Kansas City Royals Offensive Woes Continue

Kansas City Royals first baseman Eric Hosmer (35) Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

The Kansas City Royals (9-9) dropped the first game of their 4-game visit to AL Central rivals, the Cleveland Indians (9-10) on Monday. The Royals only managed 6 hits in the 4-3 loss.

On the Mound

Jeremy Guthrie looked good his first two innings but started getting hard in the third. The Indians scored twice in each the 4th and the 6th innings as Guthrie surrendered a 2-run home one in each frame. In the 4th, it was to Michael Brantley, and in the 6th it was to Jason Kipnis.

In all, Guthrie gave up 4 runs on 10 hits , and struck out three in 6.1 innings of work. He didn’t walk a batter. He was getting hit hard because he was catching too much of the plate most of the night. His stuff just isn’t good enough to get hitters out when he is not living down in the strike zone and on the outside.

In reality, he should never have come out for the 7th inning. The Indians had a pretty good bead on him, and that continued when 2 of the first 3 batters produced hits. Finally, Kelvin Herrera entered with one out and 2 on, and coaxed a grounder to first and a pop up to strand the base runners. He finished with 1.2 innings of scoreless work.

At the Plate

The Royals were not impressive at the plate on Monday as this team continues to have hitters struggling up and down the line up. They scored all three of their runs on three hits and an error in the fifth. Mike Moustakas and Alcides Escobar hit back-to-back doubles to score 1 run, then Jarrod Dyson bunted but ended up at second after a throwing error by Indians’ pitch Zach McAllister. After Nori Aoki made an out, Omar Infante singled in Dyson. Eric Hosmer ended the inning by grounding into a double play.

Mike Moustakas and Billy Butler have received the brunt of the displeasure of fans for their starts this season. When is Eric Hosmer going to be held accountable for his total lack of production? His slash is brutal for a number 3 hitter – .275/.333/.333/.667. He has hit into aas many double plays – 5 – as he has runs batted in. He has no home runs.

His numbers are like those of a number 8 hitter. Rag on Moustakas and Butler for their struggles, but Eric Hosmer is just a culpable for the lack of offense for the Royals as anyone.

This and That

The Royals just are not scoring late in ball games. In both their wins and their losses, over the last week, in 7 games, the Royals have scored just 2 run in 21.2 innings against the oppositions’ relievers. The only time in the last week they have scored late is in Houston last Wednesday, when they scored 2 in the 11th inning for the win. They just aren’t showing much scrappiness late in ball games.

Kansas City’s pattern continues. They are 9-0 when they score 4 runs or more, and they are 0-9 when they score 3 runs or less. Their season high for runs is 7 (twice), and they have scored more than 5 runs only 3 times. They have played in seven 1-run games, with a record of 2-5. This is what is going to happen when you can’t score after the 6 inning.

Kansas City Royals shortstop Alcides Escobar (2) Mandatory Credit: Peter G. Aiken-USA TODAY Sports

KC Kingdom Player of the Game

There wasn’t much positive about this game overall but Alcides Escobar stayed hot. He went 1-2 with a walk. He scored one of the runs and drove in another, and made a spectacular running catch. He leads the team with a .305 average. Escobar is the Player of the Game for the second straight ball game.

•  Salvador Perez
• Jason Vargas – 4
• Alex Gordon – 3
• Bruce Chen
• James Shields-2
• Yordano Ventura – 2
• Mike Moustakas
• Danny Duffy
• Omar Infante
• Mike Moustakas
• Alcides Escobar – 2

The Indians

Zach McAllister pitched 6 innings, allowing 3 runs (1 unearned) on 6 hits. he struck out 2 and walked 1. Three relievers pitched a perfect inning each to shut down the Royals late.

Jason Kipnis went 2-4 with a home run, 2 runs scored, and 2 RBI. His .829 OPS would lead the Royals

Up Next

Veteran James Shields (1-2, 3.45 ERA) will match up against youngster Danny Salazar (0-2, 7.71 ERA) in game two of this 4-game set. This will be a battle of the WHIP as Shields sports a WHIP of .963 thus far, and Salazar has a WHIP of 1.929. Hopefully, those trends continue on Tuesday. First pitch is at 6:05 Central.

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table

2B: A Escobar (6, off Z McAllister); M Moustakas (3, off Z McAllister); A Gordon (7, off Z McAllister).

3B: O Infante (2, off Z McAllister).

SH: J Dyson (1, off Z McAllister).

TB: O Infante 4; A Gordon 3; A Escobar 2; M Moustakas 2.

GIDP: S Perez (5); E Hosmer (5).

RBI: O Infante (10); A Escobar (8).

Team LOB: 4.

With RISP: 2 for 7.

Fielding

Outfield Assists: J Dyson (D Murphy at home plate).

Baserunning

CS: J Maxwell (1, 2nd base by M Rzepczynski POCS).

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table

2B: Y Gomes (2, off J Guthrie); L Chisenhall (6, off K Herrera); J Kipnis (4, off J Guthrie); N Swisher 2 (3, 2 off J Guthrie).

HR: M Brantley (4, off J Guthrie; 4th inn, 1 on, 1 out to Deep RF); J Kipnis (3, off J Guthrie; 6th inn, 1 on, 0 outs to Deep CF-RF).

TB: J Kipnis 6; N Swisher 4; M Brantley 4; L Chisenhall 3; Y Gomes 2; A Cabrera; M Bourn; D Murphy.

RBI: M Brantley 2 (18); J Kipnis 2 (9).

Team LOB: 6.

With RISP: 3 for 9.

Fielding

DP: 2. A Cabrera-J Kipnis-N Swisher; J Kipnis-A Cabrera-N Swisher.

E: L Chisenhall 2 (2); Z McAllister (1).

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table

Z McAllister faced 1 batter in the 7th inning.

Balks: None.

WP: None.

HBP: None.

IBB: None.

Pickoffs: M Rzepczynski (1; J Maxwell, 2nd base (CS)).

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