St. Petersburg, FL —
Evan Longoria hit a homer and drove in all four runs to back James Shields' fourth shutout of the season, as the Tampa Bay Rays blanked the Kansas City Royals, 4-0, in the second test of a four-game series.
Shields (11-9), who gave up six hits, posted consecutive winning starts for the first time since winning three straight from June 14-24. He struck out eight and walked three in his eighth complete game of the season. The right-hander improved to 6-2 lifetime against Kansas City.
"We really feed off our defense and there were so many good moments tonight," Rays manager Joe Maddon said. "As a starting pitcher, you have to be jacked up about all the stuff our defense did tonight."
The game lasted just 1 hour and 53 minutes, setting the Tampa Bay record for the shortest nine-inning game.
Jeff Francis (4-12) allowed four runs on five hits over seven innings for the Royals, who have lost the first two games of this series and four of five overall. He struck out four and walked zero.
The Rays got on the board in the first inning. Desmond Jennings was hit by a pitch and Johnny Damon reached on a bunt single. The runners then pulled off a double steal and Longoria followed with a two-run single to center.
Kansas City had plenty of chances to score. In the third, the visitors put men on first and second with nobody out. Alcides Escobar fouled out on a bunt and Alex Gordon grounded into a double play to end the threat.
The Royals put men on first and second with two outs in the fourth. This time around, Johnny Giavotella struck out swinging.
Shields had to work his way out of trouble for a third straight inning in the fifth. With men on first and second and one out, Gordon struck out swinging and Melky Cabrera grounded out to keep it 2-0.
Francis retired 15 straight batters prior to Jennings' leadoff single in the sixth. Jennings was caught trying to steal second, but Damon singled to right. Longoria followed with a two-run homer to left-center field to make it a 4-0 game.
"You take Longoria out of their lineup and we're still playing," Royals manager Ned Yost said. "But, obviously, you can't do that."
Shields pitched a perfect ninth to close out his sixth career shutout.
Game Notes
The Rays have taken three of five from the Royals this season...Shields has 13 career complete games...Rays first baseman Casey Kotchman had an eight-game hitting streak snapped...Kansas City went 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position and stranded five.
2011年8月10日星期三
2011年8月6日星期六
Boesch delivers winning run for Tigers
KANSAS CITY, Mo. - For the second time this week, the Tigers lost a three-run lead in the late innings, and then Brennan Boesch rescued them.
Boesch singled in pinch-runner Andy Dirks from second base with one out in the 10th inning Friday night. That broke the tie the Royals had created by scoring three runs off the unfortunate Rick Porcello in the seventh.
Jose Valverde pitched a perfect 10th, and the Tigers won, 4-3.
On Tuesday night, Joaquin Benoit gave up two homers in the eighth to Texas to lose a three-run lead. In the bottom of the inning, Boesch hit the winning homer through the rain.
"This is the most fun I've had playing baseball in a long, long time," Boesch said. "Playing for the division right now is very emotional, and it's very fun to play in these kind of games."
And referring to his late-game hits this week, Boesch said, "I've just been feeling real confident in those situations. You're not going to get it done every time, but it sure feels good when you do."
The first two batters of the Royals' seventh, Billy Butler and Eric Hosmer, hit balls that could have been the 12th and 13th ground-ball outs in a shutout performance by Porcello.
Boesch singled in pinch-runner Andy Dirks from second base with one out in the 10th inning Friday night. That broke the tie the Royals had created by scoring three runs off the unfortunate Rick Porcello in the seventh.
Jose Valverde pitched a perfect 10th, and the Tigers won, 4-3.
On Tuesday night, Joaquin Benoit gave up two homers in the eighth to Texas to lose a three-run lead. In the bottom of the inning, Boesch hit the winning homer through the rain.
"This is the most fun I've had playing baseball in a long, long time," Boesch said. "Playing for the division right now is very emotional, and it's very fun to play in these kind of games."
