The KC Royals played a full week of games for the first time during the 2013 season (with zero days off). It unfortunately was not a good week. They went 1-6 last week, but started the new week with a win in LA last night. The Royals dropped to third place in the American League Central behind both Detroit and suddenly hot Cleveland, and just one game ahead of Minnesota.

Omaha dropped to second place in the Pacific Coast League’s American Northern Division at 19-17. The Storm Chasers went 3-4 last week. They finish up their road series tonight in Colorado Springs, before returning home to enjoy tomorrow off and start an eight-game homestand.

NW Arkansas went 3-3 last week and continue to be the worst team in the Texas League at 13-22. The Naturals continue their road series tonight against the Arkansas Travelers.

Wilmington continues to be a streaky team, though they are still in last place in the Northern Division of the Carolina League (17-20). Last week, the Blue Rocks went 4-2. They continue their road trip tonight, as they open a three-game set in Potomac.

Lexington is 18-19, four games back in the South Atlantic League’s Southern Division. The Legends went 3-3 last week. They continue their home series tonight against Kannapolis.

Now to the awards…The Royals minor leaguers took home three player/pitcher of the week awards. I only gave one of them one of my weekly awards.

Hitter of the Week

Majors: Alex Gordon seems to be the only Royal who can consistently hit in their lineup, no matter where Ned Yost places him in the lineup. He has now moved to the third spot, in front of Billy Butler, and has not missed a beat. Over the last seven games, he went 11-for-28 (.393) with two doubles and three homeruns. Gordon scored six runs and drove in eight.

Minors: Max Ramirez, Omaha. He was also named the PCL’s Player of the Week. In five games, he went 11-for-20 (.550) with two doubles and two homeruns. He scored seven runs and drove in six. He is in the midst of a nine-game hitting streak.

Honorable Mention: His teammate Anthony Seratelli. In six games, he went 10-for-25 (.400) with two doubles and a homerun. He scored six runs and drove in four.

» Continue reading “Royals Weekly Awards”

The KC Royals lost their series finale to the Chicago White Sox, 2-1 in 11 innings in Monday’s makeup game.

The Royals offense had White Sox starter Chris Sale on the ropes early, as he needed 57 pitches to get through two innings. Then they got all antsy and started swinging early and often. Next thing you know, Sale makes it into the 8th inning on 119 pitches.

Meanwhile, James Shields did not allow a hit until Dewayne Wise led off the 6th inning with a single. He threw 102 pitches through eight innings, struck out nine, and Ned Yost decided to pull him for closer Greg Holland. Big mistake.

Wasn’t Shields‘ nickname with TB, “Complete Game James” (to go along with “Big Game James”)? So why take him out when you acquired him in a trade to FINISH games?

Well, everyone is debating this question as I type this because Holland allowed three straight singles to load the bases with no outs in the top of the ninth. He looked like a magician when he got Paul Konerko to hit into a 1-2-3 double play. It looked like Holland might escape and get another save, but for some reason, the Royals chose to walk youngster Conner Gillaspie to load the bases to face Alexei Ramirez. Ramirez singled up the middle to tie the game. Fellow youngster Jordan Danks thought he might score too on the hit, but Chris Getz had knocked down the ball and Danks was out.

Danks would redeem himself in the 11th inning.

For some reason, Yost decided to send Kelvin Herrera out for another inning. He was saved with one out in the 11th when Salvador Perez threw Alex Rios out trying to steal second base (after he singled). Danks then hit a solo homerun to give the White Sox the lead. That is the fifth homerun Herrera has allowed six this season in just 14.1 innings. YIKES!

The Royals then went down quietly against White Sox closer Addison Reed in the bottom of the 11th. It was hardly just that inning. The last time they did not go down 1-2-3 was the 7th inning when Perez doubled with two outs.

The Royals now head to Baltimore for three games beginning tomorrow night. I’ll be at Camden Yards on Tuesday night for the series opener and hopefully the rain holds off. Unfortunately, it’ll be another cold one.

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

There were all kinds of emotions flowing at Fenway Park this afternoon. It ended with Boston beating the KC Royals in somewhat dramatic fashion, by a 4-3 score.

The B Strong patch that both teams wore.

With a pregame ceremony to honor the Boston Marathon runners, volunteers, victims, and law enforcement officials, there was not a dry eye in the ballpark or sitting at home on the couch. Red Sox slugger David Ortiz concluded the ceremonies with a “This is our F***ing City” as he addressed the crowd in his first game of the season. The Red Sox wore special home uniforms with “BOSTON” across (instead of Red Sox) that are being auctioned off. Both teams wore “B Strong” patches.

