Daily Clips



Daily ClipsSeptember 15, 2017LOCALBullpen can't deny Indians for solid JunisSept. 15, 2017 By Jordan Bastian and Jeffrey Flanagan/ Quick decision in left doesn't go Royals' wayGordon goes for catch at the wall, but ball -- and game -- eludes Herrera and Co.Sept. 14, 2017By Jeffrey Flanagan/ Duffy throws side session, is ready to returnRoyals lefty expected to be activated SundaySept. 14, 2017By Jeffrey Flanagan/ Moose pushes through pain for playoff pushSept. 14, 2017By Jeffrey Flanagan/ Amid career year, Vargas out to stop IndiansSept. 15, 2017By Jeffrey Flanagan/ Royals collapse late as Indians run their winning streak to 22 gamesSept. 14, 2017By Rustin Dodd/KC Star The Royals are the Indians’ henchmen, and their season is by now all but overSept. 14, 2017By Sam Mellinger/KC Star Danny Duffy expected to pitch Sunday’s game in Cleveland; court date for DUI movedSept. 14, 2017By Rustin Dodd/KC Star The Royals’ base-running philosophy won a World Series, but backfired WednesdaySept. 14, 2017 By Lee Judge/KC Star TRANSACTIONSSeptember 15, 2017 ?. can't deny Indians for solid JunisSept. 15, 2017 By Jordan Bastian and Jeffrey Flanagan/ Jay Bruce did all he could to stay on his feet as his teammates doused him in water and baby powder while pulling at his jersey in an historic mob scene on Thursday night. The Royals put up an admirable fight, but the veteran Indians outfielder delivered the knockout blow that kept his team's incredible streak going.The Indians rallied for one run in the ninth inning and pulled off The Streak's first walk-off in the 10th, when Bruce's run-scoring double sealed a 3-2 victory that extended Cleveland's American League-record winning streak to 22 games. Progressive Field quaked like the team hopes it will throughout October, and Bruce walked away drenched and happily bruised."Kids these days are throwing everything," Bruce said with a laugh. "You never know what you're going to get hit with out there. It's my first jersey rip-off for sure. They didn't get it all, though."Hours later, the Angels lost to the Astros, securing a postseason berth for the Tribe, which trimmed its magic number to win the AL Central crown to three.The walk-off win inched the Indians one victory closer to the 1916 New York Giants' MLB-record run of 26 wins in a row, and they now have sole possession of the second-longest winning streak in Major League history. The 1935 and 1880 Cubs (who were then often known as the White Stockings) each had streaks of 21 consecutive wins."This team has no quit in it whatsoever," Indians starter Josh Tomlin said. "Even in the games that we're up by four or five, you still play every out. I think that goes to show, when you get into situations like we got into tonight, you play until that last out and maybe extend the game and have a chance to win. And that's what happened."One of the consistent heroes throughout this incredible run for the Tribe has been shortstop Francisco Lindor, and he kept the magic alive in the bottom of the ninth."He certainly doesn't seem to shrink from that [moment]," Indians manager Terry Francona said.With two outs, two strikes and pinch-runner Erik Gonzalez on first, Lindor slashed a pitch from Kelvin Herrera to deep left field, where it scraped the 19-foot wall, eluded the glove of a leaping Alex Gordon and shot back into the outfield to give Gonzalez enough time to score from first."We were about to break that streak," Herrera said. "One strike away. It was poor execution right there by me."Gordon said he had a good chance of making the catch and ending the game."With Kelvin pitching, guys are going to be late on the fastball," Gordon said. "I was playing over there a little bit. But, he hit it right in that corner. I think if I play it off the wall, he scores anyway, so I had to go for it. It was just off the tip of my glove. That's the way it goes."The ballpark shook with each of Gonzalez's steps and the crowd erupted when the game moved into a 2-2 deadlock. Asked about his heroics, Lindor instead praised the work of teammate Tyler Naquin, whose one-out single to left earlier in the inning got the ball rolling on the rally."First, let's talk about Naquin's at-bat. Let's do that," Lindor said. "His at-bat was huge. Getting on base and making something happen was huge. I just tried to follow whatever he did. He got on top of the ball and got a base hit. That's exactly what I was trying to do."After closer Cody Allen kept the Royals in check in the top of the 10th -- helped by an impressive catch at the center-field wall by Naquin to rob Brandon Moss -- the Indians' lineup finished what Lindor started.Jose Ramirez roped a pitch from Brandon Maurer into right-center and motored around first to pull off a hustle double, his 50th two-bagger of the year. Edwin Encarnacion then drew a crucial walk. That set the stage for Bruce, who shot a pitch from Maurer into the right-field corner, and shot an arm skyward as the on-field party commenced."It's safe to say we're in uncharted territory," Bruce said. "You can't draw this stuff up, man. You really can't."With the