Apparently, it has been a little cold in Surprise, Arizona as the KC Royals officially start spring training. There has been frost on the grass and car windshields, something Royals fans are used to, but maybe not the players (like Kelvin Herrera, who is from the Dominican Republic). I hope it warms up for when I get there in March.

Despite the cold, there has been some good news. Lefty Danny Duffy threw 18 fastballs off the mound on Tuesday for the first time since having Tommy John surgery. He is expected to have another session on Friday. Duffy told Kansas City Star reporter Bob Dutton that he felt great.

Via Luis Mendoza (Twitter)

Lefty Bruce Chen, who is competing for the fifth starter’s spot and a spot on the Opening Day roster, has decided to not play for Team China in the upcoming World Baseball Classic. He was expected to leave for exhibition games in Japan on February 24th, but official approval of his participation (his grandparents immigrated from China to Panama) is still pending. Chen said that he cannot provide any more documentation and has decided to stay in Arizona and fight for a roster spot with the Royals.

Oh and the new spring training hats look pretty cool (even Luis Mendoza thinks so). I cannot wait to see them in person.

Now the not so good news.

Shortstop Alcides Escobar will not report to Surprise in time for full workouts on Friday. He got married recently and wants to bring his new wife with him, but she needs a visa. It is Carnival time in Venezuela and the visa office is not open. So until the visa is taken care of, Escobar will stay in Venezuela. The plan is for him to arrive Friday night if all goes well (fingers crossed).

An MRI today showed that KC Royals starter Danny Duffy has a torn UCL in his elbow and most likely needs Tommy John surgery.

He would be the second Royals pitcher to succumb to the surgery this year (closer Joakim Soria has already had the surgery).

Apparently, Duffy has had a tear since 2010, but pitched with it. If Duffy has the surgery, he will miss a year.

Nate Adcock has been recalled to take his place.

Danny Duffy

The KC Royals won their series at Chicago by taking the first game and today’s Mother’s Day finale, 9-1. However the victory came at a cost. Starter Danny Duffy threw just 13 pitches and left due to injury. He is set for an MRI in Kansas City on Monday on his pitching elbow (remember when that strain was supposedly minor).

Luis Mendoza, who was in the starting rotation when the season started, came on and pitched well over 5.2 innings. He allowed one run in the 3rd inning. Overall, Mendoza allowed seven hits and two walks while striking out four.

Meanwhile, White Sox starter Philip Humber finally got back on track. He exited the game in the 7th inning with two outs, leading 1-0. He allowed four hits and three walks while striking out seven.

However when Humber left, he left a man on base (Alcides Escobar via a walk). Lefty Matt Thornton entered, and walked Jarrod Dyson on five pitches. Royals manager Ned Yost pinch-hit for Chris Getz with Johnny Giavotella, who delivered the two-run double to give the Royals a 2-1 lead they would never relinquish.

The Royals tacked on more runs against the White Sox bullpen in the final two innings. Jeff Francoeur hit a solo homerun in the 8th inning off Nate Jones. They blew the game WIDE open in the 9th inning with SIX runs off two relievers. The Royals collected four hits, one walk, two intentional walks, a hit batter, a passed ball, and an RBI ground out.

The White Sox had their chances prior to the 9th inning, but Yost seemed to call the right arm from the bullpen. In the 7th inning, the White Sox had one on and one out and Kelvin Herrera relieved Mendoza by getting the next two batters out.

In the 8th inning, they had two men on and just one out, but Greg Holland struck out a batter and Tim Collins came on and got AJ Pierzynski to ground out to end the inning.

Escobar was the offensive star on Sunday, as he reached base all five times. He went 3-for-3 with two walks, two runs scored, and an RBI. Francoeur had two hits and drove in two runs. Dyson went 0-for-1, but worked three walks and scored two runs.

*For more on the White Sox, check out South Side Hit Girl.

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The KC Royals are coming off a homestand where they went 4-3 against the NY Yankees and Boston Red Sox. Now they are back out on the road for divisional play against the Chicago White Sox.

The White Sox have had some good things happen so far in 2012. Philip Humber threw a perfect game. Adam Dunn is back to hitting homeruns (ten total: he only hit 11 total last season). Jake Peavy is pitching like in his San Diego Padres’ days. Chris Sale was great in the rotation, but arm problems have sent him to the closer’s role (or possibly the DL). However, all that good only has the White Sox in third place in the American League Central at 15-17.

