas City news articles.

Royals Offense Stalls, Team Drops Series To Rays

After sweeping the white sox over the weekend, the Royals came back down to earth a bit, dropping two out of three to the Tampa Bay Rays. Kansas City’s lone win came in an epic, extra-innings pitching duel between Like Hochevar and David Price.

David Price is one of the best pitchers in baseball, but on Tuesday, Kansas City’s Luke Hochevar went toe-to-toe with the All Star. Hochevar only allowed one hit while striking out ten, absolutely dominating the Rays and looking like the player the Royals thought they were getting when they selected him first overall in the 2006 MLB draft. Price was nearly as effective, striking out eight while only allowing three hits. The game was scoreless until the 10th inning, when Eric Hosmer hit a two-out single to score Jeff Francoeur. From there, Kansas City’s Kelvin Herrera held the lead, giving him his first victory in the major leagues.

Unfortunately for the Royals, their bats never quite woke up in this series, as they scored only five times over the three game span against the Rays. On Monday, the team only mustered one run off of Jeremy Hellickson, and today, the team got only three on the scoreboard against James Shields. The Rays are the best pitching team in the American League, boasting a 3.27 team ERA, and Kansas City may just have to be thankful they picked up one win thanks to Hochevar’s dominating performance. The team didn’t have many highlights from the plate, but Alcides Escobar did hit an RBI triple in the eighth inning.

The team’s upcoming schedule should provide the Royals with an opportunity to pick up a few more wins, as the team heads to Boston for a four game series with the struggling Red Sox. Game one in the series will be Friday night at 6:10 p.m. Bruce Chen (9-10) will start for Kansas City, and Jon Lester (7-10) will start for Boston.

Kansas City News, official kc news site with breaking stories on The Kansas City Royals, Chiefs, charity events, the 2012 MLB All Star Game, weather, sports, MU, KU, ufo sightings, dui checkpoints, Kansas City neighborhoods, nightlife, concerts, the Sprint Center, the Power and Light District and current Kansas City news articles.

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.

Kansas City News, official kc news site with breaking stories on The Kansas City Royals, Chiefs, charity events, the 2012 MLB All Star Game, weather, sports, MU, KU, ufo sightings, dui checkpoints, Kansas City neighborhoods, nightlife, concerts, the Sprint Center, the Power and Light District and current Kansas City news articles.

Royals Swept By Cardinals

Just when the Royals had crawled back into contention and found themselves only a few games out of first place, disaster struck. Kansas City’s starting pitching was dreadful all weekend, and the Royals were swept by the St. Louis Cardinals.

The sweep highlights why Kansas City will once again have a sub .500 season – the Royals simply do not have capable starting pitching. Against St. Louis, the Royals gave up 41 hits and 30 runs over three games. The poor pitching performances wasted a great offensive output from the Royals on Sunday, when Mike Moustakas hit two home runs and both Jeff Francoeur and Billy Butler went yard as well.

Injuries have completely decimated the rotation, forcing the team to start players that really have no business pitching in the major leagues. At the moment, Bruce Chen is the team’s best pitcher who is not on the disabled list, and he is sporting a 4.81 ERA for the season. Chen is who he is, a decent option for a fourth of fifth starter, but he shouldn’t be the Royals best option at this point. Luke Hochevar has made it official that he is never coming close to living up to his first overall draft status as well, meaning that Kansas City is going to have to score a lot of runs night in and night out to have a shot. That is simply too much pressure on the offense, and it appears that it will likely be downhill from here for the rest of the season.

The Royals will try to get back on track tonight, when they start a three-game series with the Tampa Bay Rays. Hochevar (4-7) will start for the Royals, while Alex Cobb (3-3) will take the mound for the Rays. Game one is tonight at 7:10 p.m. at Kauffman Stadium.

Kansas City News, official kc news site with breaking stories on The Kansas City Royals, Chiefs, charity events, the 2012 MLB All Star Game, weather, sports, MU, KU, ufo sightings, dui checkpoints, Kansas City neighborhoods, nightlife, concerts, the Sprint Center, the Power and Light District and current Kansas City news articles.

Loss To Red Sox Highlights Royals' Pitching Woes - Kansas City News

After splitting four games with the New York Yankees, the Royals began another AL East series last night against the Boston Red Sox. Once again, Jonathan Sanchez failed to last deep into the game, and Kansas City lost 11-5. - Kansas City News

Sanchez’s struggles are not unique to the Royals pitching staff – Kansas City’s pitchers are averaging fewer than five innings per start, which is the worst in MLB. Early in the season, it appeared that starting pitching might be a strength for Kansas City; however with the recent struggles of the staff, most notably Luke Hochevar, Danny Duffy appears to be the only starter who can keep opposing offenses from lighting up the scoreboard. - Kansas City News

The poor pitching wasted a decent outing from the Royals offense, who managed to keep pace with the Sox until Boston scored four runs in the eighth to put the game away. The loss drops Kansas City to 9-19 on the season, eight games out of first place in the AL Central.