All in attendance joined in as the Fenway Park organist played the national anthem, much like they did at the Boston Bruins game earlier in the week.

Then the game got underway.

Clay Buchholz and James Shields were matched up in a classic pitcher’s duel. The Red Sox did not collect a hit off Shields until Big Papi fittingly singled in the 4th inning. Shields only lasted six innings mainly because he threw a ton of pitches early on (he walked three). He allowed a run in his final inning of work.

The Royals got on the board first when Jeff Francoeur delivered an RBI single in the top of the fifth. With the game tied at 1-1, the Royals came right back to re-take the lead in the 7th inning on a Salvador Perez two out RBI triple (yup, triple).

After Shields left, the Royals bullpen was shaky but did not break in the seventh. Aaron Crow entered and hit Daniel Nava to lead off the inning. Will Middlebrooks singled, moving Nava to second base. Crow was then saved when Perez picked Nava off second base. Stephen Drew reached on a Mike Moustakas error (which would have loaded the bases with nobody out). That brought in lefty Tim Collins, who escaped the jam.

» Continue reading “Royals Lose at Fenway on Emotional Day”

Despite a great start by Jeremy Guthrie and a rarity, the KC Royals could not halt the Atlanta Braves winning streak, which extended to ten games. The Braves won at Turner Field, 6-3.

Jeremy Guthrie during 2013 ST against Cleveland.

It was a pitcher’s duel between Guthrie and Kris Medlen, as both allowed two runs over seven innings. Guthrie allowed five total hits, two were solo homeruns by Juan Francisco. The second homerun came in his final inning that tied the game at 2-2. Medlen only allowed one earned run and that was the rarity. Chris Getz hit his first homerun since July 19, 2009 (off his now teammate Guthrie) and just the third of his career.

The fireworks then went off in the 8th inning.

Fireballer Kelvin Herrera entered in relief for the Royals and got a quick out. Then he threw a fastball right down the middle to Jason Heyward who hammered it out of the ballpark. He hung a changeup to Justin Upton and he hit it about 20 rows up into the seats for a homerun.

Herrera somehow was still in the game and allowed yet another homerun to Dan Uggla with two outs. Manager Ned Yost STILL left him out there and he issued a walk. FINALLY, the hook came, but Aaron Crow entered and allowed a stolen base and an RBI single.

Herrera‘s ERA ballooned from zero to 9.00. He had only allowed five homeruns total in his career. This season, he had held opponents to a .111 average. But his teammates still have plenty of confidence in him, like Jeff Francoeur, who went 2-for-4 and threw a runner out at the plate in the seventh:

“I’ve got all the confidence in the world in that guy. Send him back out tomorrow, and I feel he’ll go 1-2-3. For him, it was one of those nights. I live here and obviously, when they put this team together, they put them together to strike out and hit home runs. Tonight they were able to get five of them.”

Guthrie has now not lost in 14 straight games as a Royal, which is now tied for the second longest streak.

The start to their 10-day, three city road trip didn’t go as planned, but they have a quick turnaround tomorrow. The Royals and Braves finish their quick two-game series Wednesday afternoon at noon ET. It will be televised LIVE on MLB Network as Wade Davis faces Mike Minor.

*The Braves have out-homered their opponents 25-7.

The KC Royals swept the Minnesota Twins on Wednesday night, 3-0 and played through some crazy fog and cold weather. It also happened to be the official 40th anniversary of Kauffman Stadium.

Billy Butler quickly got the fans that were actually in attendance into the game (just over 10,000 though I doubt that many showed up) with a solo homerun in the bottom of the first. The pitching made that lone run hold up.

Somehow, starter Wade Davis escaped jam after jam. After striking out the first two batters he faced, he then loaded the bases. But Davis got out of the inning with a pop up. In the second, he again loaded the bases before striking out two (one of which was Joe Mauer, who struck out last night to end the game with the bases loaded) and getting out of the inning.

Davis lasted five innings, allowing four hits and three walks while striking out six. Lefty Bruce Chen followed with three scoreless innings of relief.

With a save situation, manager Ned Yost went with Kelvin Herrera instead of Greg Holland (and you wonder why people talk about a closer controversy). Herrera struck out the side around a double to pick up his second save of the season.

Jeff Francoeur added a solo homerun in the 7th inning and Alcides Escobar drove in another run later that inning. After struggling on the road to start the season, Salvador Perez has really heated up at home. He went 3-for-4 tonight to improve his average to .263.

