Daily Clips
May 29, 2018
LOCAL
Missed opportunities come back to haunt Royals
Junis posts quality start, but KC's comeback bid falls short
May 28, 2018By Jeffrey Flanagan/MLB.com
Skoglund receives good news from MRI results
Lefty has sprained UCL; Barlow recalled, Stout optioned; Yost pays tribute to veteran father
May 28, 2018By Jeffrey/Flanagan/MLB.com
Three doubles by Jon Jay not enough for Royals against Twins
May 28, 2018By Blair Kerkhoff/KC Star
Royals' Ned Yost says his dad told him little about serving in Korean War
May 28, 2018By Pete Grathoff/KC Star
Injury news is good for Royals' Eric Skoglund
May 28, 2018By Blair Kerkhoff/KC Star
This young Royals fan who grew up in Africa had a memorable first trip to the K
May 29, 2018By Pete Grathoff/KC Star
MINORS
Rocks Celebrate Memorial Day with Win
Wilmington Walks-Off Salem in Tenth Inning
May 28, 2018By Wilmington Blue Rocks
NATIONAL
Young International Talent Is Baseball's Hottest And Most Valuable Commodity
May 28, 2018By Wayne G. McDonnell/Forbes
Kris Medlen retires from baseball at age 32
May 28, 2018By ESPN
Davidson placed on DL with back spasms
Skole called up, records first hit, homer in MLB debut
May 28, 2018By Scott Merkin/MLB.com
MLB TRANSACTIONS
May 29, 2018 •.CBSSports.com
LOCAL
Missed opportunities come back to haunt Royals
Junis posts quality start, but KC's comeback bid falls short
May 28, 2018By Jeffrey Flanagan/MLB.com
The Royals certainly had enough chances. They wasted numerous scoring opportunities, going just 4-for-19 with runners in scoring position, in an 8-5 loss to the Twins on Monday night at Kauffman Stadium.
The Royals had the bases loaded and one out in the second and didn't score. They had a leadoff double in the third and didn't score. They had runners on first and second and one out in the fourth and didn't score.
"We had ample opportunities," Royals manager Ned Yost said. "The bottom of the order could have helped us there."
Mike Moustakas finally broke the drought with a two-run double with no outs in the fifth. But he was also then stranded.
Jon Jay had three doubles for Kansas City, the first three-double game of his career. But his baserunning gaffe on his third double -- he tried to advance to third on a grounder to short with none out -- cost the Royals a runner in scoring position in the seventh.
"Mistake. And he knows it," Yost said. "The funny thing about it is he works as hard as anybody on this team on his baserunning. He does it every day, every single day, takes his fly balls and goes and works on the baserunning aspect. He just tried to push the envelope a little too much."
Added Jay, "Just trying to be aggressive there with no outs. I saw the ball softly hit, but I got to be sure."
Royals right-hander Jakob Junis again was on his game, giving up three runs over six innings, marking the eighth time this season that Junis has given up three or fewer runs. He walked four and struck out seven.
Junis' biggest mistake was a 1-1 four-seam fastball that Miguel Sano smashed over the center-field wall for a two-run jack in the fifth inning. Before that, Junis thought his 0-1 fastball was a strike, which would have changed his pitch selection.
"I thought it was a strike, but didn't get the call, unfortunately," Junis said. "At 0-2, I would've automatically gone slider. But since it was 1-1, I thought I could catch him looking for a slider and get a fastball in, maybe get it fouled off or popped up, but he was on it and he got a hold of it. Looking back on it, probably should've thrown a slider either way."
The Twins put it away essentially in the eighth with Eddie Rosario's broken-bat three-run bloop double off Burch Smith, who deserved a better fate. With one out, Robbie Grossman reached on a popup that shortstop Alcides Escobar lost in the sky. After a walk and a strikeout, Brian Dozier reached on an infield single, loading the bases for Rosario.
Jorge Soler hit his seventh home run for the Royals in the ninth. It was the 6,000th home run in franchise history.
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
The Twins took a 3-2 lead in the top of the sixth, with some soft offense. With one out, Mitch Garver rolled a single through the left side. Byron Buxton followed with a push bunt that went right to first baseman Hunter Dozier, who opted to get the out at first rather than try for a forceout of Garver at second. By the time Dozier, who is playing extensively for the first time in his career, reached the bag and fired a throw to second, Garver was safe. The extra base mattered as Brian Dozier followed with a bloop single to right, scoring Garver.
Yost, though, didn't second-guess Dozier's decision.
"You go ahead and take the out and go from there," Yost said. "It's a tough play, you're not going to throw to second and get him back at first. I think he did it fine. I don't have an issue with it."
SOUND SMART
Jay had his 10th career game with at least four hits. It was his second four-hit game this season -- the other was May 1 at Boston.
