Daily Clips



Daily ClipsAugust 7, 2017LOCALMoose homers, but KC's comeback falls shortAugust 6, 2017 By Wilson Alexander and Greg Johns/ Junis' 8 strong, Melky's HR power KC in G2August 6, 2017 By Wilson Alexander and Greg Johns/ Gallagher enjoys successful debut for RoyalsRookie catcher logs 1st hit, run in his start against MarinersAugust 6, 2017By Wilson Alexander/ Salvy lands on DL with right intercostal strainButera to step in at catcher; Gallagher to fill backup roleAugust 6, 2017By Wilson Alexander/ Kennedy, Royals ready for I-70 Series openerAugust 6, 2017By Jenifer Langosch/ Royals can’t complete comeback in 8-7 loss to the MarinersAugust 6, 2017By Rustin Dodd/KC Star rookie battery leads Royals over Mariners in 9-1 victoryAugust 6, 2017By Rustin Dodd/KC Star Third in his family to try, Royals catcher Cam Gallagher makes big league debutAugust 6, 2017By Maria Torres/KC Star Shut Out 'Cats in Front of 7,353Garcia's 7 solid frames, Soler's 2 HR lead Omaha to series winAugust 6, 2017 By Andrew Green/Omaha Storm Chasers Springfield Snips Naturals, 5-2 in FinaleAugust 6, 2017By Naturals PR Department Rocks Rally Four Times for Walk-Off Series WinRoman Collins Drives Home Winning Run in 10th inningAugust 6, 2017By Wilmington Blue Rocks Hickory gains series split with 5-1 winAugust 6, 2017By Lexington Legends Voyagers Earn Series Split with Idaho FallsVilla, Dutto, and Frost Launch HomersAugust 6, 2017 By Shawn Tiemann/Great Falls Voyagers Royals Edged by Astros in Series OpenerGreeneville walks off in ninth to take 2-1 winAugust 6, 2017By Matt Krause/Burlington Royals TRANSACTIONSAugust 7, 2017 ?. homers, but KC's comeback falls shortAugust 6, 2017 By Wilson Alexander and Greg Johns/ The Mariners hit four home runs, including two by designated hitter Nelson Cruz, to propel themselves to an 8-7 win over the Royals in the first game of a doubleheader on Sunday afternoon at Kauffman Stadium.With the win, the Mariners drew within a half-game of the Royals and Rays, who are tied for the second American League Wild Card spot. Kansas City remained three games behind the Indians in the AL Central after Cleveland lost to the Yankees.The Mariners pounced on Royals left-hander Danny Duffy early, as first baseman Danny Valencia hit a two-run home run in the first inning. Third baseman Kyle Seager followed with his 16th home run three batters later.Cruz hit his first home run of the day, a three-run shot that gave the Mariners a 7-0 lead, in the second inning. In the seventh, Cruz hit his second homer of the game, a 465-foot blast, according to Statcast?, that became the Mariners' longest home run this season."Cruz really swung the bat well," said Mariners manager Scott Servais, who had the big designated hitter back after he missed Friday's game with back spasms. "A couple of those balls he hit were unbelievable. That second one was just a bomb. And we needed it. We needed every run today."Mike Moustakas hit a two-run home run, his 31st of the season, off right-hander Nick Vincent in the eighth inning to cut the Royals' deficit to one run, but Vincent didn't allow another run, and Edwin Diaz recorded his 23rd save."The one tack-on home run, the one that Cruz hit, ended up breaking our back right there," Royals manager Ned Yost said.Rookie Marco Gonzales allowed seven hits and five runs in four-plus innings in his Mariners debut in place of Felix Hernandez, who went on the disabled list Saturday with biceps tendinitis. Gonzales was acquired two weeks ago from the Cardinals."That was beautiful," Gonzales said of being spotted a seven-run lead by his offense. "That was amazing. I was thanking everybody in the dugout. That was so great. It's so nice to pitch with the lead right away. It calmed the nerves a lot and I just tried to go out and fill up the strike zone."MOMENTS THAT MATTEREDCoulda, shoulda, woulda: The Royals had two viable chances to prevent the Mariners from scoring four runs in the second inning. With two outs, the Royals caught Jean Segura, who walked, in a rundown but couldn't tag him out. After a single by Valencia, Robinson Cano struck out. But the pitch from Duffy skipped away from catcher Drew Butera and toward the Royals' dugout, allowing Cano to reach first and Segura to score. Cruz hit his three-run home run five pitches later. All four runs scored in the inning were unearned."When you give a Major League team, especially with that kind of power, four or five outs, it's going to be tough to come out of the inning unscathed," said Duffy, who took the loss.Pazos limits the damage: After the Royals scored their third run of the game and put runners on second and third with no out in the fifth inning, the Mariners called on left-hander James Pazos. He induced an RBI groundout from Eric Hosmer, a sacrifice fly from Melky Cabrera and a popout from Moustakas to end the inning and allow the Mariners to retain a 7-5 lead. The Mariners needed seven relievers to get through the final five frames."We got off to a great start against Duffy, and then we challenged a lot of our guys in the bullpen," Servais said. " Everybody had to chip in."QUOTABLE"It feels great. I've heard such great things about this organization and the chemistry these guys have. And it's true. These guys made me feel really comfortable and welcome, and that's a huge deal to be able to play with that feeling." -- Gonzales, a Gonzaga University product, on his first game with the Mariners.SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDSSeager's first-inning home run was the first extra-base hit by a left-hander off Duffy since April 26. Prior to Seager's at-bat, lefties had gone 1-for-26 against Duffy since he came off the disabled list in July, and they were hitting .178 on the season in 73 at-bats.TOUGH BLOW FOR MARINERS BULLPENRight-handed reliever David Phelps, who had been excellent for Seattle since being acquired in a July 28 trade from the Marlins, had to leave the game with discomfort in his elbow after retiring the only batter he faced leading off the seventh. Butera flew out to center on Phelps' seventh pitch, a 93-mph fastball, before Phelps signaled to the dugout and was immediately taken out of the game.WHAT'S NEXTMariners: Left-hander Ariel Miranda (7-5, 4.24 ERA) will start on Tuesday at 7:10 p.m. PT when the Mariners open a two-game road series against the A's. New