Friday: Felipe Paulino (1-0, 0.00ERA) @ Gavin Floyd (2-3, 3.03 ERA)

Paulino returned to the Royals from the DL last Saturday and pitched well against the Yankees. He made two starts against the White Sox in 2011 and was solid, though he had alot of base runners (12IP, 16H, 6R, 5BB, 12K).

Floyd has pitched well of late, but isn’t receiving much run support. He made two starts against the Royals in 2011 (his first and last of the season). Floyd lost his final start, but pitched well (8IP, 3H, 2R, 2BB, 10K).

Saturday: Luke Hochevar (2-3, 9.00 ERA) @ Eric Stults (0-0, 3.00 ERA)

Hochevar has been getting worse instead of better. His last start was just 2.1 innings (and he allowed seven runs). It was the third time and second straight start that he allowed at least seven runs.

Stults made his first start of the 2012 season on May 7th in place of Sale. He made one relief appearance against the Royals last July.

Sunday: Danny Duffy (2-2, 4.00 ERA) @ Phil Humber (1-2, 6.83 ERA)

Duffy was roughed up in his last start against Boston. His lack of command has hurt him all season.

Humber has been awful since his perfect game. He made one start against the Royals in 2011 (6IP, 9H, 6R, 5ER, 2BB, 4K).

*For more on the White Sox and a series preview, check out South Side Hit Girl.

Down 4-3 in the 8th inning, Billy Butler hit the third pitch from reliever Matt Albers DEEP over the left field wall to give the KC Royals a 6-4 lead and eventual victory over the visiting Boston Red Sox.

Maybe this is exactly what the Royals need to get on a winning streak.

Problems with command came back to bite Royals starter Danny Duffy. He lasted just 4.1 innings, as he threw just 56 of his 102 pitches for strikes. He walked five and allowed four runs (three earned) on seven hits (four doubles). Duffy struck out just one.

Meanwhile, Red Sox starter Daniel Bard was economical with his pitches. He was under 90 pitches heading into the 8th inning. He fell apart in the 8th inning, as he walked the first two batters he faced and exited with Albers coming in. That is when the wheels fell off for the Red Sox.

The Royals bullpen was stellar. Doesn’t it always seem like the ‘pen is picking up the starters? Three relievers allowed just two hits over the final 4.2 innings. Closer Jonathan Broxton dispatched the Red Sox hitters quickly (1-2-3 in the order) in the 9th inning on just eight pitches.

On offense, the Royals collected seven hits and Butler was the only player with a multi-hit game (2-for-4).

*Prior to the game, Vin Mazzaro was recalled from Triple-A Omaha and lefty Tommy Hottovy was sent back. Mazzaro has pitched well so far this season for Omaha, including his last start (7IP, 5H, R, BB, 7K).

**For more on the Red Sox, check out Fenway Fatales.

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After splitting their home series against the NY Yankees, the KC Royals now welcome the Boston Red Sox to town. There is some good and bad to this three-game series.

The good: the Red Sox are coming off a 17 inning loss. They were swept at home by Baltimore in which two of the games went into extra innings. That means their bullpen has been overworked.

The bad: the Red Sox have been better on the road (7-6) and have to be mad about being swept.

The Royals are also welcoming back former teammate Mike Aviles to town (he was traded last year).

Monday: Felix Doubront (1-1, 5.19 ERA) @ Jonathan Sanchez (1-1, 5.24 ERA)

Doubront has been a strikeout pitcher (30 in 26 innings), but those strikeouts have risen his pitch count, causing shorter outings (four innings in his last start). The lefty, who the Red Sox finally gave a chance to this season, had pitched well prior to his last start.

Sanchez‘ last start was his best of the 2012 season, but he still has yet to reach the sixth inning. The Royals will need him to stay aggressive with his fastball and show better command.

Tuesday: Daniel Bard (2-3, 4.38 ERA) @ Danny Duffy (2-2, 3.57 ERA)

It’s hard to judge Bard‘s transition to the rotation this early, but he’s had two good starts and two bad one’s. He has gone at least five innings in all four of his starts.

Duffy has been solid all season, though he has struggled with his command. Last season, he faced the Red Sox twice (one bad, one good).

