Daily Clips
May 23, 2017
LOCAL
Close call doesn't go KC's way as Royals fall
May 23, 2017By Jeffrey Flanagan and Bryan Hoch/MLB.com
Royals on pace to break club mark for homers
Yost expects power to pick up even more as Hosmer, Gordon's bats come around
May 23, 2017By Jeffrey Flanagan/MLB.com
Duffy to follow 10-K gem in Yankees rematch
May 23, 2017By Matthew Martell/MLB.com
Gordon, wife welcome baby girl to family
May 23, 2017By Jeffrey Flanagan/MLB.com
Two mistakes cost Jason Vargas, Royals in 4-2 loss to the Yankees
May 23, 2017By Rustin Dodd/KC Star
Royals are on pace to break their other paltry home-run record
May 23, 2017By Rustin Dodd/KC Star
Game one against the Twins: Royals win, Moss heats up and homers twice
May 23, 2017By Lee Judge/KC Star
Alex Gordon welcomes third child to family
May 23, 2017By Rustin Dodd/KC Star
Bubba Starling is swinging a hot bat for Royals’ Class AAA affiliate
May 23, 2017By Pete Grathoff/KC Star
MINORS
Torres, Gallagher Smash Chasers to 5-3 Win
C Cam Gallagher crushes go-ahead 2-run homer in 8th
May 23, 2017By Andrew Green/Omaha Storm Chasers
Naturals drop finale in Springfield 4-0
May 23, 2017Northwest Arkansas Naturals
Blue Rocks Lock Down Keys in Series Win
Rocks Go 5-2 on Longest Road Trip of Season
May 23, 2017By Cory Nidoh/Wilmington Blue Rocks
Legends take series opener 7-1
May 23, 2017Lexington Legends
MLB TRANSACTIONS
May 23, 2017 •.CBSSports.com
LOCAL
Close call doesn't go KC's way as Royals fall
May 23, 2017By Jeffrey Flanagan and Bryan Hoch/MLB.com
Didi Gregorius hit a go-ahead homer, Brett Gardner continued his power surge and the Yankees got the benefit of a close call at first base to edge the Royals, 4-2, on Monday at Yankee Stadium.
Gregorius and Gardner went deep off Kansas City left-hander Jason Vargas, who lost to New York for the second time in a week. Gardner put the Yanks on the board with his ninth homer in 21 games, a solo shot in the third, and Gregorius slugged a two-run shot in the fourth inning.
"You've just got to stay in there," Gardner said. "Vargas isn't a guy who throws real hard, but he's a guy that knows how to pitch and he does a good job of throwing changeups to lefties. He tries to stay on the corners. You just have to keep your shoulder low and stand in there against them."
Gregorius' homer came on an 87.2-mph two-seam fastball that Vargas said he didn't regret, but would have liked to have executed better.
"He's obviously seeing the ball really well and putting good swings on it," said Vargas, who is 0-2 with an 8.10 ERA in his last two starts, both against the Yankees. "He went down and hit a good pitch. You tip your hat and move along."
Kansas City believed it had tied the game in the seventh as Jorge Soler raced for the plate on Alcides Escobar's slow bouncer up the middle, fielded by second baseman Starlin Castro. Escobar was initially ruled safe at first, but that call was overturned after review.
"As soon as the play happened, I put my hand up," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. "I didn't know if he was safe or out. The replay we got on the board didn't really help us, so we had to rely on [the review]. They made it pretty quick."
Jorge Bonifacio hit a solo home run and Escobar delivered a run-scoring double off Yankees starter Michael Pineda, who worked 6 1/3 innings for the victory. Pineda permitted six hits, walking one and striking out six with a wild pitch.
Chris Carter padded the Yanks' lead with a solo homer, his third, in the seventh. DellinBetances worked the ninth for his third save in as many opportunities. Kansas City has lost five of seven.
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
(Almost) too close to call: Soler's aggressive baserunning nearly paid dividends in the seventh inning as the Kansas City outfielder broke from second base immediately on Escobar's chopper off the mound. Castro fielded and whipped it to first base, where Marvin Hudson ruled Escobar safe. Carter threw home behind Soler's dive for the plate. Girardi quickly challenged, and the Royals were left stunned at the top step of their dugout.
"With review, it's hard to say [if I was safe]," Escobar said. "They say you're out, you're out."
But Royals manager Ned Yost agreed with the overturn, saying, "We called [Royals replay specialist] Billy [Duplissea] right away, and he said he was out."
No worse for wear: The Royals were set up for a big inning in the fourth as Eric Hosmer ripped a leadoff double to left. Salvador Perez worked Pineda for a 12-pitch at-bat before popping up an 87.5-mph slider to Carter at first base, but the lengthy battle did not wear down the hurler, who then struck out both Brandon Moss and Bonifacio to pin Hosmer at second base. Pineda also squelched a budding Kansas City rally in the fifth.
"I think a lot goes back to that," Girardi said. "That's a tough at-bat. It seemed like he fouled off everything he threw -- sliders, changeups, fastballs. He's been swinging the bat really well, so to me, that was a huge out in the game."
SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS
One very good reason the Royals are 1-3 on this road trip: They are 1-for-30 with runners in scoring position.
WHAT'S NEXT
Royals: Left-hander Danny Duffy (3-3, 2.97 ERA) gets the start for the Royals in game two of the series on Tuesday at 6:05 p.m. CT. Duffy threw seven scoreless innings against the Yankees last Thursday, giving up three hits while striking out 10 in a 5-1 win.
Yankees: Left-hander Jordan Montgomery (2-3, 4.81 ERA) will get another crack at the Royals on Tuesday at 7:05 p.m. ET, making his eighth big league start. Montgomery took the loss last Thursday at Kansas City, allowing a career-high five earned runs in five innings.
Royals on pace to break club mark for homers
Yost expects power to pick up even more as Hosmer, Gordon's bats come around
May 23, 2017By Jeffrey Flanagan/MLB.com
All during Spring Training, Royals manager Ned Yost marveled at the potential power his lineup might have in 2017.
And that power part of the Royals' offense is humming. The Royals slugged another home run Monday, courtesy of rookie outfielder Jorge Bonifacio, in a 4-2 loss to the Yankees.
The Royals now have hit 48 home runs, putting them on pace for 177 this season. That would shatter the club record of 168 set in 1987.
That 1987 Royals team was led by Danny Tartabull's 34 home runs. Steve Balboni, who holds the club record for dingers in a season with 36 in '85, hit 24 in '87. Bo Jackson and George Brett hit 22 each.
This year's Royals team is led by Salvador Perez's 11 home runs. Mike Moustakas has 10, and Brandon Moss has eight.
"We're starting to get some guys heating up, too," Yost said. "Hoz [Eric Hosmer] is coming around. Mossy is hitting."
There should be more power on the way, too. Alex Gordon, who hit 17 home runs last season, has yet to hit one in 2017. Lorenzo Cain and Jorge Soler each have hit just one.
Bonifacio's five home runs have been an unexpected addition. And he was still beaming after hitting a home run off Michael Pineda in his first at-bat at Yankee Stadium.
"It's a lot of fun to get that first home run at Yankee Stadium. … I feel like I'm seeing the ball pretty well right now," Bonifacio said, smiling.
But all that Royals power hasn't translated to a better offense yet. The Royals still are last in the American League in runs scored with 147.
"The only stat that matters is wins and losses," Yost said. "I don't care about the other numbers."
There is one statistic that has Yost's attention, though: On this road trip, the Royals are 1-for-30 with runners in scoring position.
"We have had opportunities," Yost said. "We just have to find a way to get guys home."
Duffy to follow 10-K gem in Yankees rematch
May 23, 2017By Matthew Martell/MLB.com
The Yankees will have their second shot at Royals left-hander Danny Duffy (3-3) in less than a week when the Bombers host Kansas City on Tuesday at 7:05 p.m. ET/6:05 CT.
Duffy tossed seven shutout innings and struck out 10 Yankees in the Royals' 5-1 win over the Bombers at Kauffman Stadium last Thursday, keeping hitters off-balance with a heavy dose of sliders and changeups.
Yankees third baseman Chase Headley said what made Duffy so hard to hit Thursday was that all of his pitches were working effectively.
"He's a good pitcher and he was on his game last week," Headley said. "I don't know that our plan can necessarily change. You've just got to look for mistakes, get a pitch to hit and not miss them when you face a good pitcher."
It was arguably Duffy's best outing of the season, though his opponent, rookie Jordan Montgomery (2-3), couldn't say the same, as he allowed a season-high five runs in five innings against Kansas City.
The 24-year-old will be looking to bounce back when he takes the hill for the Yankees Tuesday in a rematch against Duffy.
Montgomery said he didn't think his Thursday night start was too bad, but that he made one costly mistake to Royals third baseman Mike Moustakas, who took him deep for a three-run homer in the fifth inning that put Kansas City up, 5-0.
Three things to know
• When Duffy recorded a season-high 10 strikeouts against the Yankees last Thursday, eight of them came on his slider. That's the most third strikes Duffy has gotten on breaking balls in a single game in his career.
• Duffy has a 5.46 ERA in eight career games (six starts) against the Yankees.
• Montgomery has received an average run support of 4.71 runs per game. Luis Severino is the only Yankees starter who has received less run support than Montgomery.
Gordon, wife welcome baby girl to family
May 23, 2017By Jeffrey Flanagan/MLB.com
Royals left fielder Alex Gordon and his wife, Jamie, welcomed their third child to the world Monday, a girl named Joey Lynn.
Gordon is on paternity leave back in Kansas City and is expected to rejoin the club on Tuesday, though manager Ned Yost said Gordon likely won't make it in time for Tuesday's game.
The Gordons also have two sons -- Max and Sam.
Meanwhile, Yost became a grandfather for the third time. His daughter, Jenny, gave birth to a girl named Everly on Friday.
Still waiting on Karns
Yost said the Royals still were contemplating a stint on the disabled list for right-hander Nate Karns, who felt some tightness and fluid on top of his forearm. Karns' spot in the rotation is due up Thursday, but Yost said he is considering right-hander Ian Kennedy there -- Kennedy threw just two innings in a start in game two of a doubleheader Sunday.