first baseman Yonder Alonso should be in the lineup for Seattle after being acquired on Sunday in a trade with Oakland.Royals: Right-hander Ian Kennedy (4-7, 4.60) starts the opener of a four-game home-and-home series against the Cardinals at 7:15 p.m. CT on Monday at Kauffman Stadium. The I-70 Series shifts to Busch Stadium for the final two games on Wednesday and Thursday. Kennedy has allowed three runs or fewer in seven of his past nine starts.Junis' 8 strong, Melky's HR power KC in G2August 6, 2017 By Wilson Alexander and Greg Johns/ Rookie right-hander Jake Junis was excellent in a spot start and Melky Cabrera drove in four runs as the Royals rolled to a 9-1 win over the Mariners in Game 2 to split Sunday's doubleheader at Kauffman Stadium.The Royals pulled a half-game ahead of the Rays and 1 1/2 games in front of the Mariners for the second American League Wild Card spot. Kansas City also sits 2 1/2 games behind the first-place Indians in the AL Central.Junis, the 26th man for the twin bill, went eight innings with a career-high seven strikeouts, retiring the last 19 batters he faced. Junis, who made his first Major League start since June 29, gave up one run on four hits to pick up his fourth win of the season."I definitely felt like I hit a stride around the fifth inning," Junis said. "I was getting some quick outs and some quick innings, and a lot of momentum. It just carried.""His curveball and slider were his 'A' curveball and slider," Royals manager Ned Yost said. "It was a big boost for us."After Danny Espinosa's RBI double opened the scoring in the second inning, Mariners starter Erasmo Ramirez was tagged for five runs on eight hits over his five frames in the loss.The Mariners settled for a split of the four-game series after winning the opener of their first doubleheader since 2014."It was an emotional first game and we hung on, and guys were fired up, but you have to carry it right over to the second game, and we just didn't get enough going early on," Mariners manager Scott Servais said. "They put some good swings on Erasmo. The middle of their lineup, we just couldn't keep under control. We did a pretty good job in this series until the last game. Then, they got their hits and drove in runs. They're good. They got it going and we just couldn't stop them."MOMENTS THAT MATTEREDMelk-man delivers: With the scored tied at 1 in the third inning, Cabrera launched his first home run since being acquired by the Royals in a trade on July 30. Following a solo home run by Whit Merrifield, Lorenzo Cain and Eric Hosmer both singled with two out. On a 1-1 pitch, Cabrera, who was a triple shy of the cycle, drilled his 14th home run of the season to right-center, giving the Royals a 4-1 lead.Espinosa opens door: The Mariners had a prime opportunity to turn a double play during the Royals' four-run seventh inning, but that was squandered when backup first baseman Espinosa threw the ball into left field. With Cam Gallagher on second and Merrifield on first, Cain hit a sharp ground ball to Espinosa. Shortstop Jean Segura was late to the bag, and Espinosa threw the ball into the outfield, allowing Gallagher to score. The Royals scored three more runs in the inning off Cody Martin, who was the Mariners' 26th man for the twin bill."I thought clearly the baserunner tried to interfere with the throw and got out of the basepath," said Servais, who went out to complain after Espinosa pumped once and then tried to throw around Merrifield. "I was confused on what the umpire was trying to explain to me there. He went a couple different routes. But I thought clearly he looked to interfere with the play, which is a heads-up baserunning play. I don't know how allowable it is, but he got away with it."QUOTABLE"One inning was the big damage. Same as in Texas, one inning just changed everything. Everything from now on is going to be about keeping the ball inside the ballpark because that's the only way they're getting runs against me. That's what I have to work on, and execute better with my pitches." -- Ramirez, after he gave up three homers in his second start since being acquired from the RaysSOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDSJarrod Dyson stole his AL-leading 27th base in the first inning. The Mariners center fielder -- and former Royal -- is 27-for-33 on attempts this season and 203-for-239 in his career, the second-best all-time percentage among players with at least 200 attempts at 84.9. Carlos Beltran has the top success rate at 86.4.GALLAGHER DEBUTSWith Royals All-Star catcher Salvador Perez on the 10-day disabled list, Gallagher made his Major League debut in the ninth inning of Game 1 and started Game 2. Gallagher reached base for the first time on a walk and scored on Espinosa's throwing error. Then, in the ninth inning, Gallagher dropped a single into center field for his first Major League hit. Yost said Gallagher received the ball well behind the plate, too."It was everything I think he ever dreamed about," Yost said.WHAT'S NEXTMariners: Left-hander Ariel Miranda (7-5, 4.24 ERA) will start on Tuesday at 7:10 p.m. PT when the Mariners open a two-game road series against the A's. New first baseman Yonder Alonso should be in the lineup for Seattle after being acquired on Sunday in a trade with Oakland.Royals: Right-hander Ian Kennedy (4-7, 4.60) starts the opener of a four-game home-and-home series against the Cardinals at 7:15 p.m. CT on Monday at Kauffman Stadium. The I-70 Series shifts to Busch Stadium for the final two games on Wednesday and Thursday. Kennedy has allowed three runs or fewer in seven of his past nine starts.Gallagher enjoys successful debut for RoyalsRookie catcher logs 1st hit, run in his start against MarinersAugust 6, 2017By Wilson Alexander/ Standing outside of the Royals' locker room following Sunday's 9-1 win over the Mariners, Gwen Gallagher's green eyes were red from crying tears of joy.Gwen, her husband, Glenn, and son, Austin, were supposed to be at the beach. Instead, they arrived in Kansas City at 2:30 a.m. CT on Sunday to watch Royals catcher Cam Gallagher make his Major League debut. Gallagher recorded his first hit in Game 2 of the doubleheader against the Mariners at Kauffman Stadium."It's hard to even put it into words," Gwen said. "It's been emotional and fun. A dream come true."Gallagher caught the ninth