And referring to his late-game hits this week, Boesch said, "I've just been feeling real confident in those situations. You're not going to get it done every time, but it sure feels good when you do."
The first two batters of the Royals' seventh, Billy Butler and Eric Hosmer, hit balls that could have been the 12th and 13th ground-ball outs in a shutout performance by Porcello.
2011年8月5日星期五
Royals Call Up 2B Johnny Giavotella
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Royals have purchased the contract of Johnny Giavotella from Triple-A Omaha.
The club announced the move after a 9-4 victory Thursday night over the Baltimore Orioles.
Giavotella, a second-round pick in 2008 out of the University of New Orleans, hit .398 in June and .383 in July in the Pacific Coast League.
His season totals with Omaha include a .338 average with nine home runs, 33 doubles, two triples, 73 RBIs and a .479 slugging percentage.
The club announced the move after a 9-4 victory Thursday night over the Baltimore Orioles.
Giavotella, a second-round pick in 2008 out of the University of New Orleans, hit .398 in June and .383 in July in the Pacific Coast League.
His season totals with Omaha include a .338 average with nine home runs, 33 doubles, two triples, 73 RBIs and a .479 slugging percentage.
2011年8月4日星期四
Hochevar sharp into 8th; Royals beat Orioles 6-2
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Luke Hochevar took some time to reflect during the All-Star break. He's pitched like an All-Star since then.
Hochevar pitched neatly into the eighth inning, Billy Butler homered and drove in four runs and the Kansas City Royals beat the Orioles 6-2 Wednesday night.
Hochevar (8-8), the first player picked in the 2006 draft, is 4-0 in his past seven starts and has matched the longest winning streak of his career. He also set a personal high for wins in a season, having gone 7-13 in 2009.
"It gave me time to sit down and look at the things I wanted to do," Hochevar said of his time off. "I just looked down the road, what I wanted things to look like in a month and the things I needed to do to get there. Just really keeping the game simple and let things come to me instead of just trying so hard, just play the game instead of working at it."
"I'm just going out and trying to execute quality pitches and try to keep it as simple as possible and just make good pitches really, changing speeds, keeping guys guessing, not being predictable," he said. "You can do those things, but if you're not executing, they're good enough hitters to square the ball up. That's really where my focus has been, making quality pitches."
Hochevar allowed one earned run and four hits in 7 1-3 innings. He struck out seven, walked one and retired 16 straight batters during one stretch.
Hochevar is 3-0 with a 2.70 earned run average in his past four starts.
"Hoch has been on a roll since the All-Star break," Royals manager Ned Yost said. "He was terrific. He pitched up, pitched down, pitched in, pitched out. He's refined his approach and simplified it."
Jeremy Guthrie (5-15) yielded six runs on eight hits in seven innings. He leads the majors in losses.
Hochevar gave up a run in the first when Adam Jones doubled with two outs and scored on Vladimir Guerrero's single, but did not allow another hit until the eighth.
"We didn't mount much offense," Orioles manager Buck Showalter said. "That was the story of the game. Hochevar really picked it up from the third inning on. You'd like to see us mount a little more offense. That seems to happen when Jeremy pitches."
Butler had a sacrifice fly in the first inning and hit a three-run homer in the seventh. His 13th homer came on a 3-0 pitch after Manny Pina doubled for his first big league hit and Alex Gordon singled.
"It was down the middle, thigh high," Butler said. "If it's not in that spot where I'm looking, I'm not swinging. What you do on a 3-0 pitch is you're looking to do damage. If not, you take it."
Alcides Escobar's triple in the second scored Yamico Navarro and Chris Getz, putting the Royals up 3-1. Escobar and Gordon each contributed three hits.
The Orioles got unearned run in the third when Hochevar committed a throwing error on a pickoff attempt, allowing Robert Andino to advance to third. He scored on J.J. Hardy's sacrifice fly.
After Matt Wieters singled and Pie doubled in the eighth, Greg Holland replaced Hochevar. Holland hit Andino to load the bases with one out, but struck out Hardy and retired Nick Markakis on a ground out to end the inning.
