Daily Clips
August 8, 2017
LOCAL
Moose cracks 32nd HR, but Royals fall to Cards
August 8, 2017By Jeffrey Flanagan and Robert Falkoff/MLB.com
Troublesome fourth inning trips up Royals
Escobar misplays double-play ball, six runs score in the frame
August 8, 2017By Jeffrey Flanagan/MLB.com
Salvy hoping DL stint will just be 10 days
Royals catcher says injections have helped reduce pain
August 8, 2017By Jeffrey Flanagan/MLB.com
Vargas aims to bounce back against Cardinals
August 8, 2017By Robert Falkoff/MLB.com
Royal advantage: KC has edge in playoff chase
Weighted scheduling considers both opposing teams and quality of recent play
August 8, 2017By Mike Petriello/MLB.com
Kennedy, defense falter in Royals’ 11-3 setback against the Cardinals
August 8, 2017By Rustin Dodd/KC Star
Royals’ Salvador Perez says pain in side ‘has gone down a little bit’
August 8, 2017By Rustin Dodd/KC Star
Royals fans showed up better than their team in battle for cross-state bragging rights
August 8, 2017ByVahe Gregorian/KC Star
Doctor gives Royals pitcher Nathan Karns a surgery souvenir: A piece of his rib
August 8, 2017By Rustin Dodd/KC Star
Why the Royals need to be the best defensive team in the American League
August 8, 2017By Lee Judge/KC Star
MINORS
Soler's 4 RBIs Lead Chasers to 8-4 Win
Omaha take opener in Memphis, win 5th out of 6
August 8, 2017Omaha Storm Chasers
Asheville wins 7-0 in series opener
August 8, 2017Lexington Legends
Mustangs no-hit through six, lose series opener 6-2 to Chukars
August 8, 2017Billings Mustangs
MLB TRANSACTIONS
August 8, 2017 •.CBSSports.com
LOCAL
Moose cracks 32nd HR, but Royals fall to Cards
August 8, 2017By Jeffrey Flanagan and Robert Falkoff/MLB.com
Right-hander Carlos Martinez went eight strong innings and first baseman Matt Carpenter drilled a three-run home run as the Cardinals rolled past the Royals, 11-3, on Monday night at Kauffman Stadium.
The Cardinals reached the .500 mark (56-56) for the first time since they were 26-26. They moved within 3 1/2 games of the National League Central lead. The Royals dropped three games behind the American League Central-leading Indians, and fell into a tie with Tampa Bay for the second AL Wild Card spot.
Martinez (8-9) gave up six hits and two runs while walking none and striking out seven. Kolten Wong and Paul DeJong added two-run home runs for the Cards.
Martinez has had first-inning woes in recent weeks, but breezed through the first frame on Monday.
"He wakes up intense every single day," Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said. "It's just harnessing it. Too much or not enough. It's part of his development as a frontline pitcher."
Said Martinez through a translator: "Today, I was really focused. Especially in the bullpen when I was warming up."
The Cardinals have suddenly broke out from an offensively-challenged stretch to score 24 runs combined in their last two games.
"To see everybody contributing is huge," Matheny said.
Royals right-hander Ian Kennedy was fine until a six-run fourth did him in, an inning that was aided by two errors and two walks. He finished with six innings pitched, giving up seven runs (six earned) while walking four and striking out five.
"He had a bad inning," Royals manager Ned Yost said. "That's what it was. Rest of the game he was actually pretty good."
Added Kennedy, "I feel like it's a funk. It just stinks when you have the last two outings I've had."
Mike Moustakas hit his 32nd home run for the Royals. He is now just four homers away from tying Steve Balboni for the club record in a single season, set in 1985. Brandon Moss and Eric Hosmer also homered.
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
Costly boot: The Cardinals were threatening for a big inning in a 1-1 game in the fourth, loading the bases on a single by Jose Martinez, a double by Yadier Molina and a walk to Dexter Fowler. Wong then hit a hard three-hopper to shortstop Alcides Escobar, a sure double-play ball, but Escobar booted it and all runners were safe as a run scored. Kennedy struck out Randal Grichuk, which would have been the third out. Kennedy then walked Greg Garcia, forcing in another run, and a throwing error on a pickoff attempt by Drew Butera brought home one more. Carpenter then ripped a three-run home run to complete the six-run inning.
"It's a play I can make," Escobar said. "I didn't really get my feet set and I tried to stretch for it. I didn't get it."
Martinez ends a threat: The Royals, down 7-1 in the fourth, started to make some noise with one out when Hosmer belted his 18th home run to left. Melky Cabrera followed with a double and Moustakas reached on an error. But Martinez struck out Moss and got Escobar to tap back to the mound.
"I had a lot more confidence in my control and command today, and that helped me get through the eight innings," Martinez said through a translator.
