Bullpen Shoulders Big Load in Loss to Padres

Daily Clips

June 10, 2017

LOCAL

Bullpen shoulders big load in loss to Padres

June 10, 2017By AJ Cassavell and Jay Paris/MLB.com

Skoglund frustrated by abbreviated outing

Royals lefty allows nine of 11 batters he faces to reach base

June 10, 2017By Jay Paris/MLB.com

Kennedy returns to Petco to face familiar foe

June 10, 2017By Nathan Ruiz/MLB.com

Royals set with four top 100 picks in Draft

June 10, 2017By Wilson Alexander/MLB.com

Royals open road trip with 6-3 loss to the Padres

June 10, 2017By Rustin Dodd/KC Star

Ask Rustin: What's wrong with Kelvin Herrera, the farm system and a West Coast swing

June 10, 2017By Rustin Dodd/KC Star

After meltdown, Royals’ Kelvin Herrera addresses mechanical flaw

June 10, 2017By Rustin Dodd/Kc Star

MINORS

Chasers Pound Cakes 7-1 in Front of 7,415

Omaha crushes 3 homers in 3rd, 'pen combines for 5.2 scoreless IP

June 10, 2017By Andrew Green/Omaha Storm Chasers

Naturals Win Series; Reclaim Share of First Place

Northwest Arkansas scores four early runs in the 5-1 victory over Springfield on Friday night

June 10, 2017Northwest Arkansas Naturals

Rocks Play Catch Up in Loss

Newcomers Peterson and Sheller Shine in Debut

June 10, 2017WIlmington Blue Rocks

Legends rally in ninth, win 4-3

Castellano's four-hit night leads offense

June 10, 2017Lexington Legends

MLB TRANSACTIONS
June 10, 2017 •.CBSSports.com

LOCAL

Bullpen shoulders big load in loss to Padres

June 10, 2017By AJ Cassavell and Jay Paris/MLB.com

The Padres called on Matt Szczur and Franchy Cordero in a pinch on Friday night. They delivered in a big way.

Szczur launched a go-ahead blast to lead off the seventh inning, and Cordero smacked a two-run insurance double in the eighth, sending the Padres to a 6-3 victory over the Royals and snapping their five-game skid.

The pinch-hit heroics made a winner out of Jhoulys Chacin, who was excellent at Petco Park once again. He allowed just three hits over seven innings -- only one of them a true mistake. Royals catcher Salvador Perez crushed a Chacin fastball for a two-run shot in the fifth. Otherwise, the Padres right-hander merely allowed a pair of seeing-eye singles to Eric Hosmer and Mike Moustakas.

"He's been pitching really great lately, especially at home," said Szczur. "He made probably one mistake tonight and Salvador took advantage. He pitched very well tonight, so it was rewarding to pick him up at the end there."

Kansas City starter Eric Skoglund was roughed up early and exited with one out in the second, forcing four Royals relievers to eat 6 2/3 innings.

"[My pitches] were in the middle, they were able to square some balls up and that was about it,'' Skoglund said. "I wasn't getting ahead and that's the bread and butter right there. If you don't get ahead, you are going to get hit."

Skoglund faced 11 hitters and allowed nine of them to reach base. But he limited the Padres to only two runs -- thanks to a timely double play, some baserunning blunders and a second-inning escape act by reliever Scott Alexander. The Royals bullpen was sharp through the sixth, until left-hander Matt Strahm grooved a fastball to Szczur, who turned it into his first career pinch-hit homer. The Padres tacked on three in the eighth off Chris Young.

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED

Catchers who rake: The Padres out-hit Kansas City, 8-0, in the first four innings, and scored two runs. That lead vanished quickly in the fifth after Hosmer opened the frame with a single through the right side. Perez crushed the next pitch into the left-field seats for his 94th career dinger -- the most ever by a Royals backstop. It was also Perez's 12th home run of the season, breaking a tie with San Diego's Austin Hedges for the most by a catcher.