Holland picked up his first career save in his second opportunity.
NOTES: Yost said struggling rookie 3B Mike Moustakas would not be in the lineup Wednesday or Thursday as he worked with hitting coach Kevin Seitzer on his stroke. Moustakas is hitting .194 with one home run in 41 games. "It's mechanical more than anything else," Yost said. "But he's pressing a little bit at the plate, trying to get results, which makes it worse." Pina, who was called up Sunday, made his big league debut and went 2 for 4. ... The Orioles optioned veteran LHP Mark Hendrickson, who was 1-0 with a 5.40 ERA in seven relief appearances, to Triple-A Norfolk. The move opened up a roster spot for LHP Jo-Jo Reyes, who joined the club after being claimed off waivers Monday from Toronto. The Orioles agreed to terms with RHP Willie Eyre pending a physical. Eyre would be assigned to Norfolk. Eyre, 33, is 5-6 with a 5.14 ERA in 92 big league games. ... Rookie LHP Zach Britton, who starts Thursday for the Orioles, has struggled mightily in past two starts, losses to the Red Sox and Yankees. In those two starts, he has allowed 13 runs on 13 hits and three walks in one inning. He got just two outs July 8 at Boston and retired only one Yankee Saturday. Britton has recorded one win in his past 13 starts. ... LHP Jeff Francis starts the series finale for the Royals. Francis is coming off his best start of the season, holding the Indians to four hits in eight scoreless innings Friday.
Hochevar pitched neatly into the eighth inning, Billy Butler homered and drove in four runs and the Kansas City Royals beat the Orioles 6-2 Wednesday night.
Hochevar (8-8), the first player picked in the 2006 draft, is 4-0 in his past seven starts and has matched the longest winning streak of his career. He also set a personal high for wins in a season, having gone 7-13 in 2009.
"It gave me time to sit down and look at the things I wanted to do," Hochevar said of his time off. "I just looked down the road, what I wanted things to look like in a month and the things I needed to do to get there. Just really keeping the game simple and let things come to me instead of just trying so hard, just play the game instead of working at it."
"I'm just going out and trying to execute quality pitches and try to keep it as simple as possible and just make good pitches really, changing speeds, keeping guys guessing, not being predictable," he said. "You can do those things, but if you're not executing, they're good enough hitters to square the ball up. That's really where my focus has been, making quality pitches."
Hochevar allowed one earned run and four hits in 7 1-3 innings. He struck out seven, walked one and retired 16 straight batters during one stretch.
Hochevar is 3-0 with a 2.70 earned run average in his past four starts.
"Hoch has been on a roll since the All-Star break," Royals manager Ned Yost said. "He was terrific. He pitched up, pitched down, pitched in, pitched out. He's refined his approach and simplified it."
Jeremy Guthrie (5-15) yielded six runs on eight hits in seven innings. He leads the majors in losses.
Hochevar gave up a run in the first when Adam Jones doubled with two outs and scored on Vladimir Guerrero's single, but did not allow another hit until the eighth.
"We didn't mount much offense," Orioles manager Buck Showalter said. "That was the story of the game. Hochevar really picked it up from the third inning on. You'd like to see us mount a little more offense. That seems to happen when Jeremy pitches."
Butler had a sacrifice fly in the first inning and hit a three-run homer in the seventh. His 13th homer came on a 3-0 pitch after Manny Pina doubled for his first big league hit and Alex Gordon singled.
"It was down the middle, thigh high," Butler said. "If it's not in that spot where I'm looking, I'm not swinging. What you do on a 3-0 pitch is you're looking to do damage. If not, you take it."
Alcides Escobar's triple in the second scored Yamico Navarro and Chris Getz, putting the Royals up 3-1. Escobar and Gordon each contributed three hits.
The Orioles got unearned run in the third when Hochevar committed a throwing error on a pickoff attempt, allowing Robert Andino to advance to third. He scored on J.J. Hardy's sacrifice fly.