WHAT'S NEXT
Cardinals: Right-hander Michael Wacha (8-4, 3.66 ERA) will start for the Cardinals in the road trip finale at 7:15 p.m. CT on Tuesday at Kauffman Stadium. Wacha worked only four innings in his last start at Milwaukee, allowing one run on five hits while getting a no-decision. Wacha is 4-5 with a 3.42 ERA in 13 career Interleague starts.
Royals: Left-hander Jason Vargas (13-5, 3.10) will take the mound against the Cardinals on Tuesday night before the I-70 Series shifts to Busch Stadium. Vargas gave up three runs over five innings in his last start against the Orioles in a 6-0 loss at Camden Yards. Vargas hasn't faced the Cardinals since 2014.
Troublesome fourth inning trips up Royals
Escobar misplays double-play ball, six runs score in the frame
August 8, 2017By Jeffrey Flanagan/MLB.com
It's a play that Royals shortstop Alcides Escobar makes almost every single time.
With the bases loaded and none out in a tie game in the fourth, the Cardinals' Kolten Wong sent a three-hopper toward Escobar, and the Royals were fully expecting a 6-4-3 double play. Instead, Escobar booted it, everyone was safe, and a run scored.
Within minutes, the Cardinals added five runs in the inning and essentially put the game away. The Cards won Monday, 11-3.
"It's a play I can make," Escobar said. "I didn't really get my feet set and I tried to stretch for it. I didn't get it."
What really made the error sting was that Royals starter Ian Kennedy struck out the next hitter, which could have been the third out, meaning the Royals would have escaped the mess trailing only 2-1.
"He's so good over there," Kennedy said. "You think it's a double play and it's only going to take one more out to get out of it. You try to pick him up the best you can. He doesn't make those errors."
Kennedy shoulders some blame as well. He walked two hitters, including the No. 9 hitter, Greg Garcia, to force in another run before a throwing error by catcher Drew Butera allowed yet another run to score. The inning was capped by Matt Carpenter's three-run homer.
"The whole time was really high-intensity pitches," Kennedy said. "First two guys got on, then the walk. The whole time I just kept falling behind guys."
Royals manager Ned Yost applauded the Cardinals' offensive approach.
"He was just missing off the corner," Yost said. "And they wouldn't bite."
The Royals also were lamenting a second straight day of shaky defense. In an 8-7 loss to the Mariners on Sunday, a passed ball on a third strike/third out and a botched rundown play allowed four Mariners runs.
It's an unusual stretch for one of the best defensive teams in baseball. Yost said all teams go through defensive lapses.
"I mean, they do," Yost said. "There's no way around it. We do have a tremendous defensive team. It's a little unexpected when we have those errors."
Salvy hoping DL stint will just be 10 days
Royals catcher says injections have helped reduce pain
August 8, 2017By Jeffrey Flanagan/MLB.com
A little less than 72 hours after Royals All-Star catcher Salvador Perez sustained a right intercostal strain, Perez had no more insight into how long he would remain on the disabled list.
The intercostal is a group of muscles located between the ribs that work to stabilize the chest wall.
"We don't have a timetable right now," Perez said before Monday's game against the Cardinals. "We don't have one exact day to come back. It will at least have to be 10 days. Hopefully it will just be 10 days."
For now, Perez will continue to receive daily treatment, including the anti-inflammatory injections he received on Sunday.
"It feels better today," Perez said. "Yesterday was a little painful. Today's pain went down a little. I think the injections are starting to work."
The Royals' medical staff is waiting for the inflammation in Perez's right side to subside before making a more definitive estimate on his recovery time.
Meanwhile, Perez is trying to cope with being on the disabled list for the first time since 2013.
"It's terrible," Perez said. "I don't like it. But it's part of the game. I feel a little sad when I see my teammates play and I can't help."
Perez has been dealing with nagging issues on both sides of his torso since May. But the strains were not severe enough then to keep him out of the lineup.
"It started in May," Perez said. "I felt something there. Something sore, something tight. But it was something I could control.
"I don't think a little rest would have helped. They told me if I wanted it to go away, I should sit and let it heal for a month.
"We're fighting for another chance at a playoff. It's hard. I want to play."
But on Friday night against the Mariners, Perez swung hard and missed at a 2-0 pitch in the dirt. And
the pain was indeed more evident than earlier this season.
"It only hurts when I swing and miss," Perez said. "I was feeling something, a little pinch on left side and right side. I felt it worse that night. It was a 2-0 count. Swung and missed. Then it hurt."
Perez came out of the game immediately and later on Friday night, he got the bad news after getting an MRI.
"All I can do is work hard and get treatment," Perez said. "The harder I work the faster I'll come back."
Vargas aims to bounce back against Cardinals
August 8, 2017By Robert Falkoff/MLB.com
Cardinals right-hander Michael Wacha has been prospering lately in much the same manner that Royals left-hander Jason Vargas prospered earlier this season.
Wacha, who is 5-1 with a 1.90 ERA in his last seven starts, will try to keep it going on Tuesday while Vargas will attempt to approach his earlier form which landed him on the All-Star team as the Royals and Cardinals wrap up the Kauffman Stadium portion of the annual I-70 Series. The cross-state rivals will play on Wednesday and Thursday at Busch Stadium.
