Mondesi Flashes Star Power in Royals' Win

Mondesi Flashes Star Power in Royals' Win

Daily Clips

July 11, 2018

LOCAL

Mondesi flashes star power in Royals' win

Shortstop's homer, career-high 4 RBIs help sink Twins

July 11, 2018By Jeffrey Flanagan/MLB.com

Kennedy set for MRI with tightness in side

July 10, 2018By Jeffrey Flanagan/MLB.com

Alex Gordon blowing a bubble on the run was almost as impressive as the ensuing throw

July 11, 2018By Pete Grathoff/KC Star

‘Fun-to-watch’ Mondesi continues to progress as Royals snap losing streak, beat Twins

July 10, 2018By Maria Torres/KC Star

Royals have slight chance to reach modern-day record for losses, says FanGraphs writer

July 10, 2018By Pete Grathoff/KC Star

Mellinger Minutes: Whit not an All-Star (?), Jeff Long and KU, Chiefs fears, Odom's crossroads

July 10, 2018By Sam Mellinger/KC Star

Here is the called third strike on Royals' Lucas Duda, manager Ned Yost's ejection

July 10, 2018By Pete Grathoff/KC Star

The Royals’ Danny Duffy loves to walk. His teammate Adalberto Mondesi is learning how

July 11, 2018By Rustin Dodd/The Athletic

Pro softball players work clinic with local fast-pitch girls at KC’s Urban Youth Academy

July 10, 2018By Sean McDowell/FOX 4 KC

The Royals Should Trade Whit Merrifield

July 10, 2018By Craig Edwards/FanGraphs.com

MINORS

Rohlman plates seven in Chukars' romp

Royals prospect homers, triples, boosts average to .333

July 11, 2018By Marisa Ingemi/MiLB.com

Early Offense Leads Rocks to Victory

Blue Rocks Tag Big-League Rehabber Tillman for Six Runs

July 10, 2018By Wilmington Blue Rocks

Burlington Drops Opener to Danville

Braves put up double-digit runs in victory

July 10, 2018By Justin Gallanty/Burlington Royals

Chukars Explode for 15 Runs in Series Opening Win

July 11, 2018By Tyson Whiting/Idaho Falls Chukars

NATIONAL

Rays unveil renderings of new Ybor City ballpark

July 10, 2018By Bill Chastain/MLB.com

MLB TRANSACTIONS
July11, 2018 •.CBSSports.com

LOCAL

Mondesi flashes star power in Royals' win

Shortstop's homer, career-high 4 RBIs help sink Twins

July 11, 2018By Jeffrey Flanagan/MLB.com

This was the Adalberto Mondesi who Royals fans have been waiting to see.

Mondesi, likely the shortstop of the future, belted a three-run home run and added an RBI single in leading Kansas City to a 9-4 win over the Twins on Tuesday night at Target Field. The triumph snapped a 10-game losing streak.

The Royals had gone 30 straight games of scoring five runs or fewer.

Mondesi, who also had a stolen base, clubbed his home run in the second inning to deep right -- it projected to travel 400 feet, according to Statcast™. That came on a 2-2 fastball from Twins starter Aaron Slegers and gave the Royals a 4-1 lead.

"I was looking for a pitch that I could put the ball in play on," Mondesi said. "I just put a swing on it and the ball went. I wasn't looking for that [home run]. I'm not trying to do too much, and I got a good result."

Mondesi's RBI single in the sixth gave him a career-high four RBIs. Alex Gordon added a two-run home run in the ninth.

But manager Ned Yost was equally impressed with Mondesi's diving stop on a grounder that helped start a crucial double play in the seventh.

"It's fun to watch Mondi," Yost said. "He jumped on a high fastball [for the home run] and got another big base hit. And that double play he turned was just huge. Huge. We were just trying to get outs there, trying to figure out how we would get through that game [with a limited bullpen]."

Royals right-hander Ian Kennedy, activated off the disabled list earlier on Tuesday, came out of the game after throwing three innings and 67 pitches. The club announced that Kennedy, who had been recovering from a left oblique strain, left the game early because of "recurrence of left-side tightness."

Kennedy, who gave up five hits and two runs while striking out three, said he would have an MRI on Wednesday morning.

The Royals needed some length out of reliever Brian Flynn and that is exactly what he gave them, throwing four shutout innings to earn his first win. Right-hander Jason Hammel, in his first outing since his demotion to the bullpen, pitched the final two innings and gave up two runs.

"[Flynn] threw strikes and managed his pitch count," Yost said. "We knew we could take him up to 60 pitches. He did a good job."

Flynn simply was happy to hear celebratory music again in the clubhouse.

"We've been waiting a long time for this," Flynn said. "It was important, especially with the early lead we got. We just didn't want [the Twins] to get back in it. We wanted to take it to the house."

SOUND SMART

Gordon, a five-time American League Gold Glove Award winner, threw out Logan Morrison, who was trying to stretch a double into a triple in the second inning. It was Gordon's 90th assist since 2010, tops in Major League Baseball.

