Ian Kennedy sharp in Royals’ 7-0 win over Twins

Ian Kennedy handed the baseball to his manager and stepped off the pitcher’s mound on Saturday night, the noise inside Kauffman Stadium rising to a steady roar. He sauntered back to the dugout, tipping his cap softly as he crossed the first-base line. As he reached the dugout stairs, the 31,001 fans had risen to their feet.

Kennedy’s Royals debut would soon be in the books, a clean and well-crafted gem in a 7-0 shellacking of the Minnesota Twins. He lasted 6 2/3 innings, striking out seven while allowing five hits. On his first night of work in a new home, Kennedy was mostly impenetrable, his two-seam fastball running across every corner of the plate.

As Kennedy painted, the Kansas City offense made sure the night lacked drama. Mike Moustakas and Lorenzo Cain opened the scoring with back-to-back homers in the fourth inning. The Royals pieced together two more runs in the fifth. Designated hitter Kendrys Morales ignited a three-run burst in the sixth with a solo homer into the party porch in right field. Right fielder Paulo Orlando racked up three hits in his season debut. The Royals improved to 3-1 entering the series finale on Sunday.

And yet, the night belonged to Kennedy, who arrived this offseason as the club’s marquee addition to its starting rotation. A year ago, the Royals won the World Series with a starting rotation that often seemed to be piece-meal and stitched together. They overcame injuries and struggling veterans and still rolled to 95 victories. When the 2015 season was over, general manager Dayton Moore set out to find stability in the form of innings and starts. He came upon Kennedy, a 31-year-old right-hander who had made at least 30 starts in in six straight seasons.

In the final days of January, the Royals officially won the bidding for Kennedy, lavishing a five-year, $70-million deal on the free agent right-hander. It was the second-largest contract in Royals history, and the deal raised antennas around the industry. Kennedy finished 9-15 with a 4.28 ERA in 30 starts for the San Diego in 2015. In his last three seasons, he had not posted an ERA-plus higher than league average. The Royals, though, saw upside.

On Saturday night, Kennedy offered durability, lasting 109 pitches on a chilly night in Kansas City. He also offered excellence, keeping the Twins offense in check. He struck out first baseman Joe Mauer twice. He allowed one hit — a double — through the first three innings. His two-seam fastball sat at 92 mph and induced a rash of weak contact.

For one night at least, Kennedy offered also hope. The Royals did not sign him to anchor their staff. But he could provide depth to a reconfigured unit.

In the hours before his Kansas City debut, Kennedy walked through the clubhouse at Kauffman Stadium at just after 2:50 p.m.. He wore basketball shorts and a dry-fit T-shirt. He didn’t take the mount for another 3 hours, 25 minutes. He passed reliever Wade Davis, who was preparing for an afternoon workout.

“You’re early,” Davis said.

Kennedy smiled and turned back toward Davis as he left the room, stumbling through an answer about still learning the American League schedule. In a moment, he was off to continue his routine. Perhaps he just wanted everything to go perfect on his first night.

This story was originally published April 9, 2016 at 9:36 PM with the headline "Ian Kennedy sharp in Royals’ 7-0 win over Twins."