win, Cleveland maintained its 13 1/2-game lead over the Twins in the Central, and pulled within 3 1/2 games of the idle Dodgers for best record in the Majors. The Royals, meanwhile, fell to five games behind the Twins in the race for the second AL Wild Card spot.During this 22-game run, Cleveland's rotation accounted for 19 of the wins and posted a 1.77 ERA. Tomlin did his part, but earned a no-decision against the Royals, allowing two runs over 5 2/3 innings. One run scored via a double play off the bat of Mike Moustakas in the second. Another came home on an RBI double from Eric Hosmer on a ball that was nearly caught by left fielder Abraham Almonte in the sixth.Kansas City did all it could to slow the Indians' offense, which has averaged 6.4 runs over the past 22 victories to help Cleveland post a plus-105 run differential in that span.Rookie starter Jakob Junis' tried to become a historical footnote as the pitcher who halted Cleveland's AL-record run, limiting the Indians to a Lonnie Chisenhall RBI single in his 5 2/3 innings. It was the Royals' bullpen -- the culprit behind plenty of losses this season -- that could not keep Cleveland down."Junis, I was really pleased with his outing, holding that club to one run," Royals manager Ned Yost said. "We were just trying to make it hold up."MOMENTS THAT MATTEREDRamirez's 50-double dash: Ramirez capped off his four-hit night with a furious sprint to pull off a critical double in the 10th. His 7.78-second run marked his second-fasted home-to-second time of the season, according to Statcast?, and he went a long way in setting up the game's final run. During the 22-game streak, Ramirez has hit .423/.474/.944 with eight homers, 11 doubles, one triple, 14 RBIs and 17 runs."His baserunning on that play," Francona said, "he rounded first under control, took a real good [turn], rounded the bag, and then probably got down to about 85 or 90 [percent]. And then, he saw where the throw was going and gave himself a chance. He's not out of control. It was really good baserunning."Miller Time again: Prior to Thursday's game, the Indians activated left-handed relief ace Andrew Miller and he fired off 11 pitches to the four batters he faced in the seventh inning. Miller allowed a pair of singles, but escaped with an inning-ending double play to keep Kansas City's lead at one run. Miller is joining an Indians 'pen that posted a 1.26 ERA in the previous 21 wins without him."It's a huge lift," Tomlin said. "I think everybody in here has seen and knows how good Andrew Miller is. To have him back and to have him healthy, feeling good, he's another weapon for Tito to use in the back end of the bullpen. He's a really good weapon, at that."Bruce's redemption: The Royals had a huge escape in the eighth inning, when Cleveland loaded the bases with only one out for Bruce and Santana. First, Bruce popped up a pitch from Ryan Buchter into foul ground, where catcher Salvador Perez made the catch. Santana then popped out into foul territory to Hosmer. Bruce was hoping he would get another chance, which arrived in extras."God, I was so mad, man," Bruce said. "I want the at-bat. I want the chance, I want the opportunity. And I think I can speak for everyone else in that room, they feel the exact same way as me. And I think that's why we've been so successful."QUOTABLE"For a second, when I hit it, I was like, 'Oh no, I went the other way. I hit it to the wrong guy.' Then, I saw it hit the wall and the emotions were pretty high. Just seeing the whole entire crowd was fun, and then seeing your teammates screaming on the top step of the dugout is pretty special." -- Lindor, on his game-tying double"He brings it every day. He really does. He is the energy you want to have when you play the game. And there are certain guys who have that. He doesn't care who's on the mound. He doesn't care who we're playing." -- Bruce, on RamirezSOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDSRamirez joined Albert Belle (1995) and Tris Speaker (1923) as the only hitters in Indians history to compile at least 50 doubles and 80 extra-base hits in a single season.Cleveland's 15-0 mark to start September ties the MLB record for most wins to open any calendar month. The 1991 Twins (September) and 1977 Royals (September) also had 15-0 starts to a month.UPON FURTHER REVIEWAfter drawing a one-out walk in the sixth, Ramirez bolted for second and appeared to pull off a stolen base. Second baseman Whit Merrifield applied the tag on Ramirez's left hand and held his glove on as the runner came off the base. Ramirez was called out and Cleveland challenged the play. Interference on such plays is not reviewable, though, so the replay review confirmed the out call, eliciting a chorus of boos from the home crowd. The Royals went on to escape the inning unscathed."It's a judgement call," Francona said. "I knew he came off the bag. I went and looked at it. I just told [the umpires], I said, 'I want you to go look at that and then tell me you don't think he swiped him off the bag.' I knew they weren't going to change it, I just wanted them to have