Daily Clips
June 6, 2017
LOCAL
Bonifacio's homer isn't enough to slow Astros
June 6, 2017By Jeffrey Flanagan and Brian McTaggart/MLB.com
No hits for Whit: Career-best streak over at 19
New Royals leadoff man's run was longest in MLB this season
June 6, 2017By Wilson Alexander/MLB.com
Royals will recall Junis to start against Astros
June 6, 2017By Wilson Alexander/MLB.com
Royals fall victim to surging Astros in 7-3 victory
June 6, 2017By Rustin Dodd/KC Star
Jake Junis to make second start of season for Royals on Tuesday
June 6, 2017By Josh Tolentino/KC Star
Struggling Royals shortstop Alcides Escobar bumped from leadoff spot
June 6, 2017By Josh Tolentino/KC Star
Could Carlos Beltran be the Royals’ next Hall of Famer?
June 6, 2017By Rustin Dodd/KC Star
The Royals’ Eric Skoglund and the importance of getting ahead
June 6, 2017By Lee Judge/KC Star
MINORS
Soler, Starling Smash Sounds in 4-2 Win
Outfielders crush 2nd-inning longballs, Almonte fans 8 in win
June 6, 2017By Andrew Green/Omaha Storm Chasers
Blue Rocks Strike Early, Hold on Late
Nate Esposito Collects a Trio of Hits and Three RBI
June 6, 2017Wilmington Blue Rocks
MLB TRANSACTIONS
June 6, 2017 •.CBSSports.com
LOCAL
Bonifacio's homer isn't enough to slow Astros
June 6, 2017By Jeffrey Flanagan and Brian McTaggart/MLB.com
The Astros just simply keep rolling. Brian McCann belted a two-run homer and the bullpen held the Royals to one run over four innings to secure a 7-3 victory on Monday night, Houston's 11th straight win and club-record 11th in a row on the road.
It's the Astros' longest winning streak since a club-record-tying 12 in a row late in 2004. Houston holds a 14-game lead in the American League West and is now on pace for 117 victories, one more than the 2001 Mariners. The Astros are the first with 42 wins in their first 58 games since that Seattle club.
"It feels like we're just going out there and having fun," Astros starting pitcher Mike Fiers said. "This game should be fun, and it's a lot easier when you're winning."
Fiers (3-2) lasted five-plus innings, giving up seven hits and two runs while walking one and striking out four. First baseman Yuli Gurriel ripped a three-run home run, his sixth, off Kelvin Herrera in the ninth to put the game out of reach.
"We got after them early and then they put on a little bit of a push mid-game, and it got really close," Astros manager A.J. Hinch said. "Obviously, Yuli homering off of Herrera is a big punch for us. It was nice for us to hang in there."
Royals right-hander Ian Kennedy continued his recent struggles, giving up four runs in five innings. In four starts since returning from the disabled list, he has given up 18 runs in 15 innings. Kennedy consistently fell behind batters this time and walked three while throwing just 53 strikes out of 96 pitches.
"That lineup doesn't really give you a break, top to bottom," Kennedy said, "so once you get behind 2-0, you almost rather face the next hitter. Not that you want to walk that many guys. ..."
Royals second baseman Whit Merrifield's 19-game hitting streak ended as he went 0-for-5, while rookie outfielder Jorge Bonifacio belted his eighth home run in the seventh.
"I thought my pitch selection was pretty good," said Merrifield, who hit .409 during the streak. "I just didn't put good swings on it. I still feel good where I'm at."
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
Stop right there: Trailing 4-2, the Royals had an excellent chance to tie the score or take the lead when they put runners on first and third with none out in the sixth against Fiers. Eric Hosmer singled and went to third on a single by Salvador Perez and an error. But left-hander Reymin Guduan came on in relief and got Mike Moustakas to line out to third. Guduan then got Brandon Moss on strikes. Right-hander James Hoyt finished the job by striking out Alcides Escobar.
"You're trying to pitch to the hitter's weakness," McCann said of the heavy use of curveballs. "You stun them with fastballs late, and pitchers did an amazing job of doing that."
B-Mac's back: It's been rough going at the plate for McCann since his return from a weeklong stint on the disabled list following a concussion. He was 1-for-16 in his first six games being activated on May 27, but in the fourth inning on Monday, he walloped his first homer since May 12, a two-run shot to right field that gave the Astros a 4-0 lead. The homer was McCann's 239th of his career as a catcher, tying him with Roy Campanella for 10th all-time at the position.
"I haven't been swinging the bat well since I've come back off the DL," McCann said. "I made some minor adjustments. I was able to drive the ball to left-center, and when I'm doing that it's a good sign."
"They're an aggressive team," Kennedy said, "and I just put a first-pitch fastball up to him."