"I didn't even know until someone told me,'' Perez said. "But our team didn't win tonight so that is something you never forget.''

Insurance from Franchy: Cordero has raked against right-handed pitching since his callup two weeks ago. His rocket double against Young gave the Padres a 5-2 lead -- and those insurance runs proved pivotal, as the Royals scored in the ninth after loading the bases. Since his callup two weeks ago, Cordero is batting .379 (11-for-29) with four extra-base hits against right-handed pitching.

"We clearly needed those insurance runs," said Padres manager Andy Green. "Franchy has swung it great, and he'll be out there tomorrow. It was a big hit for us."

SILVER SLUGGER CHACIN?

Chacin plated the Padres' second run after lining a double into the right-field corner. His seven hits this season are second among all pitchers, behind only the Mets' Jacob deGrom. He also tacked on a sacrifice bunt and finished the night with a .333 average. It's early, but he could be a serious contender for the Silver Slugger Award, given to the best hitter at each position.

Said Chacin of his second-inning double: "I saw Hosmer, he was coming in like I was going to bunt. I said, 'I'm not bunting here.' I looked for a fastball, and I got it and got lucky enough."

WHAT'S NEXT

Royals: Ian Kennedy (0-6) seeks his first victory of the season when he faces his former team in San Diego on Saturday at 3:10 p.m. CT. Kennedy, who is 5-15 in Interleague play, has a 7-2 career mark against the Padres with a 3.05 ERA.

Padres: Rookie Rule 5 Draft pick Miguel Diaz makes his first career start Saturday, in the middle game against the Royals. After a rough start to his big league career, Diaz has posted a 2.79 ERA in the bullpen over the last month. First pitch is slated for 1:10 p.m. PT.

Skoglund frustrated by abbreviated outing

Royals lefty allows nine of 11 batters he faces to reach base

June 10, 2017By Jay Paris/MLB.com

Royals starter Eric Skoglund mimicked his previous outing on Friday night against the Padres: It was short-lived.

Skoglund lasted but 1 1/3 innings in his third Major League start as the Padres went on to win, 6-3.

He was fortunate to escape with a no-decision after giving up two runs on seven hits and two walks. He had a strikeout, but left with an ERA that rose by more than a run to 5.59.

"[My pitches] were in the middle, they were able to square some balls up and that was about it,'' Skoglund said. "I wasn't getting ahead and that's the bread and butter right there. If you don't get ahead, you are going to get hit."

On May 30, Skoglund turned in one of the finest debuts in Royals history. The southpaw blanked the Tigers over 6 1/3 innings, surrendering two hits. Since, in two starts, he's notched 10 outs.

Skoglund's second start produced just two innings, and a loss, when he faced the Indians and was charged with four runs. But that early exit was because of a nearly two-hour rain delay, after which Skoglund didn't resume pitching.

There was no threat of rain in San Diego, but that didn't prevent a black cloud from hovering over Skoglund.

"They were just on him,'' Royals manager Ned Yost said. "They were just having good swings on him. Mostly it was his pitch location.''

With Skoglund, 24, staying on the outside, the Padres were able to feel comfortable extending their arms.

"We didn't establish in enough early and they were kind of diving out on him and getting good pitches to hit,'' Yost said.

Skoglund, a third-round Draft pick in 2014, didn't get the loss on Friday but only because Salvador Perez's two-run homer in the fifth got him off the hook.

"I'm going to keep working, man,'' Skoglund said. "That's all I can do and help this team every day. All I can do is to get better.''

Of the 11 Padres Skoglund faced, nine of them reached base. Skoglund was the beneficiary of a first-inning double play after three of the first four Padres collected hits.

"Once I got the double play I thought I was going to get some momentum for the second inning,'' Skoglund said. "But it didn't happen like that.''