inning of the Royals' 8-7 loss in the opener before making his first Major League start in the nightcap. Two of his best friends, Adam Yuninger and Brandon Hartranft, dropped what they were doing -- Hartranft was at the beach in New Jersey -- to be in attendance."Tremendous," manager Ned Yost said of Gallagher's performance. "He did a great job."Gallagher, who was added to the 25-man roster on Sunday morning in a move corresponding with catcher Salvador Perez being placed on the 10-day disabled list, nearly came up with his first hit in the third inning, but lined the ball right at Mariners' third baseman Kyle Seager."I thought I had it, but these guys are good," Gallagher said.In the seventh inning, Gallagher drew a walk to reach base for the first time. Later in the inning, he took advantage of Danny Espinosa's throwing error to score his first run. An inning later, Gallagher dropped a single into center field for his first Major League hit. After he reached first base, he smiled and looked for his family."I was trying to look for them because I know they were probably pretty happy," said Gallagher, who went 1-for-3. "Just wanted to share that moment with them."Behind the plate, Gallagher caught 10 innings total on Sunday, including eight from rookie right-hander Jake Junis, who was selected along with Gallagher in the 2011 MLB Draft. The batterymates believed their comfort level with each other helped as Junis made a superb spot start -- eight strong innings and seven strikeouts, both career highs."He's one of the best I've seen," Junis said. "I was so happy for him to make his debut on the day that I was pitching. For him to get that hit in the [eighth], that was awesome."Added Yost: "It was everything I think he ever dreamed about."Salvy lands on DL with right intercostal strainButera to step in at catcher; Gallagher to fill backup roleAugust 6, 2017By Wilson Alexander/ All-Star catcher Salvador Perez will be placed on the 10-day disabled list after suffering an intercostal strain during the Royals' 5-2 loss to the Mariners on Friday night.With Saturday's game rained out, the Royals waited until Sunday to make the move. They wanted to see if Perez would make what manager Ned Yost called "a miraculous recovery." Catcher Cam Gallagher was added to the 25-man roster in a corresponding move.Perez is eligible to return on August 15, since he was placed on the DL retroactive to Saturday. Yost said the best-case scenario is Perez will be out for 10 days. The worst-case scenario is a longer time frame: four weeks. The Royals will have a more precise timeline on Monday or Tuesday."What happens is these things get swollen and full of fluid," Yost said. "You have to give it some time to get out of there, so you can really take a good look at the extent of the injury."Perez's injury came with the Royals 2 1/2 games behind the first-place Indians in the American League Central and a half-game ahead of the Rays for the second AL Wild Card spot.Perez underwent an MRI on his right side after he struck out to end the sixth inning of Friday's loss. He appeared to wince after his swing, and he was replaced by backup catcher Drew Butera.Earlier this season, Perez was selected to his fifth overall and fourth straight All-Star Game. He is batting .278, and he leads all catchers with 21 home runs and a .510 slugging percentage this season.In Perez's place, Butera will step in as the starting catcher. He has played in 44 games this season, and he is batting .250 with two home runs."I'm always ready," Butera said. "It's unfortunate that's the way [starting] happened. You don't wish an injury on anybody, especially your teammates, and especially a really good guy like Sal."Gallagher, the Royals' second-round pick in 2011, will back up Butera until Perez returns. Gallagher batted .294 in 68 games at Triple-A Omaha this season. He has no previous Major League experience.Kennedy, Royals ready for I-70 Series openerAugust 6, 2017By Jenifer Langosch/ The Royals and Cardinals are ready to renew the I-70 Series with plenty at stake for two clubs trying to make a push toward October.Missouri's two teams will meet first for two games in Kansas City, beginning with Monday's series opener at Kauffman Stadium. That will be followed by a two-game set at Busch Stadium. The Royals snagged bragging rights last year by taking three of four against the Cardinals.Ian Kennedy, who is 3-5 with a 7.20 ERA in eight career starts against St. Louis, will start on Monday against Cardinals ace Carlos Martinez. Kennedy is looking to halt a 13-start winless streak at home, during which he's posted a 4.98 ERA. His last victory at Kauffman Stadium came on Aug. 20, 2016.Kennedy is coming off a clunker, too. His run of nine straight starts without a loss came to an end when he allowed four runs on eight hits in a four-inning appearance against Baltimore last week.As for Martinez, he'll look to set the tone by coming out sharper from the top. He's been plagued by first-inning troubles all season, and he has been scored upon in that opening inning in each of his past six appearances. Over that stretch, Martinez has a 5.82 ERA and has had half of his six starts end after five innings.Though he's not allowed a run in eight career innings versus the Royals, Martinez is still seeking his first win against the club.Things to know about this game? Cardinals center fielder Dexter Fowler (left forearm strain) could be activated from the 10-day disabled list during the series. Fowler, who has been sidelined since July 25, increased his baseball activity over the weekend in preparation for an imminent return.? With Salvador Perez expected to miss multiple weeks with a strained intercostal muscle, the Royals are expected to have Drew Butera and Cam Gallagher split time behind the plate.? The Cardinals have used five different players as a designated hitter in their seven games played at American League ballparks this season. Manager Mike Matheny did not hint at who he'd likely use in that DH role during this two-game series. Royals can’t complete comeback in 8-7 loss to the MarinersAugust 6, 2017By Rustin Dodd/KC Star This first one will sting.In the first game of a doubleheader on Sunday, the Royals lost 8-7 to the Seattle Mariners. The final score only told half the story.On an afternoon at Kauffman Stadium, the Royals partially gifted their opponent a 7-0 lead. They clawed back over the final seven innings, slicing the deficit to 8-7 on a two-run homer by Mike Moustakas in the eighth. In the end, they were doomed by a calamitous sequence in the top of the second inning, a mediocre start by Danny Duffy, and two home runs by Mariners slugger Nelson Cruz.Duffy surrendered seven runs (three earned) in 5 2/3 innings. He allowed two homers in the top of the first. The difference in the ballgame stemmed from four unearned runs yielded in the top of the second.