MLB Team Report – Kansas City Royals – INSIDE PITCH
Manager Ned Yost pulled right-hander James Shields, who shutout the Chicago White Sox on two hits for eight innings Monday.
He said Tuesday he would still have made the same decision.
Yost summoned closer Greg Holland from the bullpen to hold the 1-0 lead. Instead, Holland gave up a run and the Royals lost 2-1 in 11 innings.
“Absolutely, I’d do it again,” Yost said.
Yost said if the Royals were up 2-0, as was the case Saturday when he left Jeremy Guthrie in to finish his first career shutout, he would have stuck with Shields to begin the ninth.
“I was hoping we’d score another run or two and let him waltz through it,” Yost said.
So out went Shields, in came Holland and gone goes the one-run lead.
“It is all hinging on everybody doing their jobs,” Yost said. “My mindset is, if I send him back out, and he gives up the tying run or the go-ahead run, which I didn’t think he was going to do, I wouldn’t be able to sleep at night.
“If I put Holly in there, and Holly gives up the tying run or the winning run, I would sleep better. But, as I found out last night, that’s not true either. When you lose a game in the ninth inning, they’re always agonizing.”
Yost didn’t have that conundrum Wednesday, with fifth starter Luis Mendoza lasting just six innings in a 5-3 loss to the Baltimore Orioles.
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MLB Team Report – Kansas City Royals – NOTES, QUOTES
RECORD: 17-13
STREAK: Lost three
PAST 10 GAMES: 5-5
NEXT: Royals (Jeremy Guthrie, 2-2, 2.52) at Orioles (Freddy Garcia, 0-0, 2.70), 7:05 p.m.
PLAYER NOTES:
–RHP Jeremy Guthrie returns to Baltimore on Thursday, where he played five seasons with the Orioles and started three opening days (2008, 2009, 2011). He is undefeated in his last 17 starts dating back to Aug. 8, 2012, at Chicago and has won nine decisions during that stretch.
–SS Alcides Escobar committed his fourth and fifth errors of the season in the fifth inning Wednesday. The five errors are the most by an American League shortstop.
–C George Kottaras committed his first error of the season in the fifth inning Wednesday. He won the backup catcher role in spring training, playing behind Salvador Perez
–DH Billy Butler went 0-for-3 in the game Wednesday and is now 0-for-7 in the series. The two games mark only his third and fourth hitless games since April 20.
–LHP Bruce Chen pitched two scoreless innings against his former team, the Baltimore Orioles, on Wednesday. Chen spent 2004-06 in Baltimore and is yet to give up an earned run this season.
QUOTE TO NOTE: “I can’t believe that I made stupid errors like that. I can’t believe I threw the ball away like that.” — SS Alcides Escobar after a throwing error led to a run in a loss Wednesday.
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MLB Team Report – Kansas City Royals – ROSTER REPORT
MEDICAL WATCH:
–LHP Danny Duffy (Tommy John surgery in June 2012) went on the 15-day disabled list March 31. He is progressing according to schedule in his comeback from Tommy John surgery last summer. Duffy threw 15 pitches in an extended spring training game in Arizona, his first game action since a start last May 13 in Chicago. If Duffy continues his progress, he is on schedule to pitch five innings by June 13, the one-year anniversary of his surgery.
–RHP Felipe Paulino (Tommy John surgery in July 2012) went on the 60-day list Feb. 12. He threw 20 batting practice pitches the week of April 22. Paulino is out of options so he can only pitch with a minor league affiliate for 30 days if he goes on a rehab assignment.
ROTATION:
RHP James Shields
RHP Ervin Santana
RHP Jeremy Guthrie
RHP Wade Davis
RHP Luis Mendoza
BULLPEN:
RHP Greg Holland (closer)
RHP Aaron Crow
RHP Kelvin Herrera
LHP Tim Collins
RHP Luke Hochevar
LHP Bruce Chen
RHP J.C. Gutierrez
CATCHERS:
Salvador Perez
George Kottaras
INFIELDERS:
1B Eric Hosmer
2B Chris Getz
SS Alcides Escobar
3B Mike Moustakas
DH Billy Butler
INF Miguel Tejada
OUTFIELDERS:
LF Alex Gordon
CF Lorenzo Cain
RF Jeff Francoeur
OF Jarrod Dyson
OF/INF Elliot Johnson