*The Royals will enjoy the chilly off day on Thursday before welcoming the Toronto Blue Jays to town over the weekend.

**After not committing an error this season until last night, the Royals committed two tonight (one each by Escobar and Lorenzo Cain).

With the way the game started for the second time in three days, you would be surprised by the headline. But the KC Royals fought back and beat the host Philadelphia Phillies, 9-8.

It was not easy.

Holding on to a 9-4 lead in the bottom of the 9th inning, manager Ned Yost went with JC Gutierrez out of the bullpen. He allowed a three-run homerun to Jimmy Rollins while recording just one out. That quickly ended Gutierrez‘ day, as the Phillies cut the deficit to 9-7. Yost went to closer Greg Holland, one day after his implosion. But you have to get right back on the horse right?

Yeah, it didn’t go so well. When he fell behind the first batter he faced, Chase Utley, Dave Eiland immediately went to the phone to get Kelvin Herrera up in the ‘pen. Holland got Utley to fly out for the second out. However, he then gave up back-to-back singles, which prompted Yost to pull Holland (I’m sure fans in KC were cheering loudly).

In came Herrera, who struck out pinch-hitter Laynce Nix on Saturday night, but who is also a dead-fastball hitter. Herrera got ahead with changeups, but the one fastball he threw was ripped up the middle for an RBI single to cut the lead to 9-8. A wild pitch put the winning run on second base with two outs and Erik Kratz at the plate. After fouling off a ton of pitches, Herrera dropped in a nasty changeup for strike three to thankfully end the game.

As the players headed out onto the field to shake hands, Billy Butler kept shaking his head like, “I can’t believe we almost blew that”. He single-handedly gave the Royals the lead.

In the third, Butler drove in their second run with a ground out that cut their deficit to 4-2. In the fifth, after Phils starter Cole Hamels walked Alcides Escobar to load the bases. Butler promptly took the second pitch (a hanging fastball) into the flower beds at Citizen Bank Park (though the flowers are not out yet). Three runs scored and Butler stopped at second base. After the umpires reviewed the play, Butler was rewarded with his first career grand slam.

With the bases loaded yet again in the 6th inning after another Escobar walk, Butler singled back up the middle on the second pitch of the at-bat thrown by reliever Chad Durbin. That drove in two more runs, giving him seven RBIs on the day (which is a franchise high).

It was the second time in three days that the Phillies took a 4-0 lead early against the Royals and blew it (it happened on Friday afternoon). James Shields started and struggled throughout, though he escaped damage except for the first. He allowed three straight singles to start the game before getting an out (a strikeout of Ryan Howard). After two more singles to give the Phillies a 3-0 lead, the Royals made a coaching visit. Shields allowed a sac fly to Kratz to finish the Phils first inning scoring.

Now to the home opener on Monday afternoon against the Minnesota Twins. Ervin Santana will get the start.

*The Royals got another great two inning relief effort from lefty Tim Collins. He struck out the side in relief of Shields in the 7th inning. He struck out another in his perfect 8th inning.

**The Phillies announcers seem to think that the Royals will change closers, much like the Chicago Cubs already have. Will we see Herrera anointed as the new closer?

On Tuesday night, the Dominican Republic became the first team in World Baseball Classic history to go undefeated in the tournament, as they beat Puerto Rico in the WBC finals, 3-0.

The Dominicans took a 2-0 lead in the first inning and never looked back. DR starter Samuel Deduno was great over five innings and the stingy DR bullpen did what they did every night in the tourney, put up zeroes. It culminated with closer Fernando Rodney picking up another save and shooting off yet another arrow.

Miguel Tejada didn’t start at third base, but came on in the 6th inning to replace Hanley Ramirez (who jammed his thumb). He went 0-for-2 at the plate and committed and error in the ninth. He did however catch a pop up and went crashing to the ground. He looked visibly uncomfortable the rest of the night (fingers crossed that he is okay).

Kelvin Herrera could not pitch because he threw over 30 pitches the night before against the Netherlands in the semifinals. That didn’t stop him from celebrating every big moment in the game.

Despite not doing anything offensively for Puerto Rico, second baseman Irving Falu played great on defense. He regularly received praise from the MLB Network analysts. He’ll return to Surprise to compete for a utility spot, but mainly will be fighting for playing time in Triple-A.

On Friday night (and then again this afternoon), MLB Network aired an episode of their Top Ten Right Now. It was based on the top Relievers right now heading into the 2013 season.

Via MLB Network’s Twitter

The one bright spot for the KC Royals over the last two seasons has been their bullpen and not one of those talented young relievers was on that list.