“It’s just an interesting, really unprecedented turn of events that you don’t really see jumble all together that often,” Duffy said.The sequence included the following:? Duffy issued a walk to shortstop Jean Segura with two outs after just missing on a 3-2 pitch near the bottom corner of the strike zone. The pitch was borderline. Duffy saw it “as a strike,” he said. He did not get the call from home-plate umpire David Rackley.“You can’t miss that pitch,” Duffy said, “especially when it’s to a hitter the caliber of Segura.”? Moments later, Duffy picked Segura off first base, only to watch him scramble back safely to the bag. The breakdown was two-fold. First baseman Eric Hosmer started to chase after Segura before firing a throw to second base.Duffy was late to first base to join the rundown, and Hosmer found himself out of position, catching the return throw from second in the baseline as Segura zoomed back into first.“It was a play where we needed to run ’em down just a little bit more,” Royals manager Ned Yost said. “And Duff was a little late getting there.”? Duffy still nearly escaped the inning with zero damage done. On an 0-2 pitch to Robinson Cano, Duffy threw a 94 mph fastball that tailed inside. Cano swung and missed for strike three. But catcher Drew Butera, set up on the outside corner, lunged back across the plate and could not catch the ball. It kicked away, bouncing off the leg of the umpire.Segura scored from second as Butera jogged somewhat casually after the ball and Duffy was slow to cover home plate. The play would eventually be ruled a passed ball, meaning all runs were unearned.“He didn’t know if it hit off Cano,” Yost said of Butera. “There was just some indecision on his part. We were screaming home, home, home. He wasn’t sure, because he was sitting so far outside.”? With the deficit still just 4-0, Duffy worked ahead 1-2 in the count against Cruz. Moments later, Duffy threw an 82 mph change-up that stayed up. Cruz crushed a three-run shot to left field.In seconds, the inning had turned disastrous. A borderline ball four. A botched rundown. A passed ball that made all four runs unearned. A 7-0 deficit after two innings.The Royals pecked away at the lead, scoring two times in the third on a homer by Whit Merrifield and three times in the fifth. Cruz stretched the Mariners’ lead back to 8-5 with a homer against Scott Alexander in the seventh. But Moustakas clubbed a two-run homer to right field off Mariners reliever Nick Vincent in the eighth … before the Royals put the tying run on second base with one out.Alex Gordon and pinch hitter Brandon Moss couldn’t come through in the eighth. One inning later, the Royals put a man on base with two outs, but Seattle closer Edwin Diaz retired Melky Cabrera on a fly ball to left field, closing out the game.“The (second) home run that Cruz hit,” Yost said, “was the one ended up breaking our back right there.”A rookie battery leads Royals over Mariners in 9-1 victoryAugust 6, 2017By Rustin Dodd/KC Star On his first day in the major leagues, Cam Gallagher found his way to the home clubhouse on the bottom floor of Kauffman Stadium on Sunday morning and stood by his locker at just past 10:30 a.m. A pack of reporters surrounded him, asking the usual questions about his journey. The raw emotions. The years of toiling in the minor leagues. The calls to his family, who would be here in the afternoon.Gallagher offered a smile, and a few feet away, Drew Butera, a catcher 9 years his senior, milled about the center of the room, fiddling with some equipment and peering back toward the scene.On the Royals’ first day without catcher Salvador Perez — who officially landed on the 10-day disabled list with an intercostal strain in his right side — the two men most affected by his absence began the morning separated by a row of empty locker stalls. By the end of a doubleheader against the Seattle Mariners, both Gallagher and Butera had found themselves in the middle of a Sunday split.In a 9-1 victory in the second game, Gallagher collected his first major-league hit and called a gem from fellow rookie Jakob Junis, who yielded just one run and four hits in eight innings while making a spot start. In an 8-7 loss in game one, Butera was among a cast of characters responsible for a disastrous second inning that ultimately prevented a sweep. The missed opportunity was lamentable. The offense surged for most of the day. Yet the Royals (57-53) settled for a series split after four games with Seattle, salvaging a victory on Sunday after heavy rains had washed out Saturday night’s game. The good news, of course, was that a victory in the nightcap pulled them within 2 1/2 games of first-place Cleveland, which lost a series finale in New York, and kept them in line for the second wild-card spot in the American League.On an unseasonably cool Sunday evening, an unlikely rookie battery pushed the Royals back in the right direction.“It was a big boost for us,” Royals manager Ned Yost said.Junis and Gallagher had grown up together in the minor leagues. The same draft class in 2011. The same stops in the same towns. On Sunday, Junis estimated that he had thrown to Gallagher “hundreds of times.”The connection and chemistry appeared to benefit both parties. Gallagher said he felt fewer nerves while making his first major-league start in game two. Junis offered the best outing of his young career, striking out seven while throwing 94 pitches in eight innings.“I’m comfortable with him,” Gallagher said. “He’s comfortable with me.”The comfort allowed for flexibility. All season in Omaha, Gallagher said he had probably called “five or six” two-seam fastballs while catching Junis. On Sunday, though, the pitch was flummoxing Seattle’s lineup. So the rookie catcher kept going to it, and Junis coupled an effective breaking ball with the sinker and retired the last 19 hitters he faced.