Wichita Eagle: Kansas City Royals

Royals lose another to Astros

Bob Dutton — Wed, 22 May 2013 23:43 CDT

The best thing said about the Royals in their three days at Minute Maid Park is it could have been worse. But for a late rally Tuesday, they might have suffered a sweep against the American League’s worst club.

It was bad enough, though.

The Royals sent their ace to the mound in Wednesday’s finale and, as usually happens when James Shields pitches, their attack turtled and resulted in a 3-1 loss to the Houston Astros.

Astros help Royals end four-game skid

Bob Dutton — Wed, 22 May 2013 09:50 CDT

Well, hey, the Royals sure needed this, didn’t they? This being defined as the Houston Astros playing to form when the Royals desperately needed them to do do.

The Royals rallied Tuesday for a 7-3 victory at Minute Maid Park by scoring all seven runs against the Astros’ bullpen and with the aid of some atrocious defense.

So what?

Royals still sliding in 6-5 loss in Houston

BOB DUTTON — Tue, 21 May 2013 10:38 CDT

Were this just one game, one bad game by the Royals, it would be easy enough to shrug off. Those cliches about it being a six-month season are based in reality.

But so is this: The Royals, right now, are flat-lining after Monday’s depressing 6-5 loss to the Houston Astros at Minute Maid Park.

This makes four straight one-run losses; 11 losses overall in their last 14 games; and the Royals now find themselves looking up at .500 — they are 20-21 — for the first time since the season’s first week.

Oakland caps off disappointing weekend for Royals with sweep

BOB DUTTON — Mon, 20 May 2013 10:58 CDT

The script changed Sunday for the Royals, but not the ending as they concluded a three-game weekend pratfall in the East Bay with a 4-3 loss to the Oakland A’s.

“We had the lead in all three games,” left fielder Alex Gordon said, “but give them credit. They came back and pulled it off late. They did it to us three days in a row.”

The A’s capped their sweep when Yoenis Cespedes opened the eighth inning with a no-doubt homer against Kelvin Herrera — that’s eight homers yielded by Herrera in his last 14 innings.

Punchless attack sinks Royals in another 2-1 loss to A’s

BOB DUTTON — Wed, 22 May 2013 09:45 CDT

It’s happened twice now, two nights in a row, and the Royals shouldn’t require further proof: While their rotation is much improved over recent seasons, one run isn’t often going to be enough.

It was Ervin Santana who paid the price Saturday night for failing to pitch a shutout in a 2-1 loss to the Oakland A’s. That was James Shields’ fate Friday in a 2-1 loss.

“We’re struggling a little bit right now,” said Lorenzo Cain, who struck out with the bases loaded and one out in the second inning.

Royals again offer little support for Shields in 2-1 loss to A’s

Sat, 18 May 2013 17:04 CDT

OAKLAND, Calif. -- James Shields continues to pitch like the No. 1 guy the Royals expected when they acquired him in that big off-season deal from Tampa Bay. And the Royals continue to waste his efforts.

Shields gave up two runs Friday night in eight innings but only found more disappointment when the Royals’ attack again went quiet in a 2-1 loss to the Oakland A’s at the O.co Coliseum.

“Today is just a case of me not doing my job,” Shields argued. “That’s it. Bottom line. I don’t care what the score of the game is. I didn’t get the job down there at the end. It’s a tough loss. A real tough loss.”

Royals outfielder Dyson likely to go on the DL

BOB DUTTON — Fri, 17 May 2013 12:32 CDT

The Royals' outfield could be getting a new look as soon as Friday night.

All signs point to the Royals putting outfielder Jarrod Dyson on the disabled list because of an ankle injury he suffered Wednesday at Anaheim when he climbed the wall attempting to catch a Mike Trout home run.

The Royals are expected to recall outfielder David Lough from Class AAA Omaha to replace Dyson on the 25-man roster. Lough, who has a .340 average with 17 RBIs and a .393 OBP, was held out of Thursday's game in Omaha.