After Matt Wieters singled and Pie doubled in the eighth, Greg Holland replaced Hochevar. Holland hit Andino to load the bases with one out, but struck out Hardy and retired Nick Markakis on a ground out to end the inning.
Holland picked up his first career save in his second opportunity.
NOTES: Yost said struggling rookie 3B Mike Moustakas would not be in the lineup Wednesday or Thursday as he worked with hitting coach Kevin Seitzer on his stroke. Moustakas is hitting .194 with one home run in 41 games. "It's mechanical more than anything else," Yost said. "But he's pressing a little bit at the plate, trying to get results, which makes it worse." Pina, who was called up Sunday, made his big league debut and went 2 for 4. ... The Orioles optioned veteran LHP Mark Hendrickson, who was 1-0 with a 5.40 ERA in seven relief appearances, to Triple-A Norfolk. The move opened up a roster spot for LHP Jo-Jo Reyes, who joined the club after being claimed off waivers Monday from Toronto. The Orioles agreed to terms with RHP Willie Eyre pending a physical. Eyre would be assigned to Norfolk. Eyre, 33, is 5-6 with a 5.14 ERA in 92 big league games. ... Rookie LHP Zach Britton, who starts Thursday for the Orioles, has struggled mightily in past two starts, losses to the Red Sox and Yankees. In those two starts, he has allowed 13 runs on 13 hits and three walks in one inning. He got just two outs July 8 at Boston and retired only one Yankee Saturday. Britton has recorded one win in his past 13 starts. ... LHP Jeff Francis starts the series finale for the Royals. Francis is coming off his best start of the season, holding the Indians to four hits in eight scoreless innings Friday.
2011年8月3日星期三
Major League Baseball Power Rankings Week 18: An Overview – Part 5
Minnesota Twins held on to their 20th spot this week despite an ordinary performance. Their pitching’ staff, especially Carl Pavano (6-8) has been wayward and this needs to be sorted out sooner than later if the Twins aim to avoid the last spot in the American League Central division. Minnesota is currently four games ahead of last placed Kansas City Royals.
Twins have lost ten of their 19 games after the All-Star break and have not managed to win any series except a four-game series against the Royals at home. Minnesota has managed just one win in the last four games and may be ousted from the top 20 teams if this lacklustre show continues.
Minnesota have three tough series ahead with the Los Angeles Angels, Chicago White Sox and Boston Red Sox. A lot of hard work needs to be done.
Colorado Rockies are now 51-58 for the season and are struggling in the National League West division. Even though the Rockies are placed third in their division, they are ten games behind San Francisco Giants and nine games behind second placed Arizona Diamondbacks. Colorado is in tough contention with the Los Angeles Dodgers for the third spot with the latter just 1.5 games shy of toppling the former.
Rockies are satisfied after trading the experienced Ubaldo Jimenez in an attempt to strengthen their bull-pen with top prospects but this could prove to be risky moves as the Rockies do not have any solid starter around whom they can build a rotation. Although Jimenez was 6-9 with the Rockies thus far this season, his experience was immense and that is why he was rated as the most significant commodity in the transfer market.
After a lacklustre start to the second half, the Rockies have now shown improvement and are 3-3 in their last six games. They have the Phillies to tackle now and it would be interesting to see how the Rockies manage them without ace pitcher Jimenez.
The Washington Nationals made an exit from the top 20 this week, slipping three places from 19 to 22. A six-game losing-streak can be cited as the major cause of this dip.
In 16 games so far after the midsummer classic, the Nationals have won just six games while ten have ended in disappointment. Their debacle was initiated by two consecutive losses to the Dodgers before being swept 3-0 by the Florida Marlins at home.
Three of their six wins have come from their last three games and the Nationals have two relatively easier series to play before they take on the Phillies on road. They have a chance to improve from their last position in the NL East with a deficit of just 1.5 games from the Marlins.
The Oakland Athletics have slipped to 49-60 after a mixed start to the second half of the season. They are 10-7 thus far in the stretch and have impressed in bits.