UP NEXT

Royals right-hander Burch Smith (0-0, 5.40 ERA) takes the mound in the series finale against the Twins at 12:10 p.m. CT on Wednesday at Target Field. Smith will be making his first start as a Royal. He has thrown 10 consecutive scoreless innings, including four shutout frames in his last outing on Friday against the Red Sox. Righty Lance Lynn (6-7, 4.29 ERA) will start for the Twins.

Kennedy set for MRI with tightness in side

July 10, 2018By Jeffrey Flanagan/MLB.com

Royals right-hander Ian Kennedy, activated off the disabled list earlier on Tuesday, once again experienced tightness in his left side and left the 9-4 win over the Twins after just three innings.

Kennedy, who had been recovering from a left oblique strain, exited after throwing 67 pitches. He said he felt tightness in a different spot from where he did previously. But Kennedy will have an MRI on Wednesday morning to determine the severity.

"It's frustrating," Kennedy said. "I felt great all week and felt good right up until the third inning."

Royals manager Ned Yost said Kennedy would definitely not make his next start, which would have been on Sunday against the White Sox in Chicago. Yost said he did not know yet who will start that series finale.

"The good news is that it's in a different spot, and on a scale of one to 10 pain-wise it's a two," Yost said. "The bad news is that it's a two and he feels it."

Kennedy gave up five hits and two runs while striking out three.

Alex Gordon blowing a bubble on the run was almost as impressive as the ensuing throw

July 11, 2018By Pete Grathoff/KC Star

Perhaps Logan Morrison was distracted by the bubble.

That's one possible explanation for why Morrison would have tried taking an extra base against Royals left fielder Alex Gordon during Tuesday night's game.

Morrison just missed a home run off Ian Kennedy in the bottom of the second inning. Gordon thought he might have a chance to catch the ball but it ricocheted off the wall and past him.

Gordon chased after the ball as Morrison rounded the bases. While sprinting, Gordon casually blew a bubble. Then he picked up the ball and threw to third in time to get Morrison.

It was the 90th outfield assist of Gordon's career. How many bubbles has he blown in that time? Well, that's impossible to say, but last year I recounted the times he's blown a bubble while doing something awesome.

Here is the play from Tuesday's game:

Click the link to view the video.

‘Fun-to-watch’ Mondesi continues to progress as Royals snap losing streak, beat Twins

July 10, 2018By Maria Torres/KC Star

The decision that allowed the Royals to snap a 10-game losing streak here on Tuesday was made long before Twins starter Aaron Slegers threw the first pitch of the game.

Royals manager Ned Yost went over his roster and wondered if it was time to give Adalberto Mondesi a day off or if outfielder Jorge Bonifacio needed it more. He decided on Bonifacio, gave Mondesi his fourth start at shortstop in five days and watched from his vantage point in the visiting dugout as he was rewarded for the choice.

On a night the Royals needed oomph to avoid a season-high 11 consecutive losses, Mondesi drove in a career-high four runs to guide the Royals to a 9-4 victory over the Twins.

He worked a 2-2 count against Slegers in the second inning and made him pay for a high fastball, yanking the 90 mph pitch into the right-field concourse for a go-ahead, three-run homer. And after falling behind 0-2 and drawing a walk in his second at-bat, Mondesi smacked the first pitch he saw from Twins reliever Matt Magill up the middle for a two-out RBI hit in the sixth inning.

And it wasn't just the hitting tool he flashed. He showcased his speed, stealing one base in two tries. He made good with his glove, lunging to tag out Logan Morrison when he tried to stretch a double into a triple in the second inning and starting a double play in the seventh to erase the lead-off walk Brian Flynn issued to Twins catcher Mitch Garver.

"It’s fun to watch Mondi," Yost said. "And that double play he turned was just huge. Huge. We were just trying to get outs there, trying to figure out how we would get through that game."

Other than watching Rule 5 acquisition Brad Keller develop into a major-league starter who’s capable of shutting down the playoff-hopeful Mariners — he did that, if you recall that eight-inning complete game in which he allowed one run on six hits and no walks on July 1 — Mondesi’s progress is the most intriguing storyline to watch as the summer drags on and the Royals continue their pace to a franchise-record 115 losses.

Because so much has been made of his potential, it’s easy to forget Mondesi is only 22 years old. He won’t turn 23 for another 17 days.

His strides have been incremental because he’s still learning. He’s spent plenty of time at the computer, studying pitchers and learning from quality control coach Pedro Grifol and others on the staff. He’s pored over scouting reports so often he wasn't sure he could tally the hours accurately.

"Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't, but that's the game," Mondesi told The Star in Spanish. "I know that's what's going to help me. It's not difficult, but it's also not something you get the hang of immediately."

You can see the slowness to adjust in his strikeout rate, as he’s been punched out 18 times in 61 at-bats, and in his .230 batting average.

But as long as they stick with him in the lineup and give him as many consecutive playing days as they can, the Royals' patience with Mondesi should bear fruit. The Royals want Mondesi to play 28 days in a month’s span before the end of the season — and at this rate, he should get there.

"He did a nice job, recognizing spin down and laying off (for a walk)," Yost said. "Those are important (signs) to us. Those are little things people don’t see but we see."