to go look at it."CHISENHALL EXITSChisenhall left the game in the fifth inning as a precaution due to tightness in his right calf, according to the Indians. A right calf strain kept Chisenhall on the disabled list from July 11-Aug. 31 earlier this season. In the second inning, Chisenhall hustled to make a nice sliding catch in left field. He also tried to unsuccessfully turn his RBI single into a double in the third."We'll wait and see how he shows up tomorrow," Francona said. "He didn't want to come out, and then we weren't going to take him out. Then, when he sat for a little bit, he got a little stiff, so we're like, 'We're not going to mess with this.'"WHAT'S NEXTRoyals: Left-hander Jason Vargas (15-10, 4.15 ERA) takes the mound for the Royals in the second game of the series on Friday at 6:10 p.m. CT. Vargas got his career-high 15th win on Sunday in an 11-3 triumph over the Twins, as he went five innings and gave up just one run.Indians: Right-hander Trevor Bauer (16-8, 4.33 ERA) will get the nod for the Tribe in Friday's 7:10 p.m. ET matchup with the Royals at Progressive Field. Bauer has not taken a loss since July 16. In 10 starts and one relief appearance since, Bauer has gone 9-0 with a 2.51 ERA and 72 strikeouts against 19 walks in 64 2/3 innings.Quick decision in left doesn't go Royals' wayGordon goes for catch at the wall, but ball -- and game -- eludes Herrera and Co.Sept. 14, 2017By Jeffrey Flanagan/ Royals closer Kelvin Herrera was within one strike of ending the Indians' winning streak at 21 games Thursday night at Progressive Field.But a 2-2 pitch to Francisco Lindor with two outs and pinch-runner Erik Gonzalez on first was about two inches lower than he wanted it. Herrera wanted to go up and away, but the two-seamer sank back down where Lindor could reach it, and he shot a fly ball toward the left-field corner.That's where Alex Gordon, a four-time Gold Glove Award-winning left fielder, had to make a bang-bang decision: Go for the catch to end the game, or play conservatively and perhaps hold the speedy Gonzalez at third base.Gordon went for the catch, and he missed by an inch or two. The ball caromed away and Gonzalez scored easily, tying the score at 2. The Indians then won it in the 10th, 3-2, for their 22nd straight win."It hit off the top of my glove," Gordon said. "We were playing no-doubles [deep], and it just kind of hit in that perfect spot where I had to make a decision to go for it or play it off the wall. But it was pretty close. Unfortunately, I didn't get it."Lindor, too, thought it would come down to inches.Royals manager Ned Yost said he had no issues with Gordon going for the catch."It was that close," Yost said. "You go for it."Gordon said there wasn't much of a decision to make, considering Gonzalez was off and running on contact with two outs."I was playing over there a little bit," Gordon said. "But he hit it right in that corner. I think if I play it off the wall he scores anyway, so I had to go for it. It was just off the tip of my glove. That's the way it goes."Give them credit. They're on a little hot streak now and finding ways to win. Lindor came up with the big hit there."For Herrera, it was his fifth blown save in what has become a nightmarish season. Herrera recently was demoted from the closer's role, but Yost had to use him Thursday because of a depleted bullpen."Bad year. Bad year," Herrera said. "When you have that kind of year, everything is kind of like going to the wrong side. It's just part of this game."Duffy throws side session, is ready to returnRoyals lefty expected to be activated SundaySept. 14, 2017By Jeffrey Flanagan/ Royals left-hander Danny Duffy threw another side session at Progressive Field on Thursday, and he appears ready after his final test before being activated Sunday.Duffy, who threw 46 pitches in a simulated game on Monday, threw about 33 pitches Thursday. He reported no discomfort."I felt great," Duffy said. "Everything went fine. We'll see how it feels [Friday], but I should be good to go. I can't wait. Believe me. I need to get back out there and help the boys."Duffy, recovering from a low-grade pronator (forearm) strain, also is eager to wipe out some bad memories at Progressive Field.Earlier this summer, Duffy was forced to go on the DL because of an oblique injury sustained while trying to cover first base on a throw at Progressive Field.During the Royals' last visit here in late August, Duffy left the road trip early because of pain in his forearm area, and he returned to Kansas City for an MRI exam that revealed the pronator strain and again forced him to the DL."Cleveland hasn't been very good to me so far this season," Duffy said.Royals manager Ned Yost said Duffy likely would be on a pitch count Sunday if activated, but didn't reveal specifically what that number would be.Moose pushes through pain for playoff pushSept. 