Wednesday: Jon Lester (1-2, 4.62 ERA) @ Bruce Chen (0-4, 4.98 ERA)

Yet another start for Chen where he will be opposed by a premier lefty. Lester has struggled with his command in 2012 (17 walks in 37 innings). He faced the Royals twice in 2011 and gave up just two runs in 11.1 innings.

Chen has been roughed up in his last two starts and is looking to get back on track (and also pick up his first win in 2012). He faced the Red Sox once in 2011 and gave up ten runs on ten hits in just four innings.

*For more on the Red Sox, check out Fenway Fatales.

Time to celebrate in KC!

The KC Royals finally earned their first home victory of the season, after starting the season 0-10. They received some timely hitting, good pitching, and good defense to beat the NY Yankees 4-3.

Danny Duffy‘s fastball was good tonight. He was regularly in the upper 90s and had good placement of his pitches. He struck out three of the final five batters he faced. Duffy left after allowing a one-out single in the 6th inning. He had reached 90 pitches (throwing 52 for strikes).

The offensive hero for the Royals was Mike Moustakas. He hit a solo homerun off Yankees starter David Phelps in the 2nd inning. He then delivered a two-run single in the 5th inning that stretched the Royals lead to 4-1.

The 9th inning was dicey for Royals closer Jonathan Broxton and a collective groan was let out when the Yankees put runners on base (remember, the Royals had yet to win a home game). Derek Jeter led off the inning with his fourth hit of the night. Broxton then walked Curtis Granderson. His defense bailed him out when Chris Getz made a nice diving stop to turn the double play. That moved Jeter to third base with two outs and Alex Rodriguez coming to the plate.

With the fans on their feet and an 0-2 count to A-Rod, A-Rod worked the count full. The fans then became restless. He hit a slow roller towards third base that Moose bare-handed and threw A-Rod out by a step.

» Continue reading “FINALLY a Home Win for the Royals”

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Welcome Home!

The KC Royals return home to Kauffman Stadium, hoping to win their first home game of the 2012 season. They will have a tough test as they welcome the NY Yankees to town. The Yankees rotation has been bad, but the bullpen’s been good and they still have an explosive offense (which didn’t show up against Baltimore). The Yankees have a short bench with the injuries to Nick Swisher and now Eric Chavez (hopefully the Royals can hit balls at 30-error Nunez). The Yankees dropped to 13-11 and into fourth place in the American League East.

The first game of the four-game series (tonight) will air live on MLB Network at 8pm ET.

Thursday: David Phelps (0-0, 3.57 ERA) @ Danny Duffy (1-2, 3.63 ERA)

Phelps will be making his first Major League start. He has been solid out of the Yankees bullpen and is taking the place of the awful Freddy Garcia (who moved to the bullpen). He has walked two compared to 14 strikeouts in 17.2 innings. Expect a ton of Phelps supporters to make the drive from St. Louis (where he is from). I have a soft spot for Phelps, who I watched develop over the last few years in the Yankees farm system (I’m an East Coast girl).

Duffy missed his last start due to tightness in his elbow and was pushed back again when the Royals were rained out twice in three days. Hopefully the tightness was only minor like reported because losing him would be a big blow.

Friday: CC Sabathia (3-0, 4.58 ERA) @ Bruce Chen (0-3, 4.23 ERA)

Sabathia has won three in a row and pitched into the 8th inning in those three starts after struggling in his first two starts. Sabathia did not face the Royals in 2011.

Chen was roughed up in his last start, but had been good prior. He faced the Yankees once in 2011 (August 17th) and picked up a win (6IP, 7H, 3R, 3BB, 3K).

Saturday: Hiroki Kuroda (2-3, 3.69 ERA) @ TBA

Kuroda has been solid in his first season in New York. Normally he follows up a good outing with a bad. He’s had two straight good starts, so he is due for a subpar one.

Felipe Paulino is expected to slide into the rotation, as he is set to return from the DL and make his 2012 debut. He will be taking Luis Mendoza‘s spot, with Mendoza moving to the bullpen. Manager Ned Yost favors keeping two long-men with the Royals‘ rotation struggles (fewest innings of any rotation), so Nate Adcock appears safe.