The Athletics have won all three series played at home after the midseason break and their stature will be tested when they take on the two American League heavyweights, New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox on the road in August.
The A’s do not have anything more than personal glory to play for and they are now more likely to experiment the young blood to prepare for their next campaign.
Twins have lost ten of their 19 games after the All-Star break and have not managed to win any series except a four-game series against the Royals at home. Minnesota has managed just one win in the last four games and may be ousted from the top 20 teams if this lacklustre show continues.
Minnesota have three tough series ahead with the Los Angeles Angels, Chicago White Sox and Boston Red Sox. A lot of hard work needs to be done.
Colorado Rockies are now 51-58 for the season and are struggling in the National League West division. Even though the Rockies are placed third in their division, they are ten games behind San Francisco Giants and nine games behind second placed Arizona Diamondbacks. Colorado is in tough contention with the Los Angeles Dodgers for the third spot with the latter just 1.5 games shy of toppling the former.
Rockies are satisfied after trading the experienced Ubaldo Jimenez in an attempt to strengthen their bull-pen with top prospects but this could prove to be risky moves as the Rockies do not have any solid starter around whom they can build a rotation. Although Jimenez was 6-9 with the Rockies thus far this season, his experience was immense and that is why he was rated as the most significant commodity in the transfer market.
After a lacklustre start to the second half, the Rockies have now shown improvement and are 3-3 in their last six games. They have the Phillies to tackle now and it would be interesting to see how the Rockies manage them without ace pitcher Jimenez.
The Washington Nationals made an exit from the top 20 this week, slipping three places from 19 to 22. A six-game losing-streak can be cited as the major cause of this dip.
In 16 games so far after the midsummer classic, the Nationals have won just six games while ten have ended in disappointment. Their debacle was initiated by two consecutive losses to the Dodgers before being swept 3-0 by the Florida Marlins at home.
Three of their six wins have come from their last three games and the Nationals have two relatively easier series to play before they take on the Phillies on road. They have a chance to improve from their last position in the NL East with a deficit of just 1.5 games from the Marlins.
The Oakland Athletics have slipped to 49-60 after a mixed start to the second half of the season. They are 10-7 thus far in the stretch and have impressed in bits.
The Athletics have won all three series played at home after the midseason break and their stature will be tested when they take on the two American League heavyweights, New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox on the road in August.
The A’s do not have anything more than personal glory to play for and they are now more likely to experiment the young blood to prepare for their next campaign.
2011年8月2日星期二
Cardinals back up Gast in win
Springfield Cardinals left-hander John Gast delivered yet another fine start, bulldogging his way through six innings.
Then, minutes after he registered a much-needed strikeout on his 102nd pitch, a rapid sequence of events -- keyed by the team's newly installed cleanup hitter -- made him a victor.
Aaron Luna, down from Triple-A Memphis a day after Alex Castellanos was traded, fed a six-run rally in working a two-out walk that got the bat into Zack Cox's hands, sending the Cardinals to a 7-1 victory against the Northwest Arkansas Naturals.
Cox's single broke a 1-all tie and Eric Duncan's three-run home run three batters later punctuated a night in which the Cardinals had more to thump their chests about than manager Pop Warner's unconventional lineup of seven left-handed batters, five in row.
"Or six from the bottom up, if you count (leadoff man Jim) Rapoport ," Warner said proudly.
His reaction was understandable as the team beat right-hander Jake Odorizzi, the gem of four Milwaukee Brewers acquired by the Kansas City Royals in the Zack Greinke offseason trade.
The Cardinals treated a Hammons Field crowd of 5,372 to their sixth win in seven games and also pulled to within two games of the Texas League North Division-leading Naturals with 33 games left on the schedule.
And they did it with Luna arriving less than two hours before the first pitch, the result of a delayed flight out of Memphis.
"I hit in the cage and was ready to roll," Luna said. "I'm coming down here trying not to do too much and help these guys."