Royals’ Yost says lineup changes are sign of platoons to come

Bob Dutton — Thu, 16 May 2013 22:18 CDT

Increased playing time in recent games for Jarrod Dyson and Elliot Johnson stems primarily, Royals manager Ned Yost said, from a desire to ride a player’s hot streak.

Yost dismissed the suggestion that he’s instituted a platoon arrangement in the outfield or at second base.

“I could play (Jeff) Francoeur (on Friday) against a right-hander,” he said. “Then it’s not a platoon. I’m going day-to-day right now. Dyson is swinging the bat well, so he’s playing more.”

Royals ride seven-run third inning to 9-5 victory over Angels

BOB DUTTON — Thu, 16 May 2013 23:37 CDT

A seven-run third inning and an eight-run lead and, still, it seemed like the Royals had to hang on all night Wednesday before securing a 9-5 victory over the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.

It shouldn’t be this hard, right?

“It never felt comfortable because their lineup kept turning around,” manager Ned Yost said. “Here comes (Albert) Pujols; here comes (Mark) Trumbo; here comes (Mike) Trout; here comes (Josh) Hamilton.”

Former Royals broadcaster Fred White dies

Bob Dutton — Wed, 15 May 2013 16:04 CDT

The news when it came Wednesday afternoon was surprising only in its suddenness. Those close to former Royals broadcaster Fred White knew he was terribly sick.

The Royals sent out word in the early afternoon that White, 76, had died of complications from melanoma. His death came one day after he officially retired from the club following a 40-year association.

“It’s kind of stunning,” longtime broadcast partner Denny Matthews said. “I talked to him two weeks ago. I was in his office, and nothing looked out of the ordinary or sounded out of the ordinary.

Angels pound Royals 6-2, end Guthrie’s streak of lossless starts

BOB DUTTON — Sat, 18 May 2013 17:04 CDT

A long-ball barrage, like the Los Angeles Angels unleashed Tuesday night, was the likeliest way, probably, for Jeremy Guthrie’s club-record streak of non-losing starts to come to an end.

Guthrie is a fly-ball pitcher who has always been susceptible to homers, even this year when — prior this start — he has enjoyed sustained success. The Angels hit four in a 6-2 victory over the Royals.

All four came with nobody on base, but it was enough largely because the Royals found Jason Vargas to be just as baffling in an Angels uniform as they did when he previously pitched for Seattle.

Royals, Butler break out in 11-4 win over Angels

BOB DUTTON — Mon, 20 May 2013 17:29 CDT

Well, sure, an 11-4 victory Monday night over the Los Angeles Angels doesn’t entirely wipe out that miserable week the Royals just endured, but it should calm a few concerns.

Most encouraging, perhaps, was the 19-hit attack, which matched a season high and included five from previously slumping Billy Butler, three singles and two doubles. Butler also had five RBIs.

“I knew I had been getting closer, said Butler, who raised his average from .228 to .261. “I had been doing a lot of early work on the field, and I’m doing early work (Tuesday) because it’s just one game.

Yankees sweep slumping Royals with 4-2 win

RUSTIN DODD — Mon, 20 May 2013 17:29 CDT

So maybe it’s not time to reach for the rip cord or pound the panic button. But make no mistake, the Royals are in an early-May funk, and this is the kind of streak that looks plenty familiar in the confines of Kauffman Stadium.

The latest loss came on Sunday afternoon, a 4-2 setback against the New York Yankees in front of a Mother’s Day crowd of 29,515. The Yankees polished off a three-game sweep, and the Royals, 18-16, have now lost six of their last seven games, dropping to within two games of .500 for the first time since April 24.

“These guys believe they can win now, but again, every team goes through little stretches where they struggle,” manager Ned Yost said, “Your hope is that you’re catching a team when they’re going through one of those stretches.”

Yankees’ win over Royals feels like old times

Bob Dutton — Sun, 12 May 2013 08:27 CDT

This loss was more familiar, at least. For the most part, anyway.