Sunday: Phil Hughes (1-4, 7.48 ERA) @ Luke Hochevar (2-2, 7.36 ERA)

Hughes may be pitching for his rotation spot, with veteran Andy Pettitte looming. He was better in his last start (5.2IP, 4H, 4R, BB, 6K), but has given up the longball (seven homeruns in 21.2 innings). If he struggles, expect to see rookie DJ Mitchell (who made his big league debut Tuesday night) or Garcia.

Hochevar tends to give up A LOT of runs in the first inning (12 runs in his two losses). He was terrible in Detroit this week, so hopefully he can regroup. He did not face the Yankees in 2011.

*Will the Royals FINALLY win a home game? Who will earn the “W”?

**For more on the Yankees, check out Second Place is Not an Option.

The losing streak has reached ten games, as the KC Royals lost yet another home game, this time 5-3 to the Toronto Blue Jays.

You knew starter Danny Duffy wasn’t going to last long, as his pitch count climbed quickly. He lasted just 4.2 innings while allowing four runs on five hits and five walks. He threw 113 pitches, 66 for strikes. Duffy limited the damage throughout before the Blue Jay’s four-run 5th inning (which chased him from the game).

In contrast, Blue Jays ace Ricky Romero threw 104 pitches (65 for strikes) over eight innings. He allowed two runs on five hits and two walks while striking out five. Ricky-Ro allowed two runs in the bottom of the 5th inning (both scored on an Alcides Escobar force out).

The Blue Jays tacked on an insurance run in the 8th inning when Brett Lawrie (who went 1-for-4 with two RBIs) stole home as part of a double steal with two outs (JP Arencibia also stole second base on the play). That was two of the Blue Jays four stolen bases in the game.

The Royals had their chance in the 9th inning against new closer Francisco Cordero. Mike Moustakas (3-for-4) drove in the Royals first run with RISP (they were 1-for-10) to cut the deficit to 5-3. With runners at the corners and one out, manager Ned Yost decided to pinch-hit for Humberto Quintero with Brayan Pena. Pena hit into a game-ending double play.

The four-game series concludes Monday night as Bruce Chen will face Brandon Morrow. It will be interesting to see which Morrow shows up for the Blue Jays: the wild one or the dominant one. It would be nice for the Royals to FINALLY win a home game.

*The Blue Jays went just 4-for-14 with runners in scoring position.

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The KC Royals have lost seven in a row, so there isn’t a whole lot of good to talk about considering them. Hopefully, they are enjoying their off-day and getting their minds right. The Royals welcome the Toronto Blue Jays to town for four games beginning Friday night. The Blue Jays were one of the hottest teams this spring, but their bullpen (1-for-5 in save opportunities) and offense have struggled so far this season.

Blue Jays slugger Jose Bautista epitomizes the offense’s struggles: he is hitting just .231 with two homeruns, one double, and five RBIs. As a team, they are hitting just .239. The Cleveland Indians went to Kauffman Stadium with baseball’s worst offense and came out of it hitting on all cylinders. Maybe this is when Bautista and the rest of the Jays break out? Their lineup is potent from 1 (Yunel Escobar) through 9 (Colby Rasmus).

Starting pitching has been the Blue Jays savior so far in 2012. Being a four-game series, the Royals will get to see most of their top guys (excluding Henderson Alvarez).

Friday: Kyle Drabek (RHP) vs. Luke Hochevar (RHP)

Drabek seems to have overcome his struggles from a year ago, as he has ditched the cutter (2-0 with a 1.42 ERA). He faced the Royals last June and allowed five runs on nine hits and three walks over 5.1 innings.

Hochevar is coming off a poor start against Cleveland, which resulted in an early exit when he was hit by a line drive (1-1 with a 7.84 ERA). Last season, Hochevar  faced the Blue Jays twice. He allowed five runs on ten hits and four walks over 12 innings (he struck out eight).

Saturday: TBA vs. Luis Mendoza (RHP)

The Blue Jays haven’t announced a starter, but are looking towards Jesse Chavez or Double-A prospect Drew Hutchison. I saw Hutchison in his first start of this season and after the first inning, he was dominant. Chavez has been around and hasn’t been very good (he was with the Royals).

UPDATE: It will be 21-year old Hutchison making his Major League debut.

Mendoza also struggled against Cleveland. Overall he is 0-2 with a 5.59 ERA. He did not face the Blue Jays in 2011.

» Continue reading “Royals vs. Blue Jays Preview”