In losing Castellanos in the big-league club's trade to acquire Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Rafael Furcal, the Cardinals lost a .319 hitter with 19 home runs -- ideal protection between power hitters Matt Adams and Cox.
But Luna, voted a 2010 Texas League All-Star starting outfielder despite playing a reserve role all year, may foot the bill. Not only did he hit 10 home runs in Memphis, but he has a knack for getting on base.
He showed it Monday, working Odorizzi for 17 pitches in three plate appearances, including a six-pitch walk that set up Cox.
"He's going to give you a complete at-bat," Warner said.
Luna's walk was part of a wild series of events in which, at one point, Naturals manager Brian Poldberg reversed his decision -- he took a step out of the dugout with lefty reliever Brendan Lafferty in the bullpen -- to let Odorizzi face Cox, a .380 hitter in July.
Springfield clearly needed a boost, after Paulo Orlando's spectacular throw from deep right field eliminated Rapoport at third base after a flyout, a double play that nearly ruined the sixth.
"I'm glad he went," Warner said. "You want them to make a play on you."
Adams then singled and then Luna drew the walk.
"I didn't see it," Gast said of Orlando's play on Rapoport. "But we were thinking that we were going to have to start over."
Gast (3-1) did his part by outdueling Odorizzi (3-1), who had already faced Springfield twice and had a win against the Cardinals two weeks ago.
He ended a fifth-inning threat -- Orlando hit a one-out triple -- by striking out Nick Francis on his first curveball of the night, and escaped a sixth-inning jam by striking out Theriot, running in an inside fastball.
Overall, Gast used his fastball, both for effect and for strikeouts.
"I was just trying to go with my bread and butter," Gast said.
Then, minutes after he registered a much-needed strikeout on his 102nd pitch, a rapid sequence of events -- keyed by the team's newly installed cleanup hitter -- made him a victor.
Aaron Luna, down from Triple-A Memphis a day after Alex Castellanos was traded, fed a six-run rally in working a two-out walk that got the bat into Zack Cox's hands, sending the Cardinals to a 7-1 victory against the Northwest Arkansas Naturals.
Cox's single broke a 1-all tie and Eric Duncan's three-run home run three batters later punctuated a night in which the Cardinals had more to thump their chests about than manager Pop Warner's unconventional lineup of seven left-handed batters, five in row.
"Or six from the bottom up, if you count (leadoff man Jim) Rapoport ," Warner said proudly.
His reaction was understandable as the team beat right-hander Jake Odorizzi, the gem of four Milwaukee Brewers acquired by the Kansas City Royals in the Zack Greinke offseason trade.
The Cardinals treated a Hammons Field crowd of 5,372 to their sixth win in seven games and also pulled to within two games of the Texas League North Division-leading Naturals with 33 games left on the schedule.
And they did it with Luna arriving less than two hours before the first pitch, the result of a delayed flight out of Memphis.
"I hit in the cage and was ready to roll," Luna said. "I'm coming down here trying not to do too much and help these guys."
In losing Castellanos in the big-league club's trade to acquire Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Rafael Furcal, the Cardinals lost a .319 hitter with 19 home runs -- ideal protection between power hitters Matt Adams and Cox.
But Luna, voted a 2010 Texas League All-Star starting outfielder despite playing a reserve role all year, may foot the bill. Not only did he hit 10 home runs in Memphis, but he has a knack for getting on base.
He showed it Monday, working Odorizzi for 17 pitches in three plate appearances, including a six-pitch walk that set up Cox.
"He's going to give you a complete at-bat," Warner said.
Luna's walk was part of a wild series of events in which, at one point, Naturals manager Brian Poldberg reversed his decision -- he took a step out of the dugout with lefty reliever Brendan Lafferty in the bullpen -- to let Odorizzi face Cox, a .380 hitter in July.
Springfield clearly needed a boost, after Paulo Orlando's spectacular throw from deep right field eliminated Rapoport at third base after a flyout, a double play that nearly ruined the sixth.
