Daily Clips
June 5, 2017
LOCAL
Merrifield runs streak to 19 in loss to Indians
June 4, 2017 By Jeffrey Flanagan and Robert Falkoff/MLB.com
Skoglund learning on the fly after second start
June 4, 2017By Jeffrey Flanagan/MLB.com
Kennedy, Royals look to cool off Astros
June 4, 2017By Brian McTaggart/MLB.com
Before the rain, Indians reign supreme over Royals rookie Eric Skoglund
June 4, 2017By Rustin Dodd/KC Star
Royals reaffirm shooting victims from India are welcome here
June 4, 2017By Vahe Gregorian/KC Star
MINORS
Ramon Torres’ career year with Storm Chasers may put him on Royals’ radar
June 5, 2017By Tony Boone/Omaha World-Herald
Sunday's Series Finale Postponed by Rain
Chasers, Redbirds will make up game during August 7-10 series
June 4, 2017By Omaha Storm Chasers
RockHounds take series finale from Naturals, 8-2
Holmes ties career high with 9 K's, Taylor and Marincov both homer
June 4, 2017By Bob Hards/Midland RockHounds
Rocks Come Up Clutch in Comeback Victory
Rocks Rally for Three in the Seventh to Take Win
June 4, 2017By Wilmington Blue Rocks
Legends top Augusta 5-2 behind Vines
June 4, 2017By Lexington Legends
MLB TRANSACTIONS
June 5, 2017 •.CBSSports.com
LOCAL
Merrifield runs streak to 19 in loss to Indians
June 4, 2017 By Jeffrey Flanagan and Robert Falkoff/MLB.com
Left fielder Daniel Robertson had two hits and three RBIs, and the Indians' bullpen, which gave up seven runs on Saturday, shut down the Royals over 7 1/3 innings in an 8-0 victory on Sunday at Kauffman Stadium.
The game was delayed 1 hour, 58 minutes by rain. The Royals were shut out a league-leading sixth time.
Dan Otero (1-0) got the win in relief of starter Trevor Bauer -- Otero threw 2 1/3 scoreless innings.
Jason Kipnis hit his seventh home run for the Indians and had two RBIs.
Neither starter took the mound after the delay. Royals' rookie starter Eric Skoglund gave up four hits and four runs in two innings. Bauer gave up two hits and no runs through 1 2/3 innings.
"Robertson definitely gave us a spark," Indians manager Terry Francona said. "He was in the middle of everything. We jump out and get four before the rain came. Trevor was more than willing to go back out there, but I didn't think that made any sense."
Royals' second baseman Whit Merrifield, who had three hits, extended his career-high hitting streak to 19 games. It's the longest active streak in the Major Leagues.
"My timing is really good right now," Merrifield said. "I'm seeing the ball well. And I think my pitch selection is better. I'm taking pitches I don't like and I'm hitting the pitches I should hit."
The Indians recorded a Major League-leading seventh shutout.
"Really a good team win," Robertson said. "We jumped out with some runs and all the pitchers did a great job today."
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
Quick start: The Indians, who got beat 12-5 on Saturday, got off to a fast start against Skoglund with a four-run second. Edwin Encarnacion singled to lead off and one out later, Jose Ramirez walked. Roberto Perez jumped on a 2-0 fastball from Skoglund and drilled it to the gap in left-center, driving in two. Robertson, who filled in for Michael Brantley, later followed with another two-run double.
Stop right there: The Royals had a chance to jump back in it early. Bauer had walked Jorge Bonifacio with one out and Merrifield followed with a single. Brandon Moss popped out before the rain came. When play was resumed, Otero needed just one pitch to get Drew Butera to pop out and end the threat.
"The first pitch out was huge," Francona said. "[Otera] winds up going 2 1/3 innings and everyone else from the bullpen did well."
"Part of the reason we were threatening was the rain," Royals manager Ned Yost said. "Bauer was having trouble gripping the ball. He put us in that spot. You just hope that you can get back into it.
"You know with the two-hour rain delay, that you're going to have to go to your pen. But if you can pick up a run or two there, at least you're still in the game at that point."
SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS
Merrifield's 19-game hitting streak is the Royals' longest since Alex Gordon put together a 19-gamer in 2011.
WHAT'S NEXT
Indians: Right-hander Mike Clevinger (2-2, 3.10 ERA) will work the opener of a two-game series Tuesday in Colorado at 8:40 p.m. ET. Clevinger will be pitching on extended five days rest after taking the loss last Wednesday against Oakland. He allowed three runs on five hits in 6 2/3 innings.
Royals: Right-hander Ian Kennedy (0-5, 5.12 ERA) takes the mound for the Royals as they open a four-game set with the Astros at Kauffman Stadium starting Monday at 7:15 p.m. CT. Kennedy lasted just three innings in a 6-5 loss to Detroit on Wednesday, giving up five runs and four hits.
Skoglund learning on the fly after second start
June 4, 2017By Jeffrey Flanagan/MLB.com
Royals rookie Eric Skoglund found out in a hurry that you simply can't groove pitches at the Major League level.