Kansas City will face Boston in game two of the series tonight at 7:10 p.m. Duffy (2-2) will get the start for the Royals, while Daniel Bard (2-3) will take the mound for the Red Sox. - Kansas City News

Kansas City News, official kc news site with breaking stories on The Kansas City Royals, Chiefs, charity events, the 2012 MLB All Star Game, weather, sports, MU, KU, ufo sightings, dui checkpoints, Kansas City neighborhoods, nightlife, concerts, the Sprint Center, the Power and Light District and current Kansas City news articles.

Royals Get Hammered By Tigers As Hochevar Struggles

The Royals entered last night’s game with a chance to turn their season around. They were facing a struggling Detroit Tigers team and a pitcher who had been lit up all season long. So naturally, Kansas City got hammered by Detroit, 9-3. The Royals are now 0-4 against the Tigers this season, and the loss dropped Kansas City to 6-16 for the season and a half game out of last place in the AL Central.

If there is one thing MLB teams can take away from this game, it is that a game against the Royals is the best cure to end any sort of skid. Rick Porcello entered the game with a 15.26 ERA in his last two outings, and held the Royals’ offense in check all game. The Tigers as a team had dropped 10 of its last 12 games and recently lost Delmon Young to a suspension, but Detroit managed to come out hot and cruised to another victory over Kansas City.

Royals’ fans have to be frustrated with Luke Hochevar and his Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde routine. Hochevar has now made a career out of either pitching very well or getting hammered, and this season has been no different. Hochevar has looked like an All-Star in his two wins, and looked like a minor leaguer in his two losses. He gave up five runs in the first inning alone, and by the time he was pulled, Detroit had put nine up on the board against the former first overall draft pick. Hochevar certainly has the potential to be a top pitcher, but he has to find some consistency.

The lone bright spot for Kansas City’s offense was a two RBI game from Alex Gordon and a triple from Jarrod Dyson. Don’t expect the Royals’ offense to fair much better tonight, as Justin Verlander will be taking the mound for Detroit. He will face the Royals’ Jonathan Sanchez, who has struggled this season. The game begins today at 12:05 p.m.

Kansas City News, official kc news site with breaking stories on The Kansas City Royals, Chiefs, charity events, the 2012 MLB All Star Game, weather, sports, MU, KU, ufo sightings, dui checkpoints, Kansas City neighborhoods, nightlife, concerts, the Sprint Center, the Power and Light District and current Kansas City news articles.

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.

Kansas City News, official kc news site with breaking stories on The Kansas City Royals, Chiefs, charity events, the 2012 MLB All Star Game, weather, sports, MU, KU, ufo sightings, dui checkpoints, Kansas City neighborhoods, nightlife, concerts, the Sprint Center, the Power and Light District and current Kansas City news articles.

Royals Swept By Indians, Off To Terrible Start - Kansas City News

After a promising road trip to start the year, the Royals season has completely fallen apart during the team’s recent home stand. The Royals lost their sixth straight game at home last night to Detroit, which lead to two troubling outcomes – the Royals are winless at home for the season, and Kansas City is now alone in last place in the AL Central.

Kansas City’s offense completely disappeared during its series against the league-leading Tigers. The Royals only scored six runs combined for the entire series, wasting three good outings from its starting pitching. The only player who has consistently produced at the plate this season is Billy Butler. Butler is batting .375 so far this season, with 2 home runs, 9 RBI and 6 doubles. The other big bats in the Royals lineup have yet to consistently produce, and hopefully Butler will get some help from his teammates soon.

The main problem for Kansas City has been consistency. The nights the Royals get strong pitching, its offense disappears. The nights Kansas City’s bats come alive, the pitching and defense struggle. The team has shown some flashes here and there, and for the most part, the starting pitching has been solid. The team must find some consistency and soon, or it will suffer yet another lackluster season.

The Royals have a good opportunity to turn things around Friday, when they start a four game home series with the Blue Jays. Luke Hochevar (1-1) will try to atone his dismal start last week in which he allowed seven runs in the first inning of the Royals’ home opener. He will face Kyle Drabek (2-0), who has pitched extremely well this season.

Kansas City News, official kc news site with breaking stories on The Kansas City Royals, Chiefs, charity events, the 2012 MLB All Star Game, weather, sports, MU, KU, ufo sightings, dui checkpoints, Kansas City neighborhoods, nightlife, concerts, the Sprint Center, the Power and Light District and current Kansas City news articles.

Nightlife Events in Kansas City April 20th April 21st April 22nd Friday and Saturday - Kansas City News

There are a lot of things to do this weekend in Kansas City, charity events, sports events, and assorted nightlife, so here at Kansas City News we thought that we would bring you up to speed:

Kansas City Charity Event
The Dream Factory Annual Gala
When:  Friday, April 20th
Where:  Starlight Theatre
What:  The Dream Factory is a Kansas City charity organization that donates "dreams" to children with life threatening illnesses.  The Dream Factory Gala is a formal attire gala that gathers annually to support the charity and to award "dreams" to various recipients.  Highlights for this year's gala include an appearance by our good friend Larry Moore, and a performance by The Dave Stephens Band from Los Angeles, CA.