QUOTABLES
"Quickest way to get rid of a 19-game streak is to move him to the leadoff spot. Guess I'll take credit for that." -- Royals manager Ned Yost, who moved Merrifield from No. 8 in the order to the top spot for Monday's game
"It got me a little angry, but had to settle down and keep making pitches. Those things are going to happen." -- Fiers, after giving up an RBI bloop double and RBI bunt single in the fourth
GONZALEZ INJURED
Astros third baseman Marwin Gonzalez exited in the eighth inning with what the team called discomfort on the heel of his left hand. He injured the hand against the Orioles about 10 days ago and he aggravated it sliding head-first into third base on a double play in the sixth inning on Monday.
"It feels pretty sore," Gonzalez said. "It's discomfort, and let's see how it feels tomorrow and we'll go from there."
Gonzalez said it bothers him swinging from the right side of the plate because he puts the bat in the middle of his hand and has been choking up to feel better. He doesn't think he'll play on Tuesday.
"How I feel right now, probably not," he said.
WHAT'S NEXT
Astros: Rookie right-hander David Paulino (0-0, 4.50 ERA) will make his third career start -- second this season -- on Tuesday against the Royals at Kauffman Stadium. He made his first appearance of the season on Wednesday in Minnesota, logging eight strikeouts over four innings.
Royals: Rookie right-hander Jake Junis (1-0, 2.70) will start the second game of the series against the Astros at 7:15 p.m. CT. Junis is on the Royals' taxi squad now and is expected to be placed on the 25-man roster on Tuesday, when a corresponding move will be announced.
No hits for Whit: Career-best streak over at 19
New Royals leadoff man's run was longest in MLB this season
June 6, 2017By Wilson Alexander/MLB.com
It's not often the home crowd applauds after a strikeout, but that's exactly what happened on Monday night. As Whit Merrifield walked back to the dugout, Royals fans recognized him for a 19-game hitting streak, which ended after going 0-for-5 in a 7-3 loss to the Astros.
The career-high streak was the longest in the Major Leagues this season by two games. Merrifield batted .409 (27-for-66) during the stretch. However, the end of his run came in Merrifield's first game occupying the leadoff spot.
"Quickest way to end a 19-game streak is to move him into the leadoff spot," manager Ned Yost said. "I guess I'll take credit for that."
Said Merrifield: "Why? He gave me an extra chance. It wasn't the leadoff spot that made me take some bad swings off good pitches."
Yost moved Merrifield to the leadoff spot for the first time since May 7 as part of a few alterations to the Royals' batting order. In the hours after his team was shut out for a MLB-worst sixth time this season on Sunday, Yost decided to make a change.
The shuffle -- designed to give third baseman Mike Moustakas more RBI opportunities -- had the desired effect on Moustakas, who moved down four spots to the six-hole, as he came up twice with runners on. However, it didn't result in a sudden outpouring of runs for an offense ranked last in the Majors in runs scored.
Yost said he will stick with Monday's batting order for the time being.
Prior to the streak-ending strikeout, Merrifield flied out to right-center in the seventh -- in what he called his "best swing of the night."
"I was happy with my pitch selection and how I was seeing it, I just didn't make very good swings on pitches that I should've -- that I have been making good swings on," Merrifield said. "Just happened to be one of those nights."
Royals will recall Junis to start against Astros
June 6, 2017By Wilson Alexander/MLB.com
Royals right-hander Jake Junis will be promoted to oppose righty David Paulino and the Astros on Tuesday at Kauffman Stadium. Houston scored a 7-3 victory in the series opener for an 11-game win streak and a club-record 11 straight on the road.
Junis will be making his second start of the season. In his first start, Junis logged 4 2/3 innings, allowing two runs in a no-decision. Junis has also made three scoreless relief appearances. He allowed one run in six innings in his last start at Triple-A Omaha.
"It's availability. It's guys on the roster who have been doing good and that are available to pitch," manager Ned Yost said of the decision to start Junis. "He met all of that criteria."
The Royals will need to make a corresponding roster move to add Junis, ranked as the club's No. 5 prospect by MLBPipeline.com.
Paulino will also make his second start of the season. Paulino, ranked as the club's No. 3 prospect by MLBPipeline.com, pitched four innings in his season debut. He allowed two runs and gave up one home run in a no-decision.
"I think his fastball command is going to have to be the next step for him," Astros manager A.J. Hinch said. "Being able to throw your fastball for strikes sets up your ability to put away teams that swing a lot."
Things to know about this game
• Royals second baseman Whit Merrifield went 0-for-5 on Monday to snap a career-best 19-game hitting streak, which was the longest in the Majors this season. He batted .409 (27-for-66) during the streak.
• Astros right fielder George Springer, who was named American League Player of the Week on Monday, averaged 107.1-mph on his exit velocity during his 16 home runs this season, which is top 10 in the Majors among double-digit home run hitters.
• While striking out eight batters over four innings in his season debut, Paulino threw 41.6 percent of his pitches in two-strike counts. Lance McCullers Jr. is the only Astros starter to log a higher single-game rate this season, with a 41.7-percent mark on May 23.
