Kansas City Royals Roll to Eighth Straight Win

The Kansas City Royals are the hottest team in baseball. They won their eighth straight game on Monday night with a 11-8 victory over the Tigers in Detroit.

After Justin Verlander held the Royals scoreless through 4 innings, Kansas City battered him for 4 runs in the 5th and 3 in the 6th, including a 3-run shot by former Tiger Omar Infante.

The win puts Kansas City 5 games over .500 at 37-32, and only .5 games behind Detroit in the American League Central.

On the Mound

Jason Vargas continues to show why GM Dayton Moore signed him to a 4-year contract over the winter. Vargas went 7.0 innings whi9te allowing only 7 hits, 2 walks, and 2 earned runs with 4 strikeouts. Vargas won his 7th game of the year (7-2).T

Tim Collins pitched the 8th and managed to hold the Tigers scoreless despite opening  the inning by allowing a walk and a single.

Donnie Joseph got bombed in the 9th in his first appearance of the season after getting called up from Omaha. Joseph allowed ers,5 hits and 1 walk in 2/3’s of an inning. Joseph gave up 6 runs to the Tigers, including a grand slam to reserve outfielder J.D. Martinez.

Mike Mariot came in to record the final out in the 9th.

At the Plate

Oh boy, did the Kansas City Royals have fun at the plate! Kansas City hitters smacked 17 hits on the day and drew 4 walks, including 4 doubles and Infante’s home run. Seven Royals had multi-hit days and 8 of 9 starters hit safely with only Mike Moustakas getting shut out.

Infante led the way going 2-5, with a single, 3-run home run, 2 runs scored, and 4 RBI’s against his former teammates.

Billy Butler had a big day going 2-4, with a single, 3-run double, 1 walk, and 3 RBI’s.

Alex Gordon and Lorenzo Cain both went 3-5, with 2 singles an a double on the day.

This and That

Mike Moustakas has a lousy day all around. Not only did he go 0-3, he also got nailed by a hard grounder to his forehead in the 9th. Moustakas joked that he was doing a header toward the dugout in honor of the World Cup which started yesterday.

Lorenzo Cain’s 3-5 day broke an 0-15 skid. Cain’s average surged from .301 to .310 on his rebound day.

Billy Butler cost the Kansas City Royals a run by failing to go from 1st to 3rd on Alex Gordon’s double to the right field corner in the 2nd. Lorenzo Cain followed with a fly ball that should have scored Butler had he been at 3rd base. Instead, Butler compounded his error by straying off 2nd and getting thrown out to end the inning.

KC Kingdom Player of the Game

I’m going with Omar Infante and his 3-run bomb that put the kill shot on Justin Verlander. Billy Bulter might have been a candidate with his 3-run double that opened the scoring, except for his base-running buffoonery in the 2nd inning.

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• Billy Butler – 2
• Lorenzo Cain – 3
• Johnny Giavotella
• Wade Davis
• Norichika Aoki
• Salvador Perez – 4
• Jeremy Guthrie  – 5
• Jason Vargas – 5
• Alex Gordon – 8
• Bruce Chen
• James Shields – 6
• Yordano Ventura – 3
• Mike Moustakas
• Danny Duffy – 4
• Omar Infante – 2
• Mike Moustakas – 4
• Alcides Escobar – 4
• Eric Hosmer – 7
• Michael Mariot
• Casey Coleman

The Tigers

What an awful day for former ace Justin Verlander. Verlander has lost 6 of his last 7 starts including a horrendous 6.0 inning stint against KC in which he gave up 12 hits, 2 walks, and 7 earned runs with only 2 strikeouts. The former flame-throwing Verlander, who once could ring up 100mph on radar guns, topped out at 94mph on Monday. I’m sure the Tigers are glad they have him and his 4.98 ERA locked up through 2019.

Up Next

The Royals continue their 4-game showdown with the Tigers. Kansas City will send Yordano Ventura (4-5, 3.20 ERA) to to the mound against Tiger ace, and defending Cy Young winner, Max Scherzer (8-2, 3.05 ERA). Game time is 6:08 CST at Comerica Park in Detroit.

Box

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table.

2B: A Escobar (20, off J Verlander); B Butler (14, off J Verlander); L Cain (10, off J Verlander); A Gordon (20, off E Reed).
HR: O Infante (3, off J Verlander, 6th inn, 2 on, 2 outs to Deep LF-CF).
SH: M Moustakas (1, off J Verlander).
HBP: N Aoki (4, by J Verlander).
TB: O Infante 5; L Cain 4; A Gordon 4; B Butler 3; A Escobar 3; S Perez 2; E Hosmer 2; N Aoki.
GIDP: B Butler (7).
RBI: O Infante 4 (30); B Butler 3 (31); A Escobar (23); L Cain (28).
2-out RBI: O Infante 3.
Team LOB: 10.
With RISP: 8 for 19.
Fielding
DP: 1. M Moustakas-O Infante-E Hosmer.
Outfield Assists: L Cain (J Martinez at 3rd base).
Baserunning
SB: A Escobar (18, 3rd base off J Verlander/A Avila).

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table.

2B: R Davis (11, off J Vargas); N Castellanos (14, off D Joseph).
HR: J Martinez (4, off D Joseph, 9th inn, 3 on, 2 outs to Deep LF-CF).
SH: E Suarez (2, off J Vargas).
TB: R Davis 4; J Martinez 4; N Castellanos 2; V Martinez 2; B Holaday; A Avila; A Jackson; A Romine; T Hunter; I Kinsler.
GIDP: M Cabrera (8).
RBI: J Martinez 4 (20); R Davis 2 (21); V Martinez (45); A Jackson (19).
2-out RBI: J Martinez 4; V Martinez.
Team LOB: 7.
With RISP: 7 for 17.
Fielding
DP: 2. E Suarez-I Kinsler-M Cabrera; A Jackson-I Kinsler-E Suarez.
E: E Reed (1); E Suarez (2).
Outfield Assists: A Jackson (B Butler at 2nd base); R Davis (B Butler at home plate).
Baserunning
SB: R Davis (20, 2nd base off J Vargas/S Perez).

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table.

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table.

E Reed faced 6 batters in the 7th inning.
Balks: None.
WP: None.
HBP: J Verlander (3; N Aoki).
IBB: None.
Pickoffs: None.