“It was funny,” Gallagher said. “ … He said the big-league balls helped him throw the sinkers a little bit better, and he was throwing them a little bit better today. He was very effective.”Junis was serving as the Royals’ 26th man, per the rules of a doubleheader. It was his first appearance since July 24. When the game was over, he was headed back to Omaha. But for the moment, Gallagher will be here in Kansas City, filling in alongside Butera as the Royals wait for Perez to return.Gallagher’s stay could be two weeks. It could be three or four. The Royals do not yet know how long it will take Perez to recover from a strained muscle in his right side. But for one day, Gallagher offered a strong debut.“It was every thing that I think he ever dreamed about,” Yost said.The rest of the day, in some ways, was business as usual. Melky Cabrera finished 3 for 4 with a homer and four RBIs, igniting the offense in the second game. Lorenzo Cain finished 6 for 10 after two three-hit games, raising his batting average eight points to .283. The Kansas City attack finished the day with five home runs, battering Seattle starter Erasmo Ramirez for five runs in five innings to earn a win after a missed opportunity in the first contest.Second baseman Whit Merrifield collected a game-tying solo homer in the second game and a two-run shot in the first. He now has 13 homers this season, and Frank White is the only Royals second baseman to ever hit more. Eric Hosmer clubbed a solo blast, his 17th, to deep left-center in the sixth inning of game two. And Mike Moustakas finished the day just five homers shy of Steve Balboni’s club record after cranking his 31st homer in the eighth inning of game one.The offensive performance was such that a breakdown in the second inning of the first game loomed as the only frustrating portion of the day. Well, that and the loss.As the afternoon began, starter Danny Duffy allowed three runs on two homers in the first inning of game one before being hit for four unearned runs in the second inning. The sequence left the Royals behind 7-0. It included a borderline ball-four call to Seattle’s Jean Segura on a 3-2 pitch that sparked a rally with two outs. It also included a botched pickoff when Eric Hosmer and Duffy couldn’t execute a rundown; a strike three to Robinson Cano that would have ended the inning but turned into a passed ball from Butera; and a three-run homer by Mariners slugger Nelson Cruz.“We just didn’t make plays defensively in that second inning,” Yost said. “And that eventually ended up costing us the game.”In the moments after the afternoon loss, Duffy lamented the 3-2 pitch against Segura, which was just below the knees and could have ended the inning. He took ownership of everything that happened afterward.“You can’t miss that pitch,” he said of home-plate umpire David Rackley. “Especially when it’s to a hitter the caliber of Segura.”The Royals would scratch and claw back into the game, falling 8-7 before the teams reconvened for game two. Facing a lost day, the battery of Junis and Gallagher would offer a nice end to the weekend.“After the sixth, I was going to come out,” Junis said. “But then we scored a run, so I went back out. And then we scored again, so I went back out. So I got two extra innings. I was like, ‘Maybe I’ll get a third.’ ”He did not. He did get his fourth win.Third in his family to try, Royals catcher Cam Gallagher makes big league debutAugust 6, 2017By Maria Torres/KC Star The first time catcher Cam Gallagher batted behind Royals left fielder Alex Gordon in a lineup was at Class AA Northwest Arkansas.It was June 19, 2016. Gordon had just begun a rehab assignment after sustaining a fracture in his right wrist. Gallagher went 1 for 4 that night in Springdale, Ark., another average night in the middle of a season during which he batted .259.One year, 1 month and 18 days later, Gallagher, 24, found himself in the same position. Only this time, he was hitting ninth in the Royals’ lineup, making his first major-league start in the second game of Sunday’s doubleheader with the Seattle Mariners at Kauffman Stadium.“I actually was thinking about it today,” Gallagher said. “I saw the lineup and I saw him go up to the plate, and I was like, ‘Man, this looks familiar.’ ”Gallagher went 1 for 3 with a walk and a leadoff single as he debuted for the Royals in place of the injured Salvador Perez. He also guided spot starter and long-time teammate Jakob Junis through an eight-inning masterpiece. Junis struck out seven, and five of those Mariners were caught looking in the Royals’ 9-1 victory.Gallagher did all that in front of his family and two close friends, a group of five people from Lancaster, Pa., who dropped all responsibilities to make it to Kansas City.“We made reservations for the flight at 1:20 (p.m. on Saturday) and were out the door at 1:30,” said Glenn Gallagher, Cam’s father. “We had to get to Philadelphia first. We just made the flight.”The entire Gallagher clan was last here six years ago, when Cam signed his first professional contract after being selected in the second round of the 2011 draft.The Gallaghers thought they might have arrived earlier in this home stand. The promise of Cam’s first call-up had been dangled in front of the family nearly two weeks ago, when Perez exited a game in Detroit on July 25 because of discomfort in his right side.Cam would have been the first Gallagher to debut in the majors. His older brother, Austin, played in the Dodgers’ organization from 2007 to 2012. Their father pitched in Toronto’s minor leagues in the 1980s, until a rotator cuff injury in his fourth season.Cam’s debut didn’t pan out in July. Perez remained on the 25-man roster.“We couldn’t get excited until we actually saw that he was activated (this time),” Glenn Gallagher said.Once the roster move was made Sunday morning, the emotions started flowing. By the time Cam stepped out of the dugout in the ninth inning of Sunday’s first game, his mother Gwen couldn’t hold the tears back.