14, 2017By Jeffrey Flanagan/ Royals third baseman Mike Moustakas has been hobbled by a right knee injury for weeks, but he continues to grind his way through the discomfort and play regularly.Moustakas said he does so for one reason: His teammates."It's one of those things that if I could get three or four or five days, it'd be great," Moustakas said. "But I can't afford to do it right now. We're still in this. We're in the mix. It's not just me who is hurting out there. It's just more noticeable with me because it's a knee injury."[Eric Hosmer] isn't a 100 percent. Sal [Salvador Perez] is not 100 percent. LoLo [Lorenzo Cain] is not 100 percent. If you are 100 percent right now, we need to do some talking. We've played a lot baseball."Aside from helping the Royals try to secure the second American League Wild Card spot -- they entered Thursday four games back -- Moustakas also is pursuing the Royals' record for home runs in a season. Moustakas has 36 home runs, tied with Steve Balboni, who set the mark in 1985.The record, Moustakas said, is not on his mind. Helping his team win is. Moustakas on the last homestand made two errant throws in one game, which led to speculation that he couldn't push off the right leg."I don't think it affects the throws," Moustakas said. "The other day when I sailed one, I just got underneath it. I grabbed the seam and it was gone. The one I did feel [the knee] on a little bit was on the double play where I tried to push off the bag and throw, and I didn't get the bag cleanly."But Moustakas, who last homered on Sept. 1 at Minnesota, said the injury has affected his front leg, the plant leg, on his swing."I feel it a little swinging," he said. "It's hard to get on [the leg] and snap off it. That's the leg I try to snap off with. Lately, I can feel myself get to my front side and just [drift] through a little bit. It looks like I'm trying to pull everything, but I'm not."So we've been trying to work on some things to help me stay back and go the other way a little more. I just think it's more mechanical than physical right now."Amid career year, Vargas out to stop IndiansSept. 15, 2017By Jeffrey Flanagan/ It's not just the Indians players and the rest of baseball consumed with the Tribe's incredible winning streak, which extended to 22 games Thursday with a 10th-inning 3-2 walk-off win over the Royals.Cleveland manager Terry Francona said he's getting messages from everyone."[My dad] left me a message [Wednesday], and he was actually really excited," Francona said. "He doesn't get very excited very often, so I thought that was kind of cool. The cool part for me is not, you set out to win every game. That's the objective every time you show up, but I do think it's kind of cool [for] Cleveland."You hear [about] Cleveland a lot. If people are walking around with their chest out a little bit, I'm glad, because I like it here and I like the people here. So I think that's maybe a byproduct of this. It's not going to help you in the standings, but its good for Cleveland. Anything like that, I think it's terrific."The Indians will go for No. 23 in a row on Friday, as right-hander Trevor Bauer (16-8, 4.33 ERA) opposes Royals left-hander Jason Vargas (15-10, 4.15 ERA).The Indians also are inching in on the all-time record of 26 straight wins held by the 1916 New York Giants.The American League-leading Indians also are inching in on the all-time record of 26 straight wins held by the 1916 New York Giants."Honestly man, as weird as it is, me and [Austin Jackson] were just talking about it, and we don't really think about the [streak]," Indians outfielder Tyler Naquin said. "It's a lot of wins when you think about it, it's impressive, you know. ... But we're just having fun and it shows."The postseason-bound Indians are not showing any signs of slowing down."You can hit that lull in September, and even though you've all but wrapped up the division, the games can get long," said Indians right fielder Jay Bruce, the walk-off hero of Thursday's win. "They can get boring. They can get monotonous. We have a lot of things going for us that make it not like that. Obviously the streak. People are going crazy. It's a playoff atmosphere. We're trying to get the best record in baseball. So we have a lot to play for, and I think it's the perfect combination for a team that's so far up."Three things to know about this game? Vargas got his 15th win Sunday -- a new career high for him -- in an 11-3 win over Minnesota. He gave up one run over five innings.? Vargas' 27.9-percent rate of hard-hit balls allowed through June ranked third in the American League (minimum 200 batted balls), according to Statcast. But Vargas has posted a 39.8-percent mark since, tied for fifth highest in the AL over that time.? Bauer also has a career high in wins with 16, and he has won a career-high nine straight games. He beat the Royals on Aug. 19 at Kauffman Stadium with 6 1/3 shutout innings.Royals collapse late as Indians run their winning streak to 22 gamesSept. 