Skoglund, making his second career start, left two pitches up in the second inning and both were drilled for two-run doubles in the Royals' 8-0 loss to the Indians on Sunday.
Skoglund went two innings before rain delayed the game 1 hour, 58 minutes. He did not return after giving up four hits, two walks and four runs.
The key moment was Roberto Perez's two-run, two-out double in the second inning. Skoglund fell behind Perez, 2-0, and threw a fastball right down the middle.
"I made some mistakes on pitches up that you won't get away with up here," Skoglund said. "[Against Perez], you don't want to get to a 3-0 count. That's how important first-pitch strikes are here. I didn't take advantage. I didn't execute."
With the inning extended, Daniel Robertson also drilled a two-run double and the Indians had more than enough runs.
Skoglund's outing was a far cry from his debut on Tuesday when he threw 6 1/3 scoreless innings against the Tigers.
Skoglund said he took one lesson from Sunday's loss.
"Up here, you have to get ahead in the count," he said. "You have to throw first-pitch strikes."
Skoglund tried to stay loose during the rain delay, but knew once it got past the 30-minute mark, he wouldn't return.
"Yeah, I definitely wanted to come back," he said. "I did everything I could to stay warm, but they just shut it down."
Royals manager Ned Yost indicated Skoglund likely will get another start.
"I need starters," Yost said. "I don't have [Nathan] Karns. I don't have [Danny] Duffy. So, I imagine he's going to get another start. That's not fair judgment right there [today]."
Kennedy, Royals look to cool off Astros
June 4, 2017By Brian McTaggart/MLB.com
The red-hot Astros will carry a 10-game winning streak -- as well as a club-record-tying 10-game road winning streak -- into a four-game series that starts Monday in Kansas City against the Royals, who are one of only two teams to win a series from Houston this year.
The Astros have the best record in baseball at 41-16, by a wide margin. Since getting swept at home by Cleveland on May 19-21, the Astros have won 12 of 13 games, including consecutive sweeps of the Orioles (at home) and Twins and Rangers (on the road). During their 10-game winning streak, they're hitting .326 as a team, with 26 homers and 75 RBIs. They're averaging 8.2 runs per game during the streak.
Houston outfielder George Springer and shortstop Carlos Correa have been catalysts during the Astros' recent streak.
Springer, who hit two homers on Sunday, has seven homers in Houston's past eight games, and five in his last four games. He is hitting .476 during his nine-game hitting streak. Correa has hit safely in 10 consecutive games, batting .455 with a .500 on-base percentage and five homers and 10 RBIs.
Three things to know about this game
• The Royals will send right-hander Ian Kennedy (0-5, 5.12 ERA) to the mound against the Astros. Kennedy may be winless this season, but he's 4-0 with a 1.01 ERA (three earned runs in 26 2/3 innings) in four career starts against the Astros.
• Astros starting pitcher Mike Fiers (2-2, 4.96), who's coming off his best start of the season, enters the game with 18 homers allowed, which leads the American League, but he didn't allow any homers in his previous start. That was the first time in 10 starts he didn't allow a homer.
• Astros second baseman Altuve is hitting a Major League-best .424 on the road this year, including .481 (13-for-27) on the first six games of the Astros' current road trip.
Before the rain, Indians reign supreme over Royals rookie Eric Skoglund
June 4, 2017By Rustin Dodd/KC Star
Five days after the perfect debut, Eric Skoglund had to settle for a lesson in how baseball usually goes. Magical nights can’t last forever. Reality is always there, ready to snap back squarely in your face. So five days after a goosebump-inducing standing ovation Tuesday night, the second start of his career ended with a downpour.
There was rain, of course, an afternoon storm Sunday that prompted a one-hour, 50-minute delay, limited Skoglund’s outing to just two innings and offered an easy metaphor for this performance.
In an 8-0 loss to the Cleveland Indians, Skoglund was jolted for four runs in two innings, his day ruined in moments in the second inning. Just days after limiting the Detroit Tigers to zero runs in 6 1/3 innings in his first career start, Skoglund allowed a pair of two-run doubles in the top of the second — the first to Indians catcher Roberto Perez, the second to left fielder Daniel Robertson.
“I felt pretty good,” Skoglund said. “I made some mistakes on pitches up that you won’t get away with up here.”
In this case, there were two: Perez pounced on a 2-0 fastball after Skoglund fell behind, ripping a line drive into the left-center-field gap. Two batters later, Robertson lashed an 0-1 fastball into the right-field corner with two outs, stretching the Indians’ lead to 4-0.
“You don’t want to get to a 3-0 count,” Skoglund said. “That’s how important first-pitch strikes are here. I didn’t take advantage. I didn’t execute.”
The rain came a short while later, interrupting the game in the bottom of the second. The tarp remained on the field for more than an hour, the storms lingering in the area. Inside a tunnel near the Royals’ clubhouse, Skoglund attempted to stay warm for close to 30 minutes. But after more than an hour, the delay would end his afternoon.