“I was really trying not to let that happen,” she said.At the same time, some hundred feet away from section 230, Cam Gallagher was getting his nerves under control. The Royals were losing 8-7 in the first game of the doubleheader, and reliever Brandon Maurer was tasked to hold that margin. Gallagher had never caught Maurer before.Danny Valencia led off the inning with a triple, but he never scored. Maurer retired three of the next four batters on softly hit ground balls.Gallagher finally got his first taste of a major-league game. The butterflies could go dormant again.It was a long time coming.“It was always his dream,” Gwen Gallagher said. “Baseball was such a big part in our family all the time. (Glenn) coached at the college level, high school level. Even when they were little, following him as a coach, they were bat boys. We just always knew. … You always hope for that, and here it is.”MINORSChasers Shut Out 'Cats in Front of 7,353Garcia's 7 solid frames, Soler's 2 HR lead Omaha to series winAugust 6, 2017 By Andrew Green/Omaha Storm Chasers Omaha starting pitcher Onelki Garcia tossed seven shutout innings while scattering four hits and right fielder Jorge Soler smashed two home runs in the Storm Chasers' 5-0 shutout victory over the Sacramento River Cats in front of 7,535 fans on Sunday afternoon at Werner Park.Garcia (7.0 IP, 4 H, 0 R, BB, 8 K) fanned eight while walking just one over his solid seven frames to earn his fourth straight victory. The southpaw in that span has posted a 2.59 ERA (7 ER/24.1 IP) with 27 strikeouts over those four outings. Relievers Kevin McCarthy (1.0 IP) and Sam Selman (1.0 IP, H, 2 K) completed the shutout with one scoreless inning apiece, while River Cats starter Jose Flores (5.2 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 4 K) suffered the defeat.The Storm Chasers got all the scoring they would need thanks to 3B Cheslor Cuthbert 's sacrifice fly to center in the opening frame. Soler crushed his first of two longballs, a solo shot, as part of a two-run sixth frame, prior to going deep in the subsequent inning with a two-run blast to cap Omaha's scoring.It was the third time this season Soler has blasted two roundtrippers in a game for the Storm Chasers, previously doing so on July 20 and June 11, both games of which were at Werner Park. 11 of his 15 home runs with Omaha in 2017 have come at home. The victory also gave the Storm Chasers their first series victory since winning two of three matchups with the New Orleans Baby Cakes between from June 9-11.Soler (3-3, 2 R, 2 HR, 3 RBI, BB) reached base in all four plate appearances and collected thre hits to lead all Storm Chasers batters, with CF Billy Burns (2-5, R, 2 SB) tallying a multi-hit effort while stealing three bases to extend his hit streak to eight. Sacramento LF Chris Shaw (2-4) was the only hitter from his side to collect two or more knocks.Omaha now heads to Memphis to begin a four-game road series on Monday evening, with first pitch scheduled for 6:35 p.m. CT at Autozone Park. The Storm Chasers are anticipated to send RHP Seth Maness (1-0, 8.89) to the hill, with the Redbirds expected to give the nod to RHP Luke Weaver (9-1, 1.91).Springfield Snips Naturals, 5-2 in FinaleAugust 6, 2017By Naturals PR Department The Naturals concluded the four-game series at Hammons Field on Sunday night and dropped the finale, 5-2 against the Springfield Cardinals.Allan de San Miguel highlighted the offense for the Naturals with a 2-for-2 evening which included his first home run of the season. The veteran backstop took Springfield starter, Ryan Helsley (1-0, 2.53) over the left-field fence in the sixth inning to put Northwest Arkansas on the board.Trailing 5-1 entering the seventh frame, Alfredo Escalera , cracked his bat and brought home Samir Duenez from third to cut the Naturals deficit to 5-2 entering the stretch.Northwest Arkansas (55-59/16-28) outhit the Cardinals for the second consecutive night, 8-6.Starter, Foster Griffin (8-4, 3.62) took the loss working 4.0 innings of four-run baseball. Right-hander, Zach Lovvorn pitched 3.0 innings of one-run relief while Yunior Marte worked a perfect eighth frame in his 10th appearance of the season.The Naturals will enjoy the club's first off-day since July 11, ending the 26 straight day stretch, on Monday, August 7 before commencing upon a six-game homestand against the Midland RockHounds (Oakland A's) and Frisco RoughRiders from Tuesday, August 8 through Sunday, August.Resilient Rocks Rally Four Times for Walk-Off Series WinRoman Collins Drives Home Winning Run in 10th inningAugust 6, 2017By Wilmington Blue Rocks In a game which they never led until the final inning, the Wilmington Blue Rocks (60-53/21-22) stunned the Frederick Keys (51-60/20-22) with a 5-4 walk-off win in 10 innings to earn a pivotal series win Sunday night at Frawley Stadium. Nick Heath tied the game with an RBI single before Roman Collins laced a base hit through a drawn in infield to earn the ninth walk-off victory of the season for Wilmington. With the win, the Rocks took three of the four games in the series and moved into third place in the Northern Division Standings.In a back-and-forth game between the two divisional rivals, the Keys took their fourth lead of the ballgame when Ademar Rifaela clubbed his second homer of the game to put the Rocks down 4-3 in the top of the tenth inning. However, the rallying Rocks never wavered. Nate Esposito clubbed his second double of the game down the right field line to put the tying-run in scoring position. Heath followed with a game-tying single to left field to score Esposito and then advanced to second base on a fielding error by Frederick's left fielder Randolph Gassaway. Jecksson Flores dropped down a sacrifice bunt to advance Heath to third before Collins played hero and drove the game-winning single to complete the comeback. The scoring commenced in the middle innings. In the top of the fourth inning, Rifaela lined a solo homer over the right field wall to make it a 1-0 deficit for the Rocks. In the home half of the inning, Wilmington answered with a run of their own. Collins led the inning off with a single, advanced to second on a fielder's choice and Wander Franco drove him home with a two-out single to tie the game, 1-1. In the fifth, the Keys were at it again and used a two-out rally to regain the lead. Armando Araiza doubled and then Drew Turbin smacked a ground-rule double to plate Araiza to put the Rocks behind, 2-1. Again, the Rocks were able to knot the game thanks to a missed catch by Keys' third baseman Jomar Reyes on a snap throw from home to allow Jose