14, 2017By Rustin Dodd/KC Star They partied again in Cleveland on Thursday. They chanted and sang and swayed and bathed in the improbability of baseball. They watched a winning streak move to 22 games, the second longest run in the last 101 years. And inside the visitors clubhouse, they sat and dined in silence.In the moments after a 3-2 loss to the Cleveland Indians in 10 innings, after Kelvin Herrera had blown a save and Alex Gordon came just inches from killing a winning streak with his glove, after the Royals had watched their postseason hopes take another shot, they returned to a clubhouse and sat spread across the room, pondering another defeat.The late collapse left the Royals 72-74 and five games behind the Minnesota Twins in the American League wild-card race with 16 games to play. It denied them, at least for one night, a rare place in history.“We were about to break that streak,” Herrera said.Leading 2-1 and one strike away from victory in the ninth, Herrera hurled a 2-2 fastball to Cleveland shortstop Francisco Lindor. The baseball caught too much plate and Lindor, the toothy, joyous face of the Indians, sprayed a double off the wall in left field, just past the outstretched glove of Gordon. Pinch runner Erik Gonzalez scored from first base as Gordon chased after the ball. For a moment, Progressive Field rocked as if it was already Game 7 of the World Series.“It hit off the top of my glove,” Gordon said.This has been life for the Royals during this forgettable second half, the one that could spell the end of this memorable era. The bullpen is under-manned and overmatched. The baseball tips off the top of the glove and settles in for a hit. The opponent is the charmed victor, the team riding the hottest run in a century. The Royals are history’s casualty.“It was just kind of hit in that perfect spot where I had to make a decision to go for it or play it off the wall,” Gordon said. “But it was pretty close. Unfortunately, I didn’t get it.”The end would come one inning later. Royals reliever Brandon Maurer surrendered a double to Jose Ramirez, issued a walk to Edwin Encarnacion and yielded a walk-off double to Jay Bruce. The Indians spilled out on the field as they celebrated their 22nd straight victory on the first night of a four-game series. The final moments, somehow, had vindicated Royals manager Ned Yost in a strange way.In the bottom of the ninth, Yost had opted for Herrera, a reliever who had not notched a save since Aug. 16 in Oakland, a right-hander who had suffered through injuries and ineffectiveness over the last month. Herrera could only procure two outs before giving up the lead. Yet in a worn-down bullpen, the only available options were Herrera, Maurer and newcomer Mike Morin. One inning later, Maurer didn’t record one out before allowing the winning run.By the end, Herrera had blown his fifth save of the season while his ERA in September ballooned to 16.88“Bad year,” he said. “Bad year. When you have that kind of year, everything is kind of going to the wrong side. It’s just part of this game.”In a postgame interview session, Yost personified frustration. When a reporter opened with a question about Herrera, Yost turned the answer toward rookie Jakob Junis, who had permitted just one run in a terrific 5 2/3 innings.“First of all, I thought Junis pitched his butt off,” Yost said. “Let’s start with that before you jump on the negative stuff.”Moments later, a reporter asked about Yost’s lack of options in relief and his continued belief in Herrera.“I had him and Maurer left,” Yost said. “So obviously I did (think he was the best option).”The Royals entered the day four games out of a playoff spot. A final run appeared improbable, even as a championship core approaches free agency this coming offseason. But this is baseball, after all, the bastion of the unpredictable, where a team can win 22 straight.On late Thursday afternoon, Indians fans mobbed the bars and restaurants along 4th Street, crowding onto the sidewalks that lead toward Quicken Loans Arena and Progressive Field.The Indians had won 21 straight games, setting the record for the longest streak in American League history and tying the 1935 Chicago Cubs for the second longest run since 1900. They sat just five wins from matching the 1916 New York Giants for the longest streak in baseball history. A city had been captured by the gathering storm, charmed by a dominating pitching staff and a white-hot offense and a soundtrack of The McCoys’ “Hang on Sloopy,” the Ohio anthem.“Three weeks,” Yost marveled, speaking to reporters before the game. “Three weeks they haven’t lost.”Three weeks. The run boggled the mind. Three weeks ago, the Royals had been here in the visitors clubhouse, suffering through a three-game sweep in which they were outscored 20-0 and shut out three straight days. The series represented victories two, three and four on the road to 21 straight.On Thursday, however, the Royals came ever so close to ending the magic. First baseman Eric Hosmer dropped an RBI double into left field in the sixth inning off Indians starter Josh Tomlin, just past a sliding Abraham Almonte, breaking a 1-1 stalemate. Junis was calm and masterful for 5 2/3 innings, lasting 98 pitches.