Daily Clips
September 10, 2017
LOCAL
Gordon's jack, 3-run 8th help KC gain in WC
September 10, 2017By Jeffrey Flanagan and Rhett Bollinger/MLB.com
Junis delivers in big spot for Royals' rotation
Rookie righty goes 6 1/3 innings with 7 K's against Twins
September 10, 2017By Jeffrey Flanagan/MLB.com
Vargas aiming to help Royals in playoff push
September 10, 2017By Jeffrey Flanagan/MLB.com
Royals looking for Soria to return on Monday
Duffy will throw simulated game; Kennedy's start in doubt
September 10, 2017By Jeffrey Flanagan/MLB.com
Eric Hosmer carries Royals to 5-2 victory over the Twins
September 10, 2017By Rustin Dodd/KC Star
Royals reliever Joakim Soria could return from disabled list on Monday
September 10, 2017By Rustin Dodd/KC Star
Danny Duffy nears possible return; Royals’ Ned Yost mulls six-man rotation
September 10, 2017By Rustin Dodd/KC Star
Royals’ Ryan Lefebvre hits 3,000th broadcast; The umpires offered a gift
September 10, 2017By Rustin Dodd/KC Star
MINORS
Drillers even series in 16-8 slugfest
Northwest Arkansas, Tulsa set for winner-take-all Game 5 in North Division Championship Series
September 10, 2017Northwest Arkansas Naturals
Ogden Drops Playoff Tuneup
After falling behind early, Raptors take brief lead before Idaho Falls piles on
September 10, 2017By Andrew Haynes/Ogden Raptors
MLB TRANSACTIONS
July 17, 2017 •.CBSSports.com
LOCAL
Gordon's jack, 3-run 8th help KC gain in WC
September 10, 2017By Jeffrey Flanagan and Rhett Bollinger/MLB.com
Alex Gordon belted a tying homer in the seventh and Eric Hosmer providing a go-ahead single as part of a three-run eighth as the Royals rallied for a 5-2 win over the Twins on Saturday night at Kauffman Stadium.
The loss snapped Minnesota's three-game win streak, and moved Kansas City 3 1/2 games behind the Twins for the second American League Wild Card spot. The Twins maintained their two-game lead over the Angels, who dropped an 8-1 decision to the Mariners.
"It's a big win," Hosmer said. "We need something to get us going. Tomorrow, we can even out the series."
With the score tied at 2 in the eighth, Twins reliever Ryan Pressly gave up a leadoff single to Lorenzo Cain and a walk to Melky Cabrera, bringing on lefty Buddy Boshers to face Hosmer. Hosmer, though, smacked a single back up the middle, scoring pinch-runner Terrance Gore, for the Royals' first lead since the opening frame. Salvador Perez provided an insurance run with a double off Tyler Duffey and Alcides Escobar added a sacrifice fly off Alan Busenitz.
"Just trying to see something up," Hosmer said. "With Terrance in the game, you know they're not going to throw anything low because he can take the extra base, so you look for something up."
Royals right-hander JakobJunis was solid in a no-decision, surrendering two runs on eight hits over 6 1/3 innings. He was hurt by homers from Eduardo Escobar in third and Byron Buxton in the sixth. It was Escobar's sixth against the Royals, which is the most against Kansas City this season. He's also tied for the AL lead with five homers in September.
"[Junis] just had it all going for him tonight," Royals manager Ned Yost said. "He works that slider both sides of the plate and spots his fastball. He gave us just what we needed. We were thin in the back end of the 'pen. He gave us depth."
Twins right-hander Jose Berrios, who was 0-6 with a 7.17 ERA over his last eight road starts, pitched well, allowing two runs on eight hits over seven innings. But he couldn't hold the lead in the seventh, surrendering a two-out solo homer to Gordon.
"It was a changeup that was outside and wasn't middle, but he was looking for it," Berrios said. "The last game, he got the same pitch and he hit it between first and second so he was waiting, and he got it."
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
Minor makes major impact: The Twins threatened against reliever Mike Minor in the eighth with a leadoff single from Joe Mauer and a sacrifice bunt from Jorge Polanco. But Minor escaped trouble, striking out Eddie Rosario before serving Buxton's first career intentional walk. Rookie Mitch Garver entered as a pinch-hitter to face the lefty, but he grounded back to Minor to end the inning.
Buck shot: Buxton, who is nursing a bruised left hand, entered the game mired in an 0-for-20 slump, but he broke out of it with a single in the fourth. But it was his next at-bat that proved to be pivotal. After falling behind in the count, 0-2, Buxton worked it full before pulling a solo shot down the left-field line for a 2-1 lead.
"I'm just trying to do what I can and not overdo it," Buxton said. "He left a fastball back over the middle of the plate and I had enough time to react to it and put a good swing on it. I just want to go out and play as much as I can so it's something I just have to deal with."
