Mike Montgomery’s outing hits snag in 4th as Royals lose exhibition opener to Astros
The Kansas City Royals need veteran Mike Montgomery to provide a steady presence in their pitching rotation this season. One of just four starters locked in before spring training, they figured to lean on Montgomery as well as Danny Duffy.
That need for stability in the rotation became even more crucial with Monday’s news that starting pitcher Jakob Junis will begin the season on the injured list. With Brad Keller’s spring training progression interrupted by the COVID-19 coronavirus, the Royals’ rotation might be down to just two mainstays when the season starts Friday in Cleveland.
“Me and Danny, we talked about it,” Montgomery said. “We definitely want to do our part. We know we’ve got to eat some innings. I know we have an expanded roster for the first couple weeks. Losing those guys is big because they’re big contributors.
“I think it just means everyone else, including myself and Danny, we’re just going to have to step it up and pick up the slack until they can get back. I really have been impressed with a lot of these guys in this camp, especially the younger guys.”
Montgomery, received via trade with the Chicago Cubs last July, ran into trouble with two outs in the fourth inning of Monday night’s 6-3 exhibition loss to the Houston Astros at Kauffman Stadium.
Montgomery allowed five runs — just one earned — on four hits and two walks in 3 2/3 innings. He struck out two and allowed two home runs.
The Royals’ lone runs came via homers by Salvador Perez and Bubba Starling. Perez, who has missed a large chunk of spring training 2.0 due to a positive COVID-19 test, rocketed a pitch from Astros starter Lance McCullers Jr. for a solo shot down the left-field line in the fourth.
Starling’s two-run homer came in the eighth off Astros reliever Cy Sneed. First baseman Ryan McBroom also collected a pair of hits.
“The first couple of innings it was just trying to get my delivery under control and kind of just slow some things down a little bit,” Montgomery said. “I thought I threw some very good pitches today. Then in the fourth inning, I just couldn’t get that last out. That’s kind of just the build-up of pitching. You’ve got to keep making pitches and eventually that ability becomes greater and greater.”
Perez and Matheny each praised Montgomery’s off-speed pitches, particularly his changeup and curveball.
After Springer walked to start the game, advanced on a wild pitch and tagged up on a flyout to deep center, Bregman ripped a double past the glove of third baseman Maikel Franco. Franco was playing in almost even with the bag. Bregman’s double drove in the game’s first run — the price paid for a leadoff walk.
Montgomery looked poised to get through four innings having allowed just that one run, but he gave up four unearned runs with two outs in the inning.
A one-out throwing error in the fourth by Franco came back to haunt Montgomery. Franco fielded Yuli Gurriel’s grounder to third, but his throw pulled McBroom off the bag. Montgomery bounced back and struck out Carlos Correa for the second out.
The next batter, Josh Reddick, smashed a 2-0 pitch into the bullpen behind the right-field wall for a two-run homer. Aledmys Diaz drew a walk to extend the inning further, and then Martin Maldonado, who the Royals traded to the Cubs to acquire Montgomery, crushed a 3-2 pitch over the bullpen behind the left-field wall for another two-run homer.
Montgomery said he simply got behind in the count against both hitters and threw fastballs over the middle or inner half of the plate. With the ramifications of the game not critical, he made a conscious effort to work on his fastball command — even if it worked to his detriment for one night.
“Unfortunately, in the fourth we have a play that we’re going to make that didn’t get made that ended up turning into four runs,” Royals manager Mike Matheny said. “But he’s also going to have to be able to help out his defense. They’re going to make plays.”
This story was originally published July 20, 2020 at 10:28 PM with the headline "Mike Montgomery’s outing hits snag in 4th as Royals lose exhibition opener to Astros."