"I'm glad he went," Warner said. "You want them to make a play on you."
Adams then singled and then Luna drew the walk.
"I didn't see it," Gast said of Orlando's play on Rapoport. "But we were thinking that we were going to have to start over."
Gast (3-1) did his part by outdueling Odorizzi (3-1), who had already faced Springfield twice and had a win against the Cardinals two weeks ago.
He ended a fifth-inning threat -- Orlando hit a one-out triple -- by striking out Nick Francis on his first curveball of the night, and escaped a sixth-inning jam by striking out Theriot, running in an inside fastball.
Overall, Gast used his fastball, both for effect and for strikeouts.
"I was just trying to go with my bread and butter," Gast said.
2011年8月1日星期一
Royals, Soria bounce back with 5-3 victory over Indians
CLEVELAND | Well, hey, it wasn’t going to happen twice in a row, right?
Joakim Soria rebounded from his worst outing in two months Sunday afternoon by closing out a 5-3 victory over the Cleveland Indians that allowed the Royals to head home buoyed by a winning road trip.
“I wanted the ball big-time today,” Soria admitted. “I was hoping to have the situation to get in the game. It worked today.”
Sunday’s success came after Soria surrendered four runs Saturday night in the ninth inning in a 5-2 loss — including a two-out, three-run walkoff homer by Matt LaPorta. This time, Soria got the job done for his 13th save in his last 14 opportunities.
“That just happened (Saturday) night,” manager Ned Yost said. “He made good pitches, and he got hit. Today, he made good pitches, and he got us through it.”
Danny Duffy started in place of Kyle Davies, who was scratched prior to the game because of a sore shoulder. Duffy, 3-4, got the victory after working five-plus innings before Louis Coleman, Tim Collins and Greg Holland provided the bridge to Soria.
Duffy said he got a heads-up Saturday to be ready to pitch.
“I’m pretty microwaveable,” he said. “You give me 30 minutes, and I’ll be ready. Today was a really good win. Our bullpen ate four great innings, and we ended up winning this road trip.”
The victory enabled the Royals to win the three-game series and complete a 4-3 trip that began with a four-game split in Boston. It marked their first winning road trip since going 3-2 through Detroit and Minnesota during April 8-13.
“Two wins against Boston in Boston is really good,” Yost said. “Coming here and winning two out of three and with a chance to take all three of them — I thought we played great baseball the whole road trip.”
The Royals have won eight of their last 12 and made Soria’s job easier by picking up a run with two outs in the top of the ninth when Alcides Escobar capped a 14-pitch at-bat against reliever Tony Sipp by lining an RBI single into center.
“When it got to 3-2,” Escobar said, “every pitch was a fastball. No breaking pitches. All fastballs middle outside. The last one was high. It was ball four if I don’t swing at it. But, wow, that’s the best at-bat in my career.”
Escobar’s single scored Chris Getz, who reached on a two-out single and stole second.
“Esky had some fan yelling at him the whole time who was pretty annoying,” left fielder Alex Gordon said. “So it felt good to see him come through. Our whole bench was fired up about it.”
The Royals got homers from Jeff Francoeur and Gordon while building leads of 3-0 and 4-2 against Cleveland starter Fausto Carmona, who fell to 5-11 after allowing four runs and six hits in 7 1/3 innings.
“We were coming off a tough loss,” Gordon said, “and it almost seemed like the same game until we started adding runs like we couldn’t do (Saturday) night. There was nothing bigger than Esky’s hit. That gave Soria more than one run to close with.”
The Royals led 3-2 when Gordon opened the eighth inning with a walk. Melky Cabrera followed with a slicing double to left that moved Gordon to third, but the Indians opted to stay with Carmona.
Billy Butler’s line drive into right-center turned into a sacrifice fly when it held up long enough for Kosuke Fukudome to run down.
Cleveland got that run back in a hurry after Ezequiel Carrera opened the bottom of the inning with a pinch-double against Holland. Carrera went to third on a wild pitch and scored when pinch hitter Travis Hafner grounded to short.