In the second Cory Spangenberg and Jhoulys Chacin were careless on the bases and were erased. Otherwise Skoglund would have sustained additional damage as he allowed a single, two doubles and two walks to start the inning before being removed.

Kennedy returns to Petco to face familiar foe

June 10, 2017By Nathan Ruiz/MLB.com

A familiar face will return to Petco Park on Saturday.

Right-hander Ian Kennedy, who played with San Diego from 2013-15, will start for the Royals in the second game of the team's series against the Padres. Kennedy, who was born in Huntington Beach, Calif., said he'll have plenty of family in attendance.

"It's always nice to come here as a visitor, and when you played here, you felt like you were on vacation," Kennedy said. "Walking around the city today it was nice. You miss the weather a little bit."

Kennedy is looking for his first win; he's 0-6 in 10 starts, posting his highest BB/9 since 2009. He signed a five-year, $70 million contract with Kansas City after the 2015 season. Kennedy, who has also played for the D-backs and Yankees, is 7-2 with a 3.05 ERA in his career against the Padres.

• Padres right-hander Miguel Diaz will make his first career start Saturday. The rookie has a 7.50 ERA in 21 relief appearances, but has a 2.79 mark since May 6. A Rule 5 Draft selection, Diaz posted a 3.71 ERA working primarily as a starter for the Brewers' Class A team last season.

• Saturday marks the eight-year anniversary of the Royals drafting Wil Myers in the third round of the 2009 MLB Draft. Myers, now the Padres' first baseman, was in Kansas City's system through the 2012 season, when an offseason trade sent him to Tampa Bay. Then considered the Royals' top prospect, Myers hit 37 home runs with 109 RBIs in 2012, earning Baseball America's Minor League Player of the Year award.

• The Padres' 6-3 victory Friday marked the first game in which they did not allow three or more runs in at least one inning since their 2-1 victory against the Cubs on May 31.

Royals set with four top 100 picks in Draft

June 10, 2017By Wilson Alexander/MLB.com

Two years removed from winning the World Series, the Royals are middling at the bottom of the American League Central and have one of the worst records in the Major Leagues. The farm system needs bolstering as it lacks a prospect in MLB Pipeline.com's top 100 players.

The 2017 Draft will take place from Monday through Wednesday, beginning with the Draft preview show on MLB Network and MLB.com at 6 p.m ET. MLB Network will broadcast the first 36 picks (Round 1 and Competitive Balance Round A), while MLB.com will stream all 75 picks on Day 1. MLB.com will also provide live pick-by-pick coverage of Rounds 3-10 on Day 2, starting at 1 p.m. ET. Then, Rounds 11-40 can be heard live on MLB.com on June 14, beginning at noon ET.

Go to MLB.com/draft to see the Top 200 Prospects list, projected top picks from MLBPipeline.com analysts Jim Callis and Jonathan Mayo, the complete order of selection and more. And follow @MLBDraft on Twitter to see what Draft hopefuls, clubs and experts are saying.

Here's how the Draft is shaping up for the Royals, whose first selection is the 14th overall pick.

In about 50 words

The players who once made the Royals' farm system one of the best in baseball -- Mike Moustakas,Wil Myers, Danny Duffy, Brandon Finnegan,Eric Hosmer, Greg Holland, etc. -- are either in the Majors or no longer on the team. As such, general manager Dayton Moore is hoping to continue his task of restocking.

The scoop

With four picks in the top 100 and their highest overall pick since 2013, the Royals have a good chance to grab a few players who will become productive at the Major League level. They could go any number of ways, but the Royals, as do most teams, will be looking for arms.

First-round buzz

Multiple mock drafts have projected that Kansas City will select the highest-rated high school pitcher left on the board at No. 14. A few have said this could be left-hander Trevor Rogers of Carlsbad High School (N.M.). Another name to watch for is right-hander Shane Baz from Concordia Lutheran High School (Texas).