MITEL REPLAY OF THE DAY
Royals review specialist Bill Duplissea performed his magic again, challenging a no-call with two out in the eighth when a pitch appeared to hit Escobar. After the challenge, it was ruled a hit-by-pitch, which ignited a two-run rally. Duplissea is now a Major League best 13-for-15 in challenges.
UP NEXT
Left-hander Danny Duffy (2-6, 6.14 ERA) takes the mound for the Royals in Game 2 of the series against the Twins at 7:15 p.m. CT at Kauffman Stadium. Right-hander Kyle Gibson (1-3, 4.02 ERA) will start for Minnesota. Duffy went a season-high 7 2/3 innings Thursday in Texas and gave up four hits and one run while striking out five in an 8-2 victory.
Skoglund receives good news from MRI results
Lefty has sprained UCL; Barlow recalled, Stout optioned; Yost pays tribute to veteran father
May 28, 2018By Jeffrey/Flanagan/MLB.com
Royals left-hander Eric Skoglund, on the 10-day disabled list with an elbow injury, was relieved when his MRI on Monday showed no significant damage to his ulnar collateral ligament.
Royals manager Ned Yost said Skoglund has a Grade 1 sprained UCL, not a tear. There was also fluid built up around the surrounding nerve.
Skoglund said his timeline to recovery is uncertain, though.
"We'll give it some rest and hopefully, in about two weeks, we'll give it another test and then build [strength] back up," Skoglund said.
Skoglund had been feeling some discomfort in the elbow for weeks, an issue that came to a head Friday night when he gave up six runs in his last start at Texas.
But news that the injury was not a tear came as a great relief to Skoglund.
"Yeah, extremely good feeling," he said. "It's a step in the right direction to find out what it was."
Barlow back, Stout out
Before Monday's game with the Twins, the Royals recalled right-hander Scott Barlow and optioned left-hander Eric Stout back to Triple-A Omaha.
Yost said Barlow likely would piggyback on right-hander Brad Keller's first start as a Royal on Wednesday. Keller likely will have a 60-65-pitch limit.
Memorial Day thoughts
Yost said he always thinks of his late father's service to the country on Memorial Day.
"My dad served in the Korean War, and that was kind of a war that you don't really hear too much about," Yost said. "I just got through watching a documentary on Netflix -- it was a two-hour special on the Korean War, and it was extremely interesting to see some of the stuff that he went through and the conditions that he went through. In all the pictures that he has, they were up in the mountains in extreme cold. Snow everywhere. The conditions were unbearable, but you don't even really know until you watch some of this stuff.
"Just the sacrifices I think that all of our servicemen -- from every era, World War II, the Vietnam War the Korean War -- I mean, they've all got their own hardships and heartaches."
Yost said he didn't talk to his father about the Korean War experience.
"He didn't talk about it," Yost said. "And [bench coach] Dale Sveum's dad served in the same war, and Dale's dad wouldn't talk much about it, either. When my dad passed away, we found some mementos from that time, can't really say what they are, but a lot of pictures, too."
Three doubles by Jon Jay not enough for Royals against Twins
May 28, 2018By Blair Kerkhoff/KC Star
Hot-hitting Jon Jay kept seeing double Monday against the Twins, but he lost sight of his base-running fundamentals in the Royals’ 8-5 loss to the Twins.
Jay smacked three doubles for the first time in his career and produced his 10th four-hit game. And when he came to the plate in the seventh inning, his drive to left center looked to spark a rally.
But when Whit Merrifield stroked a grounder to shortstop Eduardo Escboar, Jay took off for third and was easily thrown out.
The inning ended with runners at first and third and the Royals trailing by one.
"Mistake," Royals manager Ned Yost said.
Jay said he was trying to make something happen.
"I was trying to be aggressive," Jay said. "I saw the ball softly hit, but I've got to be sure."
Jay extended his hitting streak to 10 games and he increased his American League lead for hits in May to 40. He wasn't impressed by any of it.
"I don't think about any of that stuff," Jay said. "I just show up every day and try to be consistent with my routine."
The base-running gaffe may have been the most obvious, but the Royals’ loss in the series opener was dotted with other key moments.
The Twins piled up five runs in the eighth and ninth against the Royals' bullpen. The eighth started when Robbie Grossman dropped a single that landed between left fielder Alex Gordon and shortstop Alcides Escboar because of miscommunication.
The inning ended with Eddie Rosario’s bases-clearing soft double.
Once again, the Royals were in a chase mode. They got two back in the eighth with a Jay bunt, throwing error and a Merrifield single, and one in the ninth on Jorge Soler's solo home run. But the gap was too wide.
"We had ample opportunities," Yost said. "The bottom of the order could have helped us there."
Royals starter Jacob Junis (5-4) took the loss after a terrific start. He struck out the side to open the game, with his punchout pitches registering 81, 80 and 82 mph on the radar gun. He finished with seven strikeouts, but Miguel Sano made Junis pay for his biggest mistake.