Kansas City Royals
Royals Home Game - Fireworks Friday!
When:  Friday, April 20th
Where:  Kauffman Stadium
What:  On Fireworks Friday the struggling Kansas City Royals will take on the Toronto Blue Jays.  The starting pitcher for the boys in blue will be Luke Hochevar (1-1, 7.84 ERA).  The Blue Jays starter will be Kyle Drabek, who has been red hot with a 1.03 WHIP and a 2-0 record with 12.2 innings pitched. C'mon Royals!  Let's get some wins here.

Kansas City Charity Event
The Gillis Spirit Awards Annual Gala
When:  Friday, April 20th
Where:  The Sheraton Crown Center (formerly The Hyatt Regency)
What:  The Gillis Spirit Awards is the annual formal gala held by Kansas City's Gillis Center, one of Kansas City's oldest charity organizations.  Highlights for this year's gala will include the presentation of the Sprit Awards for 2011 and a performance by The KC All Stars.

NASCAR
Camping World Truck Series SPF 250
When:  Saturday, April 21st
Where:  The Kansas Speedway
What:  Just when you thought NASCAR couldn't get anymore redneck, The Camping World Truck Series has replaced the Busch auto race on Saturday at NASCAR Kansas Speedway with a pickup truck race.  Yes, we said it, it's a pickup truck race.  On Saturday, you can pay $99 to go watch some tricked out racing trucks zoom around the track in the Camping World Truck Series.  Awesome.

Kansas City Nightlife
Dolewite in Concert
When:  Friday, April 20th
Where:  The Landing in Liberty (recently taken over by the owners of The Brooksider)
What:  Dolewite is one of Kansas City's hottest new bands, performing all of your favorite hits from the 90's.  Their playlist is based in 90's hip hop, not 90's grunge rock, and they will be welcomed warmly in the Northland, where they love their white trash rock!

NASCAR

Sprint Cup Series STP 400 Race

When:  Sunday, April 22nd

Where:  The Kansas Speedway

What:  The grand finale of Kansas City events will come on Sunday afternoon with the Sprint Cup Series.  Greg Biffle is leading the current Sprint Cup Series and will look to keep his lead on Sunday at the Kansas Speedway when rural Coor's light drinkers will gather to watch cars go in a circle for 3 + hours.  Without a doubt, America's most amazing sport, NASCAR races attract only the highest society members and black tie attire is recommended.

Kansas City News, official kc news site with breaking stories on The Kansas City Royals, Chiefs, charity events, the 2012 MLB All Star Game, weather, sports, MU, KU, ufo sightings, dui checkpoints, Kansas City neighborhoods, nightlife, concerts, the Sprint Center, the Power and Light District and current Kansas City news articles.

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.

Kansas City News, official kc news site with breaking stories on The Kansas City Royals, Chiefs, charity events, the 2012 MLB All Star Game, weather, sports, MU, KU, ufo sightings, dui checkpoints, Kansas City neighborhoods, nightlife, concerts, the Sprint Center, the Power and Light District and current Kansas City news articles.

Late Collapse Costs Royals Series Vs. A's - Kansas City News

There are “tough” ways to lose a baseball game, and then there is the manner in which the Royals dropped last night’s extra-inning affair to the A’s. After taking the lead in the top of the 12th off of a Billy Butler double, reliever Jonathan Broxton allowed two runs and Oakland had a walk-off victory. It was how Broxton gave up the last run that has Kansas City fans fuming.

After former Royal Coco Crisp tied the game in the bottom of the ninth with an RBI grounder, Broxton’s control issues began. He hit Yoenis Cespedes on the first pitch of the at-bat to load the bases, then beamed Jonny Gomes on the first pitch of his at-bat to give Oakland the win. It was only the third time the A’s have won a game on a hit-by-pitch in the club’s history.

Broxton’s meltdown wasted some clutch hitting by two of Kansas City’s stars. Billy Butler and Alex Gordon both hit home runs and were responsible for all four of the Royals’ runs. The Royals had chances to add to their total, including a bases-loaded situation in the 5th, but were unable to capitalize.

The Royals’ return home tomorrow with a 3-3 record, and Kansas City can’t help but feel like it missed a golden opportunity to win its first two series of the year. There are some positive signs that should give fans hope – Kansas City’s starting pitching has been fantastic, and the Royals’ main offensive weapons are starting to find their groove. The Royals have a very easy April schedule, and there is no reason to doubt that Kansas City can emerge from the first month of the season with a winning record.

The Royals return to Kansas City tomorrow for the team’s home opener. Luke Hochevar (1-0) will start for Kansas City, while Derek Lowe (1-0) will start for the visiting Cleveland Indians. The Royals lost last year's home opener, 4-2, to the Angels.

Kansas City News, official kc news site with breaking stories on The Kansas City Royals, Chiefs, charity events, the 2012 MLB All Star Game, weather, sports, MU, KU, ufo sightings, dui checkpoints, Kansas City neighborhoods, nightlife, concerts, the Sprint Center, the Power and Light District and current Kansas City news articles.

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 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 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 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 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.