Royals fall victim to surging Astros in 7-3 victory
June 6, 2017By Rustin Dodd/KC Star
The best team in baseball arrived at Kauffman Stadium on Monday, a youthful brigade of athleticism, exuberance and former top draft picks. The evening was not designed to be an homage to everything the Royals once were two seasons ago — save for a menacing offense that piles up home runs — but the Houston Astros can channel that vibe. They can do a lot of things.
They are young. They are homegrown. They are complemented by a handful of veteran pieces. And they are barreling toward an American League West championship and another postseason appearance.
The latest evidence came Monday night, as the Royals dropped a 7-3 decision at Kauffman Stadium. As the two teams convened for a four-game series, starter Ian Kennedy was the latest opposing pitcher to fall victim to the juggernaut, surrendering four runs in five innings and dropping to 0-6 following a dismal run in his last five starts.
“There’s no real break in their lineup at all,” Kennedy said. “And it’s just like, if you get 2-0, you’d rather try to pitch to the next guy.”
The Royals (24-32) fell to 3-4 on the home stand and eight games under .500, still confined to a holding pattern after a disastrous April. The Astros held on for their 11th straight victory, matching the third-longest winning streak in club history. After 58 games, they are 42-16, the best start in the major leagues since the 116-win Seattle Mariners opened with the same record in 2001.
Two years ago, of course, it was the Royals who fit that description, though maybe not quite like this. They sprinted out of the gates during the season’s first half and rode the momentum to a second straight pennant, dispatching an upstart version of these Astros in the process. In 2017, Houston’s homegrown core remains an ascendant club. In contrast, the Royals just look … well, older.
On Monday, they struck out 11 times and drew just one walk. Kennedy, meanwhile, issued three walks while attempting to navigate an Astros lineup that features George Springer, Jose Altuve and Carlos Correa near the top of the order. There are not easy at-bats, no calm between the battles.
And for Kennedy, it was the latest setback following a hamstring injury on May 4 that landed him on the disabled list. In his four starts since the injury, he has surrendered 18 runs in 15 innings. As he stood before his locker on Monday night, Kennedy said he felt healthy and fresh after weeks of battling lingering issues. For now, the health hasn’t translated to the mound.
“After two innings he had more balls than he did strikes, and that’s not recommended,” Royals manager Ned Yost said. “Especially with this team … because they can do a lot of damage.”
The decisive blow came from the bat of Astros catcher Brian McCann, who jumped on a first-pitch fastball from Kennedy in the top of the fourth inning. The blast traveled 419 feet onto the porch in right field. It stretched the Astros’ lead to 4-0 and represented Houston’s 30th homer in its last 13 games.
The Royals struck back in the bottom of the fourth, scoring once on a bloop single to left by Brandon Moss and again on a perfectly executed two-out bunt by Alcides Escobar. But the worst offense in baseball — by runs and most metrics — was undone by a feeble moment in the sixth inning and missed opportunities in the late innings.
And then the bullpen wobbled anyway. Whit Merrifield, who slid into the leadoff spot, lost his 19-game hitting streak following an 0-for-5 night. The Royals will send rookie right-hander Jake Junis into the maw on Tuesday night.
“I was happy with my pitch selection and how I was seeing it,” Merrifield said. “I just didn’t make very good swings on pitches that I had been making good swings on. It just happened to be one of those nights.”
In the sixth, the Royals put two runners on when Eric Hosmer opened the inning with a single and Salvador Perez followed with a infield single that ended up in right field when third baseman Marwin Gonzalez misfired on a throw to second base. With runners at the corners and nobody out, Astros manager A.J. Hinch pulled starter Mike Fiers, turning the game over to left-handed reliever Reymin Guduan. Mike Moustakas lined out to third base before Moss and Escobar struck out to end the inning.
Rookie Jorge Bonifacio drilled his eighth homer of the year in the seventh, slicing the Houston lead to 4-3. But Moss struck out again with the tying run in scoring position in the eighth, eliciting a collection of boos from the Kauffman Stadium crowd. Moments later, the Astros broke the game open with a three-run homer from first baseman Yuli Gurriel against Kelvin Herrera in the top of the ninth. The Astros just kept attacking.
“It just feels like we’ve been on point since day one,” McCann said. “All phases of the game are clicking. We’ve got some really, really good players in here, some MVP-type players that are carrying us, and the bottom of the order is doing their damage as well.”
Houston, of course, has been doing this against everyone. The club arrived in Kansas City this week with the best record in the major leagues and an offense that had run roughshod over opponents for the last week and a half. In a 10-game winning streak, it had put up 82 runs and allowed just 36. In a three-game sweep in Minnesota, the Astros piled up 40 runs on the Twins’ pitching staff, including 28 against the relief corps. Across 57 games, they had hit a league-leading 90 homers while averaging 5.47 runs per game, nearly two runs per game higher than their opponents on Monday night.
This was before the game.
On a warm night at Kauffman Stadium, they flexed their muscles again. The Astros clubbed two homers, totaling 10 hits. They looked like the best team in baseball.