QUOTABLE
"Until someone tells them they don't have a chance, they're not going to stop. That's their mindset with the way Ned runs his team and the guys they have out there. They have some guys banged up. We knew they'd come back and be ready to play tonight, and they came back and found a way to steal one in the last three innings." -- Twins manager Paul Molitor, on the Royals
AFTER FURTHER REVIEW
The Royals challenged an out call on a stolen base attempt of second base by Rosario in the fourth inning. The call was overturned when it was ruled Rosario's lead foot came off the bag as he was being tagged by second baseman Whit Merrifield. It was a big overturn as the next two Twins hitters singled.
Royals review specialist Bill Duplissea has made good on a Major League-best 22-of-29 challenges.
"That was huge," Yost said. "That play looked funny to me, too. Billy was right on it."
WHAT'S NEXT
Twins: Right-hander Bartolo Colon (6-11, 6.06 ERA) will start the series finale against the Royals on Sunday at Kauffman Stadium. Colon has posted a 3.94 ERA in 10 starts since joining the Twins, and he allowed two runs over 6 2/3 innings vs. the Rays last time out.
Royals: Left-hander Jason Vargas (14-10, 4.23) will start the finale of this crucial series against the Twins on Sunday at 1:15 p.m. CT. Vargas, who made his first All-Star Game this season, has struggled mightily since July 5, going 2-7 with an 8.13 ERA.
Junis delivers in big spot for Royals' rotation
Rookie righty goes 6 1/3 innings with 7 K's against Twins
September 10, 2017By Jeffrey Flanagan/MLB.com
The Royals, with a depleted bullpen, desperately needed a starter to give them some length on Saturday night against the Twins.
And rookie JakobJunis stepped up and did just that, tossing 6 1/3 innings while giving up eight hits and two runs in a 5-2 victory that moved Kansas City 3 1/2 games back of Minnesota for the second American League Wild Card spot.
A relieved Royals manager Ned Yost was thoroughly impressed with the effort. Junis walked just one and struck out seven.
"He just had it all going for him tonight," Yost said. "He works that slider both sides of the plate and spots his fastball. He gave us just what we needed. We were thin in the back end of the 'pen. He gave us depth."
Junis had one major jam in the fourth inning when the Twins loaded the bases with two out. But Junis got Jason Castro to fly out, ending the threat.
"That jam there, the thing that went unnoticed is that he did a phenomenal job pitching around [Eduardo Escobar] [who walked, loading the bases]," Yost said. "He was not going to give in to him, especially after Escobar hit a home run earlier. That's veteran, big-league pitcher stuff there."
The other key to that inning was a safe call at second base that was overturned, meaning the Twins actually had three singles and a walk that inning, but they didn't score.
"Huge overturn," Junis said. "That guy would have scored for sure."
Junis' only big mistakes came on the Escobar home run in the third and Byron Buxton's homer in the sixth.
"First one was a hanger," Junis said. "Buxton was just a good at-bat. I threw eight or nine pitches to him, and he just got a fastball and hit it. Hats off to him."
Junis now is 4-0 with a 2.68 ERA in his last six starts and quite simply has been the team's best starter.
"Just throwing strikes and getting ahead, and letting the defense play," Junis said. "I'm just trying to do the same thing I've been doing. Just trying to keep us in it."
Vargas aiming to help Royals in playoff push
September 10, 2017By Jeffrey Flanagan/MLB.com
Royals left-hander Jason Vargas will once again try to get his season back on track as he squares off against Twins right-hander Bartolo Colon in the finale of this crucial four-game series on Sunday at Kauffman Stadium.
Minnesota, which won the first two games of this series before dropping a 5-2 decision on Saturday, holds two-game lead over the Angels for the second American League Wild Card. Kansas City is 3 1/2 back in the Wild Card race.
Vargas (14-10, 4.23 ERA), who made his first All-Star Game this season, has had a disappointing second half. Since July 5, Vargas is 2-7 with an 8.13 ERA.
"I've just got to be less predictable with runners on base," Vargas said. "I've just got to find a way to consistently get outs when we need them. I haven't done that."
The Twins haven't faced Vargas since June 30, when he beat them, 8-1.
Colon (6-11, 6.06), has been a nice find since the Twins signed him on July 18. Colon, 44, is 4-3 with a 3.94 ERA with Minnesota. On Tuesday, Colon went 6 2/3 innings, giving up five hits and two runs.
Three things to know about this game
• The one Twins hitter who sees Vargas well is Joe Mauer, who is 14-for-38 (.368) against the left-hander.
• Melky Cabrera (5-for-8, .625) and Alex Gordon (3-for-9, one home run) have had success against Colon over their careers.
• Look for Royals designated hitter Brandon Moss to stay in the starting lineup -- he has five of his 19 home runs this season against the Twins.
Royals looking for Soria to return on Monday
Duffy will throw simulated game; Kennedy's start in doubt
September 10, 2017By Jeffrey Flanagan/MLB.com
Royals manager Ned Yost said right-hander Ian Kennedy's next start is in doubt, but Yost is hopeful that he could get two other injured pitchers -- left-hander Danny Duffy and right-hander Joakim Soria -- back this week.
Kennedy left Friday night's 8-5 loss to the Twins after just 55 pitches because of shoulder tightness/fatigue. Kennedy normally would be slated to go on Wednesday against the White Sox, but that spot is listed as to be announced by the Royals.