After going 12-3 with a 2.22 ERA through June 30, Vargas struggled in July with a 7.23 ERA in four starts. He'll be facing the Cardinals for the first time since 2014.
Vargas is coming off a rough second inning on Wednesday against the Orioles at Camden Yards. He allowed three runs in that inning on an RBI double and a two-run homer. Wacha allowed one run on five hits while going just four innings in his last start, a no-decision against the Brewers at Miller Park.
Three things to know about this game
• Wacha has made four career starts against the Royals, and each outing has been a quality start. He is 2-1 with a 2.42 ERA.
• Vargas' changeup has had a significant hand in his success this season, although its performance has dipped of late. Prior to July 1, the pitch yielded just a .139 batting average and .194 slugging percentage, but those numbers since have jumped to .333/.611.
• The Cardinals are just 3-5 while playing the last game of a road trip. St. Louis is concluding a three-city trip through Milwaukee, Cincinnati and Kansas City.
Royal advantage: KC has edge in playoff chase
Weighted scheduling considers both opposing teams and quality of recent play
August 8, 2017By Mike Petriello/MLB.com
With nine teams* still battling for entry into the postseason in the American League, it's safe to say that every single game is of the utmost importance. Of course, not every team has the same schedule remaining, and that's a big deal. So which club has it easiest going down the stretch? And how do you even answer that question?
* -- Yes, nine. The Astros have had the AL West locked up for months, and the White Sox, Rangers, A's, Blue Jays and Tigers are within neither three games of .500 nor three games of an AL Wild Card spot. Everyone else, including the division-leading Red Sox and Indians, still has a lot to play for.
It's easy to look at a team's remaining schedule, add up the winning percentage of all the teams they're facing, and go from there. While doing so is a decent start, it doesn't really tell you enough about where each team is right now. A win in April counts as much as a win in August, sure. But it doesn't matter as much, does it?
That being the case, we have good news for you, Royals fans: No team has a lighter schedule down the stretch, with an adjusted remaining strength of schedule of just .477. Put another way, that's 77-85 opposition over a full season. On the other hand, the Angels still have nine more games against Houston and face the equivalent of an 82-80 schedule. It matters.
How did we come up with these adjusted numbers? Let's use the Royals as an example.
After splitting Sunday's doubleheader with Seattle, Kansas City is 57-53, a fine .518 winning percentage. But like every other team, the Royals have changed considerably as the year has gone on.
They aren't the same team that went a league-worst 7-16 in April, when Raul Mondesi and Paulo Orlando were in the regular lineup, and Eric Hosmer hadn't yet turned his season around. Surely, you have to put more weight on the fact that Kansas City went 16-10 in July, and that the club recently added Melky Cabrera and three pitchers from San Diego, right? Right.
Or take the Dodgers, who went merely 14-12 in April, when Justin Turner was injured and Cody Bellinger and Chris Taylor weren't on the roster. You would have rather played them then than now. Conversely, it's safe to say you'd have rather played the White Sox in August than in April, when they were 13-10 and still had Jose Quintana, Todd Frazier, David Robertson and Tommy Kahnle.
So how do we account for that effect? There's no perfect way, but here is one way: We take each team's monthly winning percentage (grouping the few August games with July), and weight each month proportionally more heavily than the one before it. So while the Royals have a .518 winning percentage this season, our weighted average gives them credit for playing like a .560 team. After all, they've improved in each month of the season, from .304 in April, to .517 in May, to .581 in June, to .630 in July/August.
Having come up with each team's adjusted winning percentage, we reweight it again based on the number of times a team will see a particular opponent, and this becomes extremely important. To pick an example at random, the Angels see the Mariners 10 more times, but the Rays play Seattle just three times. We must account for that, so combining a team's adjusted record and how many games they have left against each club gives us our remaining strength of schedule.
So what is it that gives the Royals such an advantage? And now that we mention it, why are the three teams with the lowest opponents adjusted strength of schedule all in the AL Central? As it turns out, the White Sox will still have a pretty big say in how this year's playoffs shake out -- just not in the way you'd expect.
As we said, the White Sox have undergone a massive -- and very well-reviewed -- sell-off, accumulating what's probably baseball's best farm system. Of course, it's left them considerably weakened at the big league level; they're 4-23 since July 4. So if we look to the AL West, the Angels, for example, still get to play the White Sox four more times, but the Mariners are finished -- and won just four of seven. Advantage, Angels.
The Royals, however, still get to face Chicago nine more times, the most of any team. They face the Twins seven more times, and Minnesota's hot start (.522 in April, .538 in May) has not persisted (.483 in June, .419 since July 1). Not only that, Kansas City is better positioned against the East's best than Cleveland is, since the Royals have just a single game remaining against the pair (a makeup game against the Yankees), while the Tribe sees the Red Sox (adjusted .565) and Yanks (.516) seven more times.