Up next: The Royals, who improved to 26-65, will close this series against the Twins at 12:10 p.m. Wednesday. Rule 5 acquisition Burch Smith will make his first start of the season after being given Jason Hammel's spot in the rotation.

On the starter: Ian Kennedy, reinstated from the disabled list for Tuesday's start, departed after the fourth inning. He missed one start recovering from tightness in his left side and reported no lingering tightness in his last bullpen. But facing his final batter in the third inning, an injury flared up on him again, forcing his removal.

"Good news is that it’s in a different spot and on a scale of one to 10, pain-wise, it’s a two," Yost said. "The bad news is that it’s a two. ... We’re not going to start him Sunday."

Kennedy allowed two runs on five hits and a walk in three innings.

Player of the game: Royals reliever Brian Flynn was pushed into a mosh pit and doused in water in the Royals' clubhouse after the game for his work preserving the 6-2 lead the Royals had when Kennedy departed. Flynn pitched four one-hit innings and allowed two walks.

"We’ve been waiting a long time for this, especially with the early lead we got," said Flynn, who threw 53 pitches and earned the victory. "We just didn’t want (the Twins) to get back in. We wanted to take it to the house."

Play of the game: Mondesi's sweet tag in the second was a product of Morrison daring to run on the vaunted arm of left fielder Alex Gordon. Gordon entered Tuesday with a defensive runs saved (DRS) score of 9, which ranked seventh among all outfielders.

Watch the play below.

Click the link to view the video.

Asked why anyone bothers running on Gordon, whose 90 career outfield assists are the most in MLB since 2010, Yost said, "I just hope they keep doing it."

Royals have slight chance to reach modern-day record for losses, says FanGraphs writer

July 10, 2018By Pete Grathoff/KC Star

If you're a Royals fan, the 1962 Mets likely have been in the back of your mind at some point.

Well, maybe not the Mets, but their modern-day record of 120 losses. While the 1899 Cleveland Spiders have the all-time record for losses (20-134 record), it came under unique circumstances. Their owner had sent the best players, including 25-game winner Cy Young, to the other team he owned, the St. Louis Browns, and set the Spiders up for failure.

So in the minds of most, the Mets' 120-loss season is the benchmark of sorts for a bad team.

With the Royals having lost 10 straight and 28 of 32 while seeing their overall record fall to 25-65, you may wonder if a 120-loss is possible.

Well, Dan Szymborski of FanGraphs wrote about just that possibility, and he calculated that the chance the Royals could reach that woeful 120 mark is 0.3 percent. The Orioles, who are 25-66, are less likely to get to 120 losses as Szymborski gives them just a 0.1 percent chance.

"Both teams stand slightly behind the Mets’ fierce pace," Szymborski wrote, "with winning percentages that round to 45-117, tantalizingly close to bleak greatness, but not quite there. ...

"But there's at least a chance, which is really all that matters. What fun is a record if it's likely to be surmounted? And it gives an additional layer of excitement to losing seasons when you need a break from wondering in what wacky way the Baltimore Orioles will mess up a Manny Machado trade or being astounded that the Royals actually advertise that it took them years to spare the roster from even a single game of Alcides Escobar's services."

Using the ZiPS projection model, Szymborski calculated the Royals' final record would be 54-108, which is different than their pace because it factors in improved play from the players. (If you're wondering, the Royals' record for losses in a season is 106, set in 2005)

However, the ZiPs projections don't factor in future roster moves, particularly trades that seem likely to occur.

"Moving Mike Moustakas isn't improbable, same goes for Lucas Duda. That's enough to get the Royals to almost 1% (chance of reaching 120 losses)," Szymborski wrote.

"A less likely result in which the team moves Danny Duffy and Whit Merrifield boosts them to 3%. A bit disappointing, but still possible."

While having someone calculate the chances of the Royals' reaching 120 losses may seem sad for Royals fans, there is actually good news in this article. FanGraphs' projections are notoriously unkind to the Royals, but in this case the computer shows the Royals should finish with nearly 10 more victories than their current pace.

As this season has unfolded, Royals fans will take any good news, right?

Mellinger Minutes: Whit not an All-Star (?), Jeff Long and KU, Chiefs fears, Odom's crossroads

July 10, 2018By Sam Mellinger/KC Star

The Kansas City Royals are a professional baseball team that plays at the highest level of their sport. Their schedule includes games nearly every day. They have won exactly four times in the last 37 days.

The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional football team that plays at the highest level of their sport. Their schedule includes one game per week. They won five times in the first 31 days of their most recent season.

The 2004 Royals were so inept that four of their five starters had ERAs of 5.35 or higher, they promoted a nonprospect for a start at Yankee Stadium to save a few grand, and once batted Ruben Mateo cleanup. They never went 37 days with just four wins.

The 2006 Royals were so lost they let their GM travel the country even after everyone knew he'd be fired. When the new GM took over, he was stunned at how backwards the organization was, but swore his new team would neither finish last or lose 100 games. They finished 34 games out of first, 16 games out of next-to-last, and lost 100 games. They never went 37 days with just four wins.