Sanchez to score. Esposito tried to score the go-ahead run on the same play, but was thrown out at home by Gassaway in left field. In the seventh, Frederick took its third lead of the game on a run-scoring single from Araiza to make it a 3-2 ballgame. However, the resilient Rocks rallied once again. With two outs, Sanchez drew a walk before Esposito ripped a double down the left field line to plate Sanchez to knot the game once more, 3-3. The Blue Rocks are back in action on Tuesday, August 8 when they begin a three-game series with the Down East Wood Ducks. First pitch is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. with LHP Cristian Castillo (6-8, 3.65 ERA) making the start for the Blue Rocks. Fans can listen to the game as Matt Janus and Cory Nidoh will have the call on 89.7 WGLS-FM.PEBBLES OF KNOWLEDGE: The 10-inning affair marked the 12th extra-inning contest for the Blue Crew this season. With the win, they are now 7-5 in games that surpass regulation. The last extra-inning win for the Rocks was back on July 16 when they defeated the Potomac Nationals 2-1 in 11 innings. In addition, the Rocks played in their Carolina League-high 43rd one-run game on Sunday. The walk-off win is the ninth of the season for the Blue Rocks and sixth since July 12 when they produced a string of three consecutive walk-offs in their series against the Lynchburg Hillcats from July 12-14. Six of the nine walk-off victories have come in extra-innings. With another multi-hit game, Wander Franco added to his team-lead with his 31st multi-hit game picking up three singles, including a game-tying RBI base hit in the fourth inning on Sunday. Franco paces the team with 109 hits in 103 games played this year. The three-hit game is his sixth, three-hit contest of the season. The second-year Blue Rock had 81 hits in 95 games, 23 multi-hit games and eight three-hit games in 2016. The Rocks continued to add to their Carolina League-high with 43 one-run games played this season. No other team in the ten-team loop has played in more than 36 single-score affairs. The Rocks are now 24-19 in such contests. Wilmington opened the season just 4-13 in one-run games, then won 17 of their next 19, and now have won three of their last five. The bullpen on for the Rocks was solid again on Sunday. Righty Jose Veras made his Wilmington debut and tossed two scoreless innings while Grant Gavin allowed the lone blemish with the home run in the final inning. On Saturday, Justin Camp made his first appearance since getting his second call-up from Lexington and pitched well, allowing an earned run on three hits and no walks over two and one- third innings pitched. Franco Terrero finished the game in near flawless fashion, allowing just one baserunner the rest of the way, which earned him his fifth save on the season. In the last 14 games, the Wilmington bullpen has surrendered just six earned runs in 42 innings, yielding an impressive 1.29 ERA during that span. THEY SAID IT, JAMIE QUIRK: "That's the old Blue Rocks right there. They score, we score, it kept going and they scored a heart-breaker in the tenth inning with two outs and they hit the homer to give them the lead. We come right back and (Nate) Esposito leads off with a double, Nick Heath with a base hit to left, the left fielder bobbles it, we score and Heath took second base. (Jecksson) Flores moved him over with a great bunt and Roman (Collins) gets him in. That's situational baseball to its best. Guys doing what they are asked of them and not do too much. It's the old cliché, but it works, move the line, do your job and good things happen. Defensively, Flores is playing an outstanding shortstop, Wander (Franco) is playing a great third base, Heath with the nice catch in center field, our defense has been playing great. The bullpen has been great and I'm proud of them. (Grant) Gavin gave up the homer to a guy who hits a lot of home runs, I'm not saying it's a good thing, but we answered right back. (Jose) Veras first time here, pitched two scoreless and (Jared) Ruxer did a great job. All around a great effort." "It might get (the offense) jumpstarted with a win like Sunday, absolutely. Everyone contributed up and down the lineup in the game which was great. You can't count on certain guys every single night, it's just not going to happen. Esposito and Collins had big hits, Franco had three hits, that's how you win games. You can't rely on your three, four, five hitters every night. That's what we were doing, but we haven't been doing lately, so hopefully this win will get us in the right frame of mind." (On Jose Veras) "I've never seen him pitch. We heard about him. We just get pitching reports from the manager and pitching coach in Lexington. Esposito caught him (in Burlington) last year so he was familiar with Veras which made it comfortable. That was the first time we saw him, but I liked what I saw."Hickory gains series split with 5-1 winAugust 6, 2017By Lexington Legends Charles LeBlanc had three hits, including a home run, as the Hickory Crawdads took a 5-1 win over the Lexington Legends Sunday in Hickory. The Legends took the lead in the top of the second inning when Gabriel Cancel tripled and scored on a single by Meibrys Viloria, but LeBlanc's two-run homer in the bottom of the second put the Crawdads in front 2-1.Hickory added a run in the fourth, and Leody Taveras' solo homer in the fifth gave the Crawdads a 4-1 lead.LeBlanc led off the sixth with a single, and with one out, Brendon Davis walked. A two-out double by Blaine Prescott scored LeBlanc with the game's final run.Hickory starter Walker Weickel (4-3) got the win. He pitched six innings, allowed five hits, one run, struck out three batters and walked none. Christian Torres worked the last three innings, earning his fourth save of the year.Lexington starter Anthony Bender (4-4) was the losing pitcher.Each won two games in the series.The Legends' road trip continues with a three-game series in Asheville. Game time Monday night is 7:05 p.m.Voyagers Earn Series Split with Idaho FallsVilla, Dutto, and Frost Launch HomersAugust 6, 2017 By Shawn Tiemann/Great Falls Voyagers The Voyagers allowed four 1st inning runs but bounced back to claim a 7-5 victory and a series split with Idaho Falls Sunday afternoon at Centene Stadium. With the win, Great Falls (17-26, 2-3) improved to 10-12 