Money matters

Under the Collective Bargaining Agreement, each team has an allotted bonus pool equal to the sum of the values of that club's selections in the first 10 rounds of the Draft. The more picks a team has, and the earlier it picks, the larger the pool. The signing bonuses for a team's selections in the first 10 rounds, plus any bonus greater than $125,000 for a player taken after the 10th round, will apply toward the bonus-pool total.

Any team going up to five percent over its allotted pool will be taxed at a 75-percent rate on the overage. A team that overspends by 5-10 percent gets a 75-percent tax plus the loss of a first-round pick. A team that goes 10-15 percent over its pool amount will be hit with a 100-percent penalty on the overage and the loss of a first-and second-round pick. Any overage of 15 percent or more gets a 100-percent tax plus the loss of first-round picks in the next two Drafts.

To sign their first 10 picks, the Royals have been allotted a pool total of $8,076,900 -- more than double the $3,225,300 they received last season. They have $3,727,600 to spend on their first selection.

Shopping list

With the possibility of the Royals selling at the non-waiver Trade Deadline, position players might soon be needed. Some of the cornerstones of the Royals' World Series roster -- Hosmer, Moustakas and Lorenzo Cain -- are pending free agents and could need to be replaced.

Trend watch

The Royals like to draft pitching early. In each of the last five Drafts, at least two of their first three picks were pitchers. In two of those drafts, the first three of Kansas City's picks were spent on pitchers.

Recent draft history

The Royals didn't have a first-round selection in last year's Draft after signing Ian Kennedy to a five-year deal. With their second-round pick, they took right-handed pitcher A.J. Puckett, who is 5-4 with a 3.77 ERA at Class A Advanced Wilmington this year.

Rising fast

Hunter Dozier, the eighth overall pick in 2013, was recently activated from the disabled list and optioned to Triple-A Omaha, but he could see some Major League action later this season. Dozier, the Royals' No. 1 prospect according to MLBPipeline.com, has batted .265 with no home runs in 10 Minor League games this year.

In the show

Left-hander Eric Skoglund, a 2014 third-round selection, made his Major League debut on May 30 and tossed 6 1/3 scoreless innings for the win.

Cinderella story

Right-hander Jake Junis, a 29th-round pick in 2011, also made his MLB debut this season on April 12. He made two scoreless relief appearances before starting a pair of games for the Royals.

The Royals' recent top picks

2016: A.J. Puckett, RHP, Class A Advanced Wilmington Blue Rocks

2015: Ashe Russell, RHP, extended Spring Training

2014: Brandon Finnegan, LHP, traded to the Reds

2013: Hunter Dozier, SS, Triple-A Omaha

2012: Kyle Zimmer, RHP, Triple-A Omaha (on disabled list)

Royals open road trip with 6-3 loss to the Padres

June 10, 2017By Rustin Dodd/KC Star

On Friday night at Petco Park, on the first day of a nine-game road trip, the Royals sent out a rookie starter to combat the worst lineup in baseball. They did this because Danny Duffy and Nathan Karns are on the disabled list, and because Travis Wood and Chris Young, once thought to be possible rotation reinforcements, have been wholly ineffective.

So that was the plan, and when it didn't work, when left-hander Eric Skoglund failed to last more than two innings for a second straight start, Royals manager Ned Yost was left to play bullpen Tetris for the final 7 2/3 innings. It was an unenviable task, of course, and it was bound to burn the Royals bullpen for one game and perhaps another. But for much of the night, the relief corps made it fit.

But then the misshaped blocks piled up, and the levels increased. Left-hander Matt Strahm allowed a solo homer during his third inning of work. Young was gouged for three runs in the eighth. The Padres’ late surge represented the difference in a 6-3 loss for the Royals on late Friday night.

“I wasn’t getting ahead,” said Skoglund, who allowed two runs and seven hits in 1 1/3 innings before departing with the bases loaded. “That’s bread and butter. If you don’t get ahead, you’re gonna get hit.”