“It definitely felt different,” he said. “The crowd was very into it. It was very loud. But I felt like I did a good job of kind of controlling the pace.”The bullpen would take over and hold on for 2 1/3 innings. Mike Minor was solid. Ryan Buchter escaped a bases-loaded, one-out jam in the eighth. And then Herrera jogged in for the ninth. He induced a grounder to shortstop. He surrendered a single to pinch hitter Tyler Naquin. He recorded the second out on a fielder’s choice. And then he threw five straight fastballs to Lindor.“He was trying to go down and away, off the plate a little bit,” Yost said. “And (he) got it up out over.”Moments later, Gordon sprinted back toward the wall. For a moment, he had it in his sights. He couldn’t secure the ball.“That’s the way it goes,” Gordon said. “Give them credit. They’re on a little hot streak now and finding ways to win. Lindor came up with the big hit there.”The Royals are the Indians’ henchmen, and their season is by now all but overSept. 14, 2017By Sam Mellinger/KC Star By now this Royals season is all over except the schedule. Sixteen games remain, including one final homestand, maybe the last ever for some stars who changed a franchise. More words will be said, more games played.But the idea of this team in the playoffs is done, realistically anyway, and this has been true for some time.So maybe it’s best to say an already dying season took its last breaths here, in a 3-2 10th-inning loss in front of a sold-out crowd and many more on television who viewed the fading Royals as nothing more than plucky henchmen as the Indians pushed their amazing winning streak to 22 games.The symbolism with this is too deep to ignore. The Royals were supposed to be the team competing with the Indians, if not for the American League Central championship then at least close enough for one of two wild-card spots. Instead, they’re burned forever in the highlight reel, their season sunk while their rival reaches unprecedented heights.This isn’t how it was supposed to go. One-third of baseball teams now make the postseason, and with a fully matured core of stars less than two years removed from a parade, one club official said he’d never been more confident about a playoff spot except for 2015.The Royals will never be the same after this year. That was always going to be true, with Eric Hosmer and Mike Moustakas and Lorenzo Cain each hitting free agency. The Royals will try to sign each of them, particularly Hosmer, but that’s unlikely and the finality of their time together makes this the most disappointing Royals season since 2012.That’s not as bad as it might read on first blush. In 2013, the Royals had a winning record for the first time in a decade. In 2014, they made the playoffs for the first time in 29 years, all the way to game seven of the World Series. In 2015, a world championship parade. Even last year, in 2016, there were so many injuries and another year of the group being intact that the letdown diminished.But this, well, this sucks. The projection models never gave this group a chance, but the projection models never give this group a chance. That’s a problem with their algorithms, not the Royals’ talent, and this group should’ve been better.Hosmer is having a career year, and the Royals’ best offensive season in more than a decade. Moustakas will — we assume — break the franchise home run record. Cain has been good. Whit Merrifield a breakout. Sal Perez has been Sal Perez. Jorge Bonifacio has 16 home runs, and Brandon Moss 21. Jason Vargas made the All-Star team.On July 24, the Royals were just 1 1/2 behind the Indians and a game ahead for the last playoff spot. They traded for a starter and two relievers in a move most in the industry thought made them better. Six days later, they were 2 1/2 clear of a playoff spot and traded for Melky Cabrera.At that point, the Royals had recently improved their rotation, bullpen, lineup, and defense while winning 10 of 11 games. Playoff tickets went on sale, and it seemed like a sound plan. That seems like forever ago. An innocent time.You can shove your blame most anywhere for this failure. There are no wrong answers, but the original sin will always be this eat-cake-and-lose-weight strategy in which the team tried to win, while rebuilding, and limiting payroll. Also, here at the top, we should say that virtually every move by general manager Dayton Moore backfired.Trading Wade Davis for Jorge Soler was never going to be good for the 2017 Royals, but the front office didn’t think it would be this bad. Particularly with the bullpen’s inconsistency, having Davis might be the difference in two, three, even four games. Maybe more, who knows? It’s simple math to see how that might change the standings.Alex Gordon has followed the worst season of his professional life with one much worse. Alcides Escobar has been even worse than usual offensively, and not as dynamic as he used to be defensively. Perez was injured.The pitchers deserve their own paragraph. Vargas faded in the second half. Danny Duffy has been good when healthy, but too often not healthy. Ian Kennedy has stunk. Jason Hammel hasn’t been good enough. The bullpen, with the notable exception of Scott Alexander, has essentially been a top-to-bottom disappointment. Injuries and poor