It will not, however, end his time in the rotation. With Danny Duffy out for six to eight weeks, and Nathan Karns’ recovery from arm soreness coming along slowly, the Royals will likely need Skoglund to start Friday in San Diego.
“I need starters,” Royals manager Ned Yost said. “I don’t have Karns. I don’t have Duffy. So I imagine he’s going to get another start. That’s not a fair judge right there (on Sunday).”
The game resumed at 3:46 p.m. Skoglund was replaced by left-hander Travis Wood, whose nightmarish season continued when he yielded two runs in the fourth inning. And yet, the bullpen struggles were rendered somewhat meaningless when the offense was shut out for a league-leading sixth time.
The Royals (24-31) still won the series after claiming victories on Friday and Saturday. And they are 3-3 on the home stand. But they could not finish off what would have been their third sweep of the season — and first since three straight wins over Baltimore during May 12-14.
The Indians (29-26) salvaged a victory on their way out of town, and now the Royals will play host to the beastly Houston Astros, owners of the American League’s best record (41-16), a 10-game winning streak, and the most potent offense in the league.
The Royals took two of three in Houston during the season’s first week, one blown save away from a sweep. But two months later, the challenge appears ever more daunting as the four-game series begins Monday night.
On Sunday, the Royals’ offense was neutralized by Indians starter Trevor Bauer, who lasted 1 2/3 innings before the rain delay, and a cavalcade of relief arms. The final score indicated a blowout. Yet, the most important out was secured by Indians reliever Dan Otero, who took over after the rain delay and faced catcher Drew Butera with two men on base and the count 2-0 in the second inning.
Otero fired an 88 mph sinker near the bottom of the strike zone. Butera popped out after one pitch, ending the inning.
“Part of the reason we were threatening was the rain,” Yost said. “Bauer was having trouble gripping the ball (before the delay). He put us in that spot.”
Before the delay, second baseman Whit Merrifield extended his hitting streak to 19 games, the longest in the majors this year. After collecting three hits, he is batting .409 with a .636 slugging percentage during the stretch, cementing his spot as the starting second baseman — even if he continues to hit at the bottom of the lineup.
“You just hope that you can get back into it,” Yost said. “You know with the two-hour rain delay that you’re going to have to go to your pen. But if you can pick up a run or two there, at least you’re still in the game at that point.”
As the day began, Skoglund had arrived at Kauffman Stadium, hoping to replicate his masterful performance from his debut. In 6 1/3 innings, he had given up just two hits while striking out five in a 1-0 victory Tuesday. For 90 pitches, he had exhibited sterling command and preternatural poise.
Five days later, Skoglund offered a glimpse of some of that in the top of the first inning, working around a two-out double by shortstop Francisco Lindor and striking out Carlos Santana to end the inning.
But Skoglund stumbled in the top of the second. Finally, reality. He allowed a leadoff single to Edwin Encarnacion on a 2-2 slider. He issued a one-out walk to Austin Jackson. And after striking out Bradley Zimmer, Skoglund could not secure the final out of the inning, allowing a two-run double to Perez, a walk to Jason Kipnis and another double to Robertson.
“Walks and doubles in the second inning,” Yost said. “Two walks. Two doubles. Four runs on the board. Just a little bit of a command (problem).”
Kipnis added a solo homer against right-hander Chris Young in the sixth. Robertson, a journeyman who has spent time with the Rangers, Angels and Mariners — and entered Sunday hitting just .212 in 14 games — finished 2 for 5 with three RBIs. The Cleveland offense took advantage of eight walks issued by the Royals pitching staff.
The result was a loss — one that took nearly five hours and offered a lesson to a rookie left-hander.
Royals reaffirm shooting victims from India are welcome here
June 4, 2017By Vahe Gregorian/KC Star
An hour or so before Royals games, the press room in the basement of Kauffman Stadium serves as a virtual green room where performers and honorees gather before moving out to the field.
Here on Sunday was a dose of sheer Americana: a color guard and national anthem singer Willa Walberg and the Chevy Kids about to experience the thrill of taking the field with Royals position players.
Sitting quietly among them was a couple about to see its first baseball game, Balakrishna and VaralakshmiDumala of India, a land where cricket and field hockey are the sports of choice.
Surely, they would be baffled by the game they were about to see.
“They don’t know anything about it,” their daughter, Sunayana, said with a laugh.
That would matter in no way at all.
They knew the infinitely more important aspect of their presence here months after their son-in-law and Sunayana’s husband, Srinivas Kuchibhotla, was killed in what is being investigated as a hate crime on Feb. 22 at Austins Bar & Grill in Olathe.
“Get out of my country,” alleged shooter Adam Purinton reportedly yelled before opening fire and also wounding AlokMadasani, Kuchibhotla’s dear friend and co-worker at Garmin, and Ian Grillot, a bystander who tried to intervene.
Now here they were convened, members of all three families under the umbrella of baseball — which may or may not still be America’s Game but certainly remains one with which we identify proudly and among our most distinct institutions.