Holland struck out the next two hitters. Escobar’s single made it 5-3 before Soria pitched around a one-out walk by getting Carlos Santana to ground into a game-ending double play.
“Baseball is like that,” Soria said. “You lose one day, but the good part of baseball is you always have the next day to redeem yourself.”
Inside
Kyle Davies is scratched from his start Sunday because of a sore shoulder. | B5
Joakim Soria rebounded from his worst outing in two months Sunday afternoon by closing out a 5-3 victory over the Cleveland Indians that allowed the Royals to head home buoyed by a winning road trip.
“I wanted the ball big-time today,” Soria admitted. “I was hoping to have the situation to get in the game. It worked today.”
Sunday’s success came after Soria surrendered four runs Saturday night in the ninth inning in a 5-2 loss — including a two-out, three-run walkoff homer by Matt LaPorta. This time, Soria got the job done for his 13th save in his last 14 opportunities.
“That just happened (Saturday) night,” manager Ned Yost said. “He made good pitches, and he got hit. Today, he made good pitches, and he got us through it.”
Danny Duffy started in place of Kyle Davies, who was scratched prior to the game because of a sore shoulder. Duffy, 3-4, got the victory after working five-plus innings before Louis Coleman, Tim Collins and Greg Holland provided the bridge to Soria.
Duffy said he got a heads-up Saturday to be ready to pitch.
“I’m pretty microwaveable,” he said. “You give me 30 minutes, and I’ll be ready. Today was a really good win. Our bullpen ate four great innings, and we ended up winning this road trip.”
The victory enabled the Royals to win the three-game series and complete a 4-3 trip that began with a four-game split in Boston. It marked their first winning road trip since going 3-2 through Detroit and Minnesota during April 8-13.
“Two wins against Boston in Boston is really good,” Yost said. “Coming here and winning two out of three and with a chance to take all three of them — I thought we played great baseball the whole road trip.”
The Royals have won eight of their last 12 and made Soria’s job easier by picking up a run with two outs in the top of the ninth when Alcides Escobar capped a 14-pitch at-bat against reliever Tony Sipp by lining an RBI single into center.
“When it got to 3-2,” Escobar said, “every pitch was a fastball. No breaking pitches. All fastballs middle outside. The last one was high. It was ball four if I don’t swing at it. But, wow, that’s the best at-bat in my career.”
Escobar’s single scored Chris Getz, who reached on a two-out single and stole second.
“Esky had some fan yelling at him the whole time who was pretty annoying,” left fielder Alex Gordon said. “So it felt good to see him come through. Our whole bench was fired up about it.”
The Royals got homers from Jeff Francoeur and Gordon while building leads of 3-0 and 4-2 against Cleveland starter Fausto Carmona, who fell to 5-11 after allowing four runs and six hits in 7 1/3 innings.
“We were coming off a tough loss,” Gordon said, “and it almost seemed like the same game until we started adding runs like we couldn’t do (Saturday) night. There was nothing bigger than Esky’s hit. That gave Soria more than one run to close with.”
The Royals led 3-2 when Gordon opened the eighth inning with a walk. Melky Cabrera followed with a slicing double to left that moved Gordon to third, but the Indians opted to stay with Carmona.
Billy Butler’s line drive into right-center turned into a sacrifice fly when it held up long enough for Kosuke Fukudome to run down.
Cleveland got that run back in a hurry after Ezequiel Carrera opened the bottom of the inning with a pinch-double against Holland. Carrera went to third on a wild pitch and scored when pinch hitter Travis Hafner grounded to short.
Holland struck out the next two hitters. Escobar’s single made it 5-3 before Soria pitched around a one-out walk by getting Carlos Santana to ground into a game-ending double play.
“Baseball is like that,” Soria said. “You lose one day, but the good part of baseball is you always have the next day to redeem yourself.”
Inside
Kyle Davies is scratched from his start Sunday because of a sore shoulder. | B5
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