performance have meant 29 different pitchers used, including 14 starters. In 2014, they used just 23 pitchers, and eight starters.More than anything else, this team is just tired. Worn down. Maybe the tragic death of Yordano Ventura still hangs, but most in and around the team dismiss that as an explanation, even privately. Teams have overcome tragedy before. Teams with less talent, and facing better competition, have made previous postseasons.But this is a different taste of disappointment. Royals fans who were around before the wild-card game have sharp palate for baseball disappointment, and this is not the desperate comedy of Tony Pena showering in his uniform, or the white flag hopelessness of Eduardo Villacis starting at Yankee Stadium, or even the pent-up anger at Our Time in 2012.This is something else. Something sad, sure, but by now the bill has been paid. This group, no matter what happens now, delivered a parade and changed baseball’s place for a generation of Kansas Citians. They leave the Royals better than they found them.There should have been more these past two years, yes, and that will always be a part of their story. The ride ended too quickly, too soon, with too much talent.But sooner than it probably feels at the moment, that will be a primary memory only for the impossible to please. Because the next few years could get sloppy and long, and if this group leaves after two consecutive disappointing seasons, it also leaves without owing Kansas City a nickel.The winning didn’t last forever. It never does. But in Kansas City, more than most places, we know the winning doesn’t always start.Danny Duffy expected to pitch Sunday’s game in Cleveland; court date for DUI movedSept. 14, 2017By Rustin Dodd/KC Star On the disabled list since late August, Royals pitcher Danny Duffy is slated to return to the mound in Sunday’s series finale here at Progressive Field, Royals manager Ned Yost said Thursday afternoon.The addition of Duffy will offer relief to a depleted starting rotation and a boost to a team seeking to stay afloat in the American League wild-card race. It also comes as the 28-year-old left-hander navigates the legal process following a citation for driving under the influence in Overland Park on Aug. 27Duffy was scheduled to appear this Tuesday in Overland Park Municipal Court, but according to court records, that appearance has been rescheduled to 8 a.m. Oct. 20. Duffy will be represented by attorney Steven Sakoulas, according to court records.The Royals will travel to Toronto for a three-game series after playing four times against the Indians. Duffy could become part of what would be a six-man rotation during the season’s final weeks.Diagnosed with a “low-grade pronator strain” in late August, Duffy hinted earlier this week that the injury may require attention this offseason, perhaps in the form of a surgical procedure. But for the moment, he will pitch through discomfort that surfaced in late July and early August.If all goes to plan, Duffy will be on a pitch count of close to 60 to 65 pitches on Sunday. He threw a side session on Thursday after working through a two-inning, simulated game on Monday. Yost said he was “anticipating” that Duffy would start on Sunday.“He got after it good,” Yost said. “We’ll see how he feels tomorrow and the next day.”Duffy is not the only Royals starter battling arm issues. Right-hander Ian Kennedy missed a start Wednesday and was replaced by rookie Eric Skoglund in a 5-3 loss to the Chicago White Sox. Kennedy could return next week.The Royals will have their final off day on Monday. Rookie starter Sam Gaviglio could open the series in Toronto on Tuesday, after Jakob Junis, Jason Vargas, Jason Hammel and Duffy pitch in Cleveland. The Royals could remain on a six-man rotation for the rest of the year.Soria to return on SaturdayRoyals reliever Joakim Soria could be activated as early as Saturday after having left the team earlier this week to return home to Arizona for the scheduled birth of a child on Thursday.Yost said Soria was slated to travel to Cleveland on Saturday. He was not sure if he would be available to pitch that day.The Royals’ base-running philosophy won a World Series, but backfired WednesdaySept. 14, 2017 By Lee Judge/KC Star On November 1, 2015, Eric Hosmer ran what might be the most famous 90 feet in Royals history.Down by one run in the ninth inning of Game 5 of the World Series, Hosmer dashed home on a Salvador Perez groundout. Later, Hosmer would say that he thought he’d made a mistake; that he’d been too aggressive and was going to get thrown out at the plate.But Hosmer’s aggressiveness paid off: the throw home was off line, Hosmer was safe and the Royals went on to win Game 5 and the World Series in extra innings.Afterwards, a Royals front office executive said the Royals encourage their players to make their own decisions on the base paths and if Hosmer had grown up playing in a system with a different philosophy, he would have stayed at third base and the Royals would have lost Game 5.The Royals believe the players and coaches on the field have to