"We're going to have to get down the road a bit and see where he's at," Yost said of Kennedy. "I'm not incredibly optimistic that he's going to make it."
Yost's options to make that start?
"Not ready to talk options yet," Yost said.
The good news is that Yost expects Soria, recovering from an oblique strain, to return on Monday. Soria would be mixed in with the rest of the closer-by-committee relievers taking over for Kelvin Herrera, who was demoted from the closer's role on Friday.
"We'll have to get Jack's feet on the ground first, of course," Yost said.
Duffy, recovering from left elbow impingement, is scheduled to throw a two-inning simulated game on Monday. If all goes well, Duffy could be activated for next weekend's series against the Indians at Progressive Field.
Yost also said that once Duffy is back and the Royals reach their final scheduled off-day on Sept. 18, the club may finish out the regular season with a six-man rotation.
Eric Hosmer carries Royals to 5-2 victory over the Twins
September 10, 2017By Rustin Dodd/KC Star
Eric Hosmer wanted something up. He wanted something he could barrel. So he fixed his eyes on a spot out over the plate.
It was the bottom of the eighth inning Saturday night, and Hosmer, the Royals’ first baseman and No. 4 hitter, stepped to the plate against Twins lefty reliever Buddy Boshers. The Royals needed a single for a run, needed a run to break a stalemate with Minnesota, needed a victory to maintain hope in a possible last-chance run for a postseason spot.
All night, Hosmer had been locked in at the plate, spraying two hits and drawing a walk. All season — well, certainly since May — he had been Kansas City’s most complete hitter. He’s batted .323 and posted career highs in on-base and slugging percentages, and in some ways, the performance has been wasted. The roster has been weighed down by a soft bottom of the order and an inconsistent pitching staff. The Royals are under .500 in early September.
But then came the eighth inning in a must-win game against a division rival. Lorenzo Cain led off with a single and exited for pinch runner Terrance Gore, resting his sore quad. Melky Cabrera walked. And Hosmer strode to the plate.
“With G-Baby on the bases right there,” Hosmer said. “You know they’re not gonna want to throw anything low and risk it being in the dirt.”
Hosmer was referring to Gore, but he used his nickname, an ode to the 2001 baseball movie “Hardball” with Keanu Reeves. He knew what Gore’s speed would do, so he looked for something up.
Hosmer saw a first-pitch curveball from Boshers and ripped a single to center field, scoring Gore from second base. The Royals tacked on two more runs, securing a 5-2 decision over the Twins at Kauffman Stadium.
“It’s big,” Hosmer said. “We need something. We need something to get us going.”
Hosmer finished 3 for 3 with a walk and run scored, continuing the finest offensive season of his career. He is batting .342 in 118 games since May 1. In the eighth, he recorded his 83rd go-ahead RBI since 2015, the second most in the American League.
In a tie game with two men on base, Twins manager Paul Molitor had called on a left-hander, seeking to neutralize Hosmer. Moments later, Hosmer made him pay.
“That’s a premier performer in this league,” Royals manager Ned Yost said.
The victory propelled Kansas City (70-71) to within 3 1/2 games of Minnesota in the wild-card standings. The odds of a late run remain unlikely. The Royals require another win on Sunday to avoid falling 4 1/2 games back with 20 to play. But for one night, they staved off the Twins, shaking off consecutive losses to start the four-game series.
“Tomorrow we can even out the series,” Hosmer said, “and just try and control what we can control.”
On Saturday, they controlled enough. Rookie starter JakobJunis was splendid for 6 1/3 innings. Left fielder Alex Gordon supplied a rare opposite-field homer — his first of any kind since July 3 — in the bottom of the seventh. The blast tied the score at 2-2, and the Royals struck for three runs in the eighth, buoyed by a leadoff single by Cain, who finished 3 for 4.
Reliever Brandon Maurer earned a save in the ninth, his second for the Royals and first since Yost removed Kelvin Herrera from the closer role. Starter Jason Vargas will match up against Bartolo Colon on Sunday afternoon. At Kauffman Stadium these days, there is little margin for error.
“This was a big game for us,” Yost said. “It was a game we had to win.”
Early Saturday, the Royals’ clubhouse was business as usual, a mostly-empty room devoid of music, a collection of ballplayers preparing for another night of work. Inside his office, Yost discussed the possibility of starting pitcher Danny Duffy returning next week. On another side of the room, Brandon Moss sat near his locker and conducted a conversation about his year at the plate.
The Royals had dropped two straight games to the Twins, a ninth-inning heartbreaker on Thursday and an 8-5 decision on Friday. They sat 4 1/2 games behind their division foe in the race for the second American League wild card spot. Another loss Saturday would have left them 5 1/2 back with 21 games to play. In essence, it would be fatal.
Junis understood this. And for nearly seven innings, he offered a lifeline. In the12th start of his rookie season, he permitted just two solo homers in 6 1/3 innings, scattering eight hits while striking out seven. In his last six major-league starts, he has been a bright light in a dark second half, posting a 2.48 ERA with 34 strikeouts and two walks.
“I’m just been trying to do the same thing that I’ve been doing,” Junis said. “Not trying to put too much pressure on myself.”