Kansas City Royals: Six Innings Is The Goal

The Kansas City Royals’ rotation pitched better lately. The key for the rotation is making it through six innings. Let’s see how they have done so far this season.

Through 67 1/3 innings pitched in 11 games started, “Steady” Edinson Volquez has lived up to his name averaging a little over six innings per start (6.12). Volquez started the season well. He pitched 24 2/3 innings allowing three total earned runs. He went 3-0 with a no decision while the team won every game he started going 4-0.

“Steady” Eddie has not been as sharp since, going 2-4 giving up 25 earned runs total in those games. The high water mark for Volquez was eight earned runs surrendered on the road against the Angels.

The surprise of the season might be the way Ian Kennedy has pitched. He has pitched 59 1/3 innings, second on the team behind Volquez at 67 1/3, with an earned run average (ERA) of 3.03.

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Kennedy is 4-3 with three no decisions coming in his last three starts. His last game against the Twins got cut short due to rain.

In seven of 10 starts, Kennedy has gone six innings five times and seven innings in two starts. His average innings pitched is barely less than six innings at 5.91 a game.

The instability continues for Yordano Ventura. Through 55 2/3 innings, his ERA is 5.17 with 33 walks and 38 strikeouts. The walks have been killing him this season. His average innings per game is 5.52 about half an inning less than optimal.

Ventura has the talent to be the ace of this staff. The problem with him is staying focused. I’ve watched every game of his this season and it seems like he can not control his emotions enough. He’s not getting fired up enough. He is trying too hard to stay calm on the mound. Ventura needs the passion to dominate and right now he does not have it.

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A couple of guys that have not lived up to expectations are Chris Young and Kris Medlen. Both guys were placed on the 15 day disabled list (DL) on the same day.

Young is back and has looked good as a relief pitcher. Young has pitched four scoreless innings giving up two hits and two walks while striking out six.

Medlen continues to recover from right rotator cuff inflammation. There is no timetable on his return to Kansas City.

Even with the four scoreless innings out of the pen, Young’s ERA is still high at 5.94. It seems as if Young has fixed his issues which is a great thing for Kansas City’s pitching staff depth.

Medlen’s ERA before heading to the DL skyrocketed to 7.77. Seven is my favorite number but not when it becomes an ERA. He is rehabbing a sore rotator cuff. He is not ready to return to Kansas City as of now. Hopefully he can get healthy and battle for a spot in the bullpen to help the Royals continue to win.

The magic number is six innings for the starters due to the bullpen depth. Luke Hochevar, Joakim Soria, Kelvin Herrera and Wade Davis are great relief pitchers. They are the ones that finish the games for the Royals most often.

Another reason why the starting rotation has improved is because of Danny Duffy and Dillon Gee. Both guys were called upon to fill in for Chris Young and Kris Medlen during their DL stints. So far both have done OK.

Duffy has looked good as a starter. Duffy got through 12 1/3 scoreless innings then the fifth inning came against the White Sox. He allowed five earned runs in 1/3 of the fifth inning then got pulled from the game. Not surprisingly, Duffy hit a wall in the fifth. Keep in mind Duffy is still stretching out from being a reliever. It takes time for pitchers to get loose enough to pitch consistently through six innings.

Dufffy got through six innings against the Tampa Bay Rays Wednesday night. He allowed three runs off seven hits one being a home run. He struck out five and walked none for a quality start. Those are good numbers for Duffy. He will continue to get starts with that kind of line.

Gee started four games for Kansas City going 2-2. Through 19 1/3 innings as a starter, Gee gave up 13 earned runs. He gave up three or more earned runs in three of the four starts. Gee will go to Omaha for a few days while Brett Eibner is on the DL with a sprained ankle, according to Royals beat reporter Rustin Dodd of the Kansas City Star.

Brett Eibner to the DL, Dillon Gee to Omaha. Rey Fuentes and Peter Moylan recalled.
— Rustin Dodd (@rustindodd) June 1, 2016

Chris Young will get the start against the Cleveland Indians on Sunday. Young will stay in the rotation after the start.

With Gee headed to Omaha, the Royals need a starter. Chris Young appears poised to start on Sunday in Cleveland.
— Rustin Dodd (@rustindodd) June 1, 2016

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Hochevar has 26 strikeouts and an ERA of 2.95 this season. He normally pitches the seventh inning or is called upon to get out of trouble if guys are on base and the starter is struggling. He is known as “The Fireman” in the Royals clubhouse.

Soria comes into a game at different times. If the Royals have a lead, he might not see action that game or he fills in for Hochevar or Herrera if one of them is not available. After a rough start to the season, Soria has rebounded accumulating a 3.20 ERA in 25 1/3 innings with 23 strikeouts. Check out this Soria stat from Royals beat reporter, Jeffrey Flanagan…

Since May 1, Joakim Soria has the lowest ERA on the team at 1.23. #Royals
— Jeffrey Flanagan (@FlannyMLB) June 2, 2016

Herrera has some of the best “stuff” in all baseball. He probably has better stuff than Wade Davis. The flamethrower can launch the ball at more than 100 MPH. He will come back with a curve ball at 88 and a nasty slider in the low 90’s. With this mix of pitches, he is almost unhittable. He has an ERA of 1.04 in 26 innings with 32 strikeouts and three walks.

Wade “The Cyborg” Davis could be a machine and we don’t know it. His artificial intelligence could be so sophisticated our human minds can not comprehend such things. Davis has dominated batters for two plus seasons now. This season his ERA is 0.89 with 22 strikeouts in 20 1/3 innings. In 2014 and 2015 his ERA stayed at or below 1.00, inhuman stuff.

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With the bullpen continuing to dominate, the starters do not need to do much. If they make it through six innings with the lead, the bullpen should be able to handle the final three innings without much of a problem.

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