react to what they see happening during the game. There’s not time to have a front office meeting and decide whether a player should steal a base; the player is the one on the field, so the player gets to make his own decisions.And sometimes that backfires.Merrifield gets thrown out at homeUnless told otherwise, Royals base runners have the green light.The Royals have a sign that tells the runner he “must go” on the next pitch and a stop sign that tells the runner not to go, but in the first inning of Wednesday’s game against the White Sox — with Lorenzo Cain on first base and Whit Merrifield on third — neither runner had the stop sign.So Cain took off for second base.Cain beat the catcher’s throw. The Royals would have nobody out, two runners in scoring position and the heart of the order coming up.But over at third base, Merrifield decided to steal home.The White Sox shortstop stepped in front of second base, returned the catcher’s throw to home plate and Merrifield was thrown out by a several feet. That took the air out of the inning. Despite having a runner on third with nobody out, the Royals did not score.After the game Merrifield talked about the Royals aggressive base running, said the double steal was a play they worked on and faulted his execution; his lead at third base wasn’t big enough.In a more desperate situation, trying to steal home might have been the right decision. But considering the score, the inning, the number of outs and the hitters due up, it was the wrong call.Escobar gets thrown out at thirdIn the eighth inning with the score tied, two outs and Lorenzo Cain at the plate, Alcides Escobar tried to steal third base but was thrown out.Trying to steal third was a bad decision for a couple of reasons.Cain came into the game hitting .300 and had already picked up a couple of hits. And with two outs, a runner on second base doesn’t have to wait to see if a batted ball drops in safely, the runner will probably score on any hit that leaves the infield.Which brings us to an interesting point: Lorenzo Cain has had 126 infield hits over his career.After the game Ned Yost said with a hitter who can beat out an infield hit at the plate, trying to get to third is not a bad idea, but if you do it with two outs, you better be 99 percent sure you can make it.To steal third base a runner needs a good lead and a good jump and, clearly, Escobar’s lead and jump weren’t good enough.Gore’s steal will now go unnoticedHad the Royals won the game a key moment would have been a mental mistake made by the White Sox and their third baseman, Yolmer Sanchez.With pinch runner Terrance Gore on second base and Alex Gordon at the plate, Chicago put on a left-handed pull hitter shift. The infield was swung around to the right and Sanchez was positioned well off third base, too far away to get there in time to cover the bag on an attempted steal.Gore took advantage of that positioning. He blew past Sanchez, stole third standing up and then tied the score on Gordon’s groundout.Gore’s steal of third is why you give players the green light. If Gore looks up and sees the third baseman standing in the wrong spot, you don’t want him trying to get someone’s attention so he can get permission to steal third.You want Gore to react to what he’s seeing and go.You have to think it through before the pitch is thrownAfter the game Eric Hosmer, the guy who helped win the World Series with aggressive base running, talked about a ballplayer’s thought process. When a ball is put in play things will happen too quickly to think through all the possible options; so ballplayers need to think about what those options are and how they’ll react before the pitch is thrown.Asked how a ballplayer learns what to do, Hosmer said by making mistakes: you make a mistake, learn from it, and hope to never make that mistake again.But right now, with the Royals playoff hopes hanging by a thread, they can’t afford too many more on-the-job learning experiences. Whit Merrifield is still learning on the job, but by now you’d think Alcides Escobar would know better.Two years ago the Royals aggressive base-running philosophy won them a World Series, but yesterday, against the Chicago White Sox, it backfired.MLB TRANSACTIONSSeptember 15, 2017 ?., SEPTEMBER 14, 2017TEAMPLAYERTRANSACTIONAtlanta BravesDanny SantanaRecalled From Minors, Rehab AssignmentAtlanta BravesTony SanchezOutrighted to MinorsBoston Red SoxDavid PriceRemoved From 10-Day DL, (Left elbow inflammation)Cleveland IndiansAndrew MillerRemoved From 10-Day DL, (Right patellar tendinitis)Houston AstrosMike FiersStarting to Serve SuspensionHouston AstrosMike FiersSuspension Announced By League, (five games)Kansas City RoyalsOnelki GarcíaOutrighted to MinorsLos Angeles DodgersFabio CastilloOutrighted to MinorsSan Francisco GiantsEngelb VielmaNTR - Acquired Off Waivers from Twins, MinnesotaSan Francisco GiantsMichael MorseTransferred to 60-Day DL, (Concussion)Seattle MarinersFelix HernandezRemoved From 10-Day DL, (Re-aggravated right shoulder bursitis) ................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download