Not surprising, Craig Kimbrel of the Atlanta Braves was number one, as he has been nothing but lights out over his first two seasons in the big leagues (minus his collapse in September of his rookie season). He ranked number one on everyone’s list.

According to Clubhouse Confidential’s The Shredder, here are the next nine.

Sergio Romo of the SF Giants, coming off his second World Series title, was second. This is kind of a surprise, as he burst onto the closing scene last August.

The legendary Mariano Rivera of the NY Yankees came in at number three, but now one knows how he will pitch in 2013 at age 43 and coming off major knee surgery.

Koji Uehara, who is now with Boston, was fourth. I think he deserved to be on this list, as he is often overlooked (which I think he was with both Baltimore and Texas). But this high?

Fernando Rodney, who had the best season of ANY reliever in 2012 with the Tampa Bay Rays, was fifth. Can he do that again? The Rays are hoping so, as they picked up his option for 2013.

Eric O’Flaherty of the Braves came in at six. The lefty has pitched in a ton of games over the last few seasons and I always wonder when manager Fredi Gonzalez will burn him out. I was actually surprised that Jonny Venters was not on this list. He is the better of the two Braves lefty relievers.

» Continue reading “No Love for Royals Bullpen”

The provisional rosters for the World Baseball Classic were released this afternoon and there are quite a few current and former KC Royals on those rosters.

I wrote earlier about lefty reliever Tim Collins being a member of Team USA.

It was rumored that lefty starter Bruce Chen might join Team China. Well, it looks as though the crafty veteran will be anchoring the Chinese staff in the WBC. I am surprised that he is going to be leaving the Royals early in spring training when he is going to be in a tight battle for the final rotation spot. Their pool, Pool A, begins play on March 2nd, but China starts play on the third against host Japan.

Pitchers are only allowed to throw 65 pitches in the first round of pool play, so if Chen can be economical, he could realistically go five or six innings (unless he gets ripped).

Joining Chen in Pool A is Royals minor leaguer Paulo Orlando. The outfielder was a member of the surprise Brazilian team that upset Panama in the WBC Qualifier. He will be with Brazil in their first WBC when they begin play on March 2nd against host Japan. As of right now, Brazil’s lone big leaguer, catcher Yan Gomes, who played in the qualifier, is not on the roster (but they only have one catcher listed on their roster).

The Netherlands shocked the world in 2009 and look to do the same in 2013 in Pool B with some players with a little more name recognition (like Jair Jurrjens, Andruw Jones, Andrelton Simmons, and Jurickson Profar). Pitcher JC Sulbaran, who the Royals received from Cincinnati for Jonathan Broxton, is a member of the Netherlands pitching staff.

I am most looking forward to seeing some of the veteran Netherlands players, like Robbie Cordemans and Yurendell de Caster, along with some of the prospect guys like Jonathan Schoop, Xander Bogaerts, and Spencer Kieboom.

The Netherlands begin pool play on March 2nd against Korea in Taiwan.

Former Royal Justin Huber is yet again a member of the Australian team that is looking to use some of that explosive offensive (over .300 average in 2009) to make it out of the pool.

Huber will be joined with other veterans Luke Hughes, Peter Moylan, and Brad Harman. They also have some young prospects like Stefan Welch, James Beresford, and Clayton Tanner.

» Continue reading “WBC Rosters Full of Royals”

I took a  few days off from the awards, but it’s back to it. Today I will unveil the Royals Blue Aid Rookie of the Year.

Naming the KC Royals Rookie of the Year was probably the easiest decision amongst the awards for me.

Kelvin Herrera

Reliever Kelvin Herrera takes this award, as he had a great rookie season in 2012, culminating with being named to Baseball America’s All-Rookie Team (as the closer).

He finished the season with a 4-3 record and a 2.35 ERA in 76 games. But those numbers don’t speak too how good he was. After May 1st, Herrera struck out 69 in 74.1 innings. He walked 20 in that time frame and did not allow a homerun. In the second half, he went 3-for-4 in save opportunities.

Herrera led all rookie relievers in games and innings pitched. He also led all Royals relievers in those same categories.

His fastball is his best pitch, as he topped out at 103 mph in 2012. He averaged 98.5 mph on his fastball. That fastball makes his high 80s changeup that much better. Batters only put his changeup into play about a quarter of the time. Herrera racked up the strikeouts, but also had a ground ball rate of 55%.

This is the second award for Herrera from RBA (he took the Reliever of the Year award too).

Herrera had a great rookie season, but very few know about him. I’m excited to see what he has in store for 2013.