Sano was a strikeout victim in his first two plate appearances. That didn’t happen his third time up in the fifth.
Sano hit a moon shot that just eluded the glove of a leaping Jay in center. The ball dropped over the wall, driving in Brian Dozier, who had singled as the Twins opened the scoring.
The Royals quickly drew even. Jay’s second double led off the fifth and Merrifield followed with a four-pitch walk.
The Royals had been squandering scoring opportunities in the early innings, but Mike Moustakas made sure they cashed in this time with a double that flew over center fielder Byron Buxton and reached the wall.
Moustakas’ drive had tied it. But the Twins reclaimed the lead in the sixth when Dozier dropped a single into right field to score Mitch Garver from second.
The inning was Junis’ last. He had been the Royals’ slump-stopper this season. His five victories this season had come after a loss. This time, the Royals couldn’t come to his rescue.
About those early missed chances: The Royals loaded the bases in the second with one out. But Escobar took a called third strike and Ramon Torres grounded out.
Jay opened the third with a double, but the inning didn’t produce a run. Two more got aboard in the fourth, but neither scored.
Next: The Royals (18-36) and Twins (22-27), meeting for the first time this season, continue their three-game set on Tuesday at Kauffman Stadium. Danny Duffy, who was superb in his last outing, faces the Twins’ Kyle Gibson. First pitch is scheduled for 7:15 p.m.
Royals' Ned Yost says his dad told him little about serving in Korean War
May 28, 2018By Pete Grathoff/KC Star
Count manager Ned Yost as a fan of the Royals’ special Memorial Day uniforms.
After wearing white with the Royals script in green for the last two days of the weekend series against the Rangers, the Royals had blue uniforms with the same green script for Monday’s game against the Twins at Kauffman Stadium. The camouflage-designed caps were back, too.
Yost was happy it was a three-game experience.
“It’s been really cool, because it’s been a weekend that we’ve been able to kind of celebrate it, and I think it’s well-warranted,” Yost said.
Yost wasn’t thinking of anyone special on Memorial Day, but he had just finished watching a documentary on Netflix about the Korean War. That made him think of his father, Ned Yost Jr., who served in the Army in that conflict.
“After my dad died, my uncle said that my dad fought in Korea where a lot of his buddies didn’t come back,” Yost said. “It’s pretty interesting some of these places where I think he might have been.”
Yost isn’t certain where his father fought in the conflict, which started on June 25, 1950, and continued until a cease-fire on July 27, 1953.
A truck driver, Yost’s father was killed in an accident on the road when Yost was a junior in high school. Yost’s dad never said much about what he saw during the war.
“No, you know he didn’t,” Yost said. “(Bench coach) Dale Sveum’s dad served in the same war and Dale’s dad wouldn’t talk much about it. When my dad passed away, we found some mementos from that time. I can’t really say what they are, but a lot of pictures, too."
While Memorial Day is a time to remember those who died while serving our country in the armed forces, Yost said he thinks of all the people who serve.
“It’s a special day for them,” Yost said. “Just the sacrifices I think that all of our servicemen go (through), from every era. World War II, Vietnam, the Korean War, they’ve all got their long hardships and heartaches.”
Injury news is good for Royals' Eric Skoglund
May 28, 2018By Blair Kerkhoff/KC Star
A sigh of relief from starter Eric Skoglund breezed through the Royals clubhouse on Monday.
An MRI revealed that Skoglund has a Grade 1 sprain and some fluid on his ulnar nerve. Surgery won’t be required.
He was uncertain of a timetable to return, but Skoglund should be throwing in a couple of weeks.
“Give it some rest, then hopefully in two weeks or give it another test and if everything is good and cleared we’ll play some catch and build it back up again,” Skoglund said. “It’s a good feeling to finally get some answers.”
Skoglund surrendered six runs in 4 1/3 innings in a loss at Texas last Friday. He was placed on a disabled list the next day. Brad Keller, who has spent his major league debut season in the bullpen, will get his first start in Skoglund’s place on Wednesday.
Skoglund said he’s felt tenderness in his elbow all season and feared the worst.
“I was freaking out when we were in Texas,” Skoglund said. “It wasn’t a good feeling. I was saying a couple of days ago, we all work so hard in the off-season…it scares you. I was definitely worried. But it’s good news now.”
This young Royals fan who grew up in Africa had a memorable first trip to the K
May 29, 2018By Pete Grathoff/KC Star
A scene like this plays out probably hundreds of times each season at Kauffman Stadium, and likely thousands more around Major League Baseball.
For a child, is there anything that matches the very first trip to see the Royals play?
It's a chance to watch their favorite players on the field, gaze upon the Crown Vision board, be surrounded by thousands of fans, maybe see some fireworks and definitely eat some ballpark food.
But on Monday night, 11-year-old Haddon Fries’ first game at Kauffman Stadium was a bit more special than most.