The Royals got shut down Saturday by the old guard, Andy Pettitte and Mariano Rivera, in a 3-2 loss to the New York Yankees at Kauffman Stadium.

Pettitte is now unbeaten against the Royals in 14 starts dating to Sept. 4, 2000. He allowed just two run and five hits in seven innings.

Yankees rout Royals 11-6 in series opener

BOB DUTTON — Thu, 16 May 2013 14:47 CDT

It’s one of the great questions over the season’s first six weeks.

Exactly how are the New York Yankees winning with this patchwork roster collection while Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez, Curtis Granderson and Mark Teixeira nurse injuries on the disabled list?

The answer, generally, seems to be better-than-anticipated pitching, but not Friday — no-o-o, not Friday — in an 11-6 victory over the Royals in the start to a three-game weekend series at Kauffman Stadium.

Revised Royals end three-game skid with three homers

Bob Dutton — Thu, 09 May 2013 23:43 CDT

The early returns from the Royals’ new-look lineup offered promise Thursday night by producing three home runs in a 6-2 victory over the Baltimore Orioles at Camden Yards.

That was plenty for Jeremy Guthrie to extend his club-record unbeaten streak to 18 starts and for the Royals to end a three-game losing streak and avoid a three-game sweep.

Guthrie’s start didn’t quite have the build-up attached to James Shields’ recent outing against Tampa Bay, but this was the first time that Guthrie pitched against the Orioles.

Royal regression: Ugly inning sends KC to third straight loss

Bob Dutton — Thu, 09 May 2013 11:15 CDT

The good news, if you want to look hard enough, is that implosions like the Royals experienced Wednesday night in the fifth inning are now fairly rare.

Back in say, 2006, they happened all of the time. So, if you want, you can choose to look at this 5-3 loss to the Baltimore Orioles as a reminder of much of what the Royals are attempting to undo.

It’s not inconsiderable.

Bullpen fails again in Royals’ loss at Baltimore

Bob Dutton — Wed, 08 May 2013 11:35 CDT

The continuing battle with Mother Nature is beyond the Royals’ control, but they’d better find a way to fix a suddenly leaky bullpen after Tuesday’s 4-3 loss to the Baltimore Orioles at Camden Yards.

Otherwise, they run the risk of seeing a promising start to their season slip away.

Matt Wieters flicked a tie-breaking double to left field in the eighth inning against Luke Hochevar that provided the winning run after Tim Collins opened the inning with a leadoff walk.

Pitching switch sinks Royals

RUSTIN DODD — Thu, 16 May 2013 13:07 CDT

Here’s the question, the one that hung over the Royals’ 2-1 loss to the White Sox in 11 innings on Monday afternoon at Kauffman Stadium: Should Royals manager Ned Yost have stuck with starter James Shields with a 1-0 lead in the ninth inning, instead of turning the game over to closer Greg Holland?

The answer, with the gift of hindsight, seemed simple enough after Holland coughed up the 1-0 lead, and reliever Kelvin Herrera served up a decisive homer to Chicago’s Jordan Danks in the top of the 11th. But hindsight can be a tricky thing, and Yost defended the move that would leave a little tarnish on a successful homestand.

“In a one-run game,” Yost said, “(if) you send (the starter out) out, he’s either going to win it or lose it. So you let the closer go out and try to do his job.”

Royals rally in ninth, beat White Sox in 10th

Rustin Dodd — Thu, 16 May 2013 13:07 CDT

It’s May, of course, so maybe Cinco de Mayo parties mean less when they’re happening in the middle of a major-league baseball diamond.

This is baseball, and the Royals’ season is just 27 games old, so perhaps it’s wise to mention sample size and history. But on Sunday afternoon at Kauffman Stadium, as the final hit landed just over an outstretched right-fielder, Alex Gordon rounded first base and spiked his helmet to the ground.

Gordon’s bases-loaded, two-out single in the 10th inning had sealed a 6-5 victory over the Chicago White Sox. And it lit the fuse on another raucous celebration for the surging Royals.