at home and has its first back-to-back home wins since July 12th. The Voyagers are now 6-12 against the Pioneer League South Division. The Chukars (19-25, 2-4) fell to 11-12 on the road and are 2-6 in their last eight games. Idaho Falls sits at 10-8 against the North. The Chukars opened the game with a flurry in the top of the 1st. After two walks and a hit-by-pitch, back-to-back two-run scoring doubles from Tyler Straub and Julio Gonzalez gave Idaho Falls a 4-0 lead. The Voyagers jumped right back into it with a three-spot in the home half of the 1st. Tyler Frost coaxed a one-out walk to start the rally. Anthony Villa followed with a single to right-center. Justin Yurchak scored Frost with an RBI single lined into center. With two outs, Amado Nunez and Nate Nolan both walked. Nolan drove in a run with a bases-loaded free pass. The third run of the inning scored on a wild pitch and it was 4-3. Great Falls leveled the game in the 3rd with a lead-off solo home run high and deep to left-center off the bat of Anthony Villa. It was Villa's second homer in as many nights and his league-leading 11th of the season. The Voyagers took the lead with another solo home run in the 4th. Max Dutto drilled a two-out line drive over the wall in right for a 5-4 Voyagers lead. Great Falls made it 6-4 with a single tally in the 5th. Tyler Frost reached on a bunt single and then scored on a Villa triple that banged high off the wall in deep center. It was Villa's second triple of the season. Both sides plated a run in the 7th for the game's final margin. Tyler Frost hammered his fourth home run of the season to deep right with one out in the bottom of the 7th. It was Frost's fourth dinger of the season. Parker Rigler posted his first win as a starter and his first since June 25th at home against Missoula. Rigler (3-1) worked five innings and gave up four earned runs on five hits with three strikeouts and three walks. Jeremy Gwinn took the loss for Idaho Falls. Gwinn (0-3) lasted four-and-a-third in relief and allowed three earned runs on four hits (two HR) with one strikeout. Jhoan Quijada notched his second save of the season with a 1-2-3 ninth. Great Falls outhit Idaho Falls 9-to-7. Anthony Villa finished 3-for-4 and was a double shy of the cycle. Villa drove in two and scored twice. Tyler Frost collected two hits with one RBI and three runs. For the Chukars, Chris Hudgins had two hits with a run. Tyler Straub and Julio Gonzalez each drove in two.Royals Edged by Astros in Series OpenerGreeneville walks off in ninth to take 2-1 winAugust 6, 2017By Matt Krause/Burlington Royals The Greeneville Astros scored on an error in the bottom of the ninth to walk off over the Burlington Royals and earn a 2-1 win on Sunday at Pioneer Park. Tied 1-1 into the home half of the ninth inning, Greeneville (23-19) was unable to muster any offense against Royals LHP Jordan Floyd in its first two hitters. RF Patrick Mathis singled with two away, and went to third on a single from DH Gilberto Celestino . 3B Brody Westmoreland stepped up for the Astros, and hit a grounder to third that was misplayed. The error allowed Mathis to score and gave the Astros the win. Burlington (20-24) RHP Sal Biasi kept the Astros off the board over his five innings. Biasi scattered four hits and two walks, striking out three. Greeneville would strike for their first run in the sixth against Royals RHP Yerelmy Garcia . 1B Jose Benjamin was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning, and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt. LF Frankeny Fernandez singled home Benjamin to put the Astros up 1-0. Astros RHP Humberto Castellanos scattered five Royals hits over 5.1 innings, but much like Greeneville, Burlington took advantage of facing the bullpen. 1B Benji Cash drew a leadoff walk in the seventh, took second on an error, and advanced to third on a wild pitch. CF Michael Gigliotti lofted a sacrifice fly, and Cash touched home for the Royals' lone run. Garcia threw a scoreless bottom of the seventh for the Royals, and Floyd put a zero on the board in the eighth before Greeneville's ninth-inning rally. LF Reed Rohlman had two of the Royals' six hits in the loss.MLB TRANSACTIONSAugust 7, 2017 ?., AUGUST 6, 2017TEAMPLAYERTRANSACTIONChicago CubsTommy La StellaCalled Up from MinorsChicago CubsRob ZastryznySent to MinorsChicago White SoxD.J. PetersonSent to MinorsChicago White SoxD.J. PetersonAcquired Off Waivers From from Mariners, SeattleCincinnati RedsRobert StephensonPlaced on 10-Day DL, (Right shoulder contusion)Cincinnati RedsLisalverto BonillaCalled Up from MinorsCincinnati RedsZack CozartRemoved From 10-Day DL, (Strained left quad)Cincinnati RedsPhillip ErvinSent to MinorsCleveland IndiansJason KipnisRecalled From Minors, Rehab AssignmentCleveland IndiansJason KipnisRemoved From 10-Day DL, (Strained right hamstring)Cleveland IndiansErik GonzalezSent to MinorsColorado RockiesJake McGeeRemoved From 10-Day DL, (Mid-back strain)Colorado RockiesShane CarleSent to MinorsDetroit TigersJose IglesiasPlaced on Bereavement/Family Medical Emergency ListKansas City RoyalsJake JunisCalled Up from Minors, (recalled as 26th roster player)Kansas City RoyalsJake JunisReturn of 26th manKansas City RoyalsSalvador PerezPlaced on 10-Day DL, (Right intercostal strain)Kansas City RoyalsCam GallagherCalled Up from MinorsNew York YankeesMatt HollidayPlaced on 10-Day DL, (Left lumbar strain)New York YankeesJordan MontgomerySent to MinorsNew York YankeesGarrett CooperCalled Up from MinorsOakland AthleticsBoog PowellTraded From from Mariners, Seattle (for 1B Yonder Alonso)Pittsburgh PiratesMax MoroffSent to MinorsSeattle MarinersBoog PowellCalled Up from Minors, - Not to ReportSeattle MarinersCody MartinCalled Up from Minors, (recalled as 26th roster player)Seattle MarinersTuffy GosewischDesignated for AssignmentSeattle MarinersYonder AlonsoTraded From from Athletics, Oakland (for OF Boog Powell)Seattle MarinersRyan GartonTraded From from Rays, Tampa Bay (for LHP Anthony Misiewicz, 5-player deal)Seattle MarinersCody MartinReturn of 26th manSt. Louis CardinalsKevin SiegristPlaced on 10-Day DL, (Left forearm tendinitis)St. Louis CardinalsAdam WainwrightRemoved From 10-Day DL, (Mid-back tightness)Tampa Bay RaysRyan GartonCalled Up from Minors, - Not to Report ................
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