The Royals still would need a starter Friday, but that could be filled by rookie Jake Junis, who started on Sunday in the first game of the doubleheader. Junis has been optioned back to Triple-A but could be recalled before the 10-day minimum because of an injury (Karns to the DL).
Two mistakes cost Jason Vargas, Royals in 4-2 loss to the Yankees
May 23, 2017By Rustin Dodd/KC Star
Royals starter Jason Vargas jerked his head back and to the left, tracking the flight of a baseball inside Yankee Stadium. For a moment, his eyes locked on the spinning white orb, sailing deep into the night, before it disappeared into the upper deck in right field.
Vargas had thrown a two-seam fastball toward the inside corner in the bottom of the fourth inning. Yankees shortstop Didi Gregorius had released his hands and elevated it toward deep right, a two-run blast that served as the tipping point in a 4-2 loss Monday night.
Vargas would say the pitch was intended for Gregorius’ “body line,” on the inner half where his barrel could not reach it, but the baseball had dropped into Gregorius’ wheelhouse, down and in. It was not a mistake in the literal sense, Vargas said, but the results were just as devastating.
“I don’t want it back,” Vargas said. “Of course, I’d like to execute better.”
In the midst of the best start of his career, his ERA still at 2.30 after nine starts, Vargas has run into his kryptonite. They wear pinstripes and reside here in the Bronx. They are led by a shortstop named Didi. For the second time in a week, the Yankees and Gregorius handed Vargas a loss.
This result was not as ugly as the last one, an 11-7 loss Wednesday at Kauffman Stadium in which Vargas allowed a season-high six runs in four innings. But for the Royals, who dropped to 18-26 and 1-3 on this road trip, the season slipping into dangerous territory, the final score offered another setback on the first of four nights in New York.
Vargas yielded just four hits. He struck out six while issuing three walks. Yet, two pitches cost him three runs. He left a two-seam fastball over the plate to Brett Gardner in the bottom of the third, and Gardner crushed a solo homer. Vargas just missed with a fastball to Gregorius in the bottom of the fourth, and Gregorius turned a 2-1 deficit into a 3-2 Yankees lead.
“Didi was able to change the game with that second homer,” Vargas said.
The lead was gone, and then came a hint of drama. The Royals momentarily tied the game at 3-3 in the seventh before a close replay review erased the tying run. The specifics: With Jorge Soler at second base and two outs in the inning, Alcides Escobar hit a chopper up the middle against Yankees reliever Adam Warren.
Second baseman Starlin Castro bolted to his right and made the stop behind the bag. He turned and flung an off-balance throw that skipped in the dirt and into the glove of first baseman Chris Carter. Escobar lunged for the bag and was immediately called safe. On the back end of the play, Soler dug for home as Carter turned toward the first-base umpire for a brief second. Soler dived across the plate and tied the game.
Inside the Royals’ dugout, a feeling of relief set in. But Yankees manager Joe Girardi emerged from the dugout, and upon review, the replay umpire deemed that the ball touched Carter’s glove a moment before Escobar’s spikes touched first base. By the letter of the law, the call appeared correct. But the baseball had bounced around in the webbing of Carter’s glove, which made it look close to a tie, even on replay.
In the moments after the overturn, the Royals’ dugout was stunned. Inside the clubhouse, the response was more muted. Royals manager Ned Yost conceded that Escobar was out. So did Escobar, who returned to the clubhouse and rewatched the video.
“Bang-bang play,” Escobar said. “Almost 100 percent they call out.”
The deficit remained at 3-2 until Carter added a solo homer against reliever Seth Maness in the bottom of the seventh. In some ways, the insurance run took the review decision of the hook. The Royals, however, were more frustrated by a series of missed opportunities on offense. They finished 0 for 10 with runners in scoring position, harkening back to the offensive misery of April. They dropped to eight games under .500 for the first time since May 11.
“We just need to find ways to get those guys in,” Yost said. “Especially in close games like tonight.”
The Royals had built a 2-0 lead in the top of the third. Rookie Jorge Bonifacio connected for his fifth homer of the season — and his third in four games. Escobar ripped an RBI double down the left-field line, scoring Whit Merrifield from first base. That was all they would manage against Yankees starter Michael Pineda, who allowed two runs in 6 1/3 innings.
By the end, Pineda lowered his ERA to 3.35 and bested Vargas, who rebounded from his worst start of the season but was still stung by two pitches. The most painful came against Gregorius, who has dominated left-handers all season.
“He’s obviously seeing the ball really well and putting good swings on it,” Vargas said. “Again, he went down and hit a good pitch. You tip your hat and move along.”
A vital cog in the middle of the field, Gregorius had entered the series batting .322 in 21 games. A shoulder strain had sidelined him for most of April, but in the days after making his season debut on April 28, he proceeded to rake. He collected seven hits in his first three games. He transformed into a terror against left-handed pitching.
On Monday, the left-handed-hitting Gregorius entered the day hitting .348 against left-handed pitching. He punished Vargas with a single in the second before his booming homer in the fourth.