Royals Report: 5 Things About Choke Job In NYC

The Royals are clearly running bad right now. They lost 10-7 to the Yankees in New York despite three home runs from centerfielder Lorenzo Cain.

The KC Royals fall to two games below .500 (14-16) for the first time since July, 2014. In fact, it’s hard not to be disgusted by the Kansas City Royals right now. Just when something starts to work and the offense puts up seven runs, the defense and bullpen fail.

The sloppy defense began when Lorenzo Cain allowed a pop single to bounce away from him with the bases loaded in third inning. The flub allowed all three runs to score and put the KC Royals behind 5-3.

The Royals managed to bounce back to take a 6-5 lead which they handed off to their so-called three-headed bullpen monster, but they managed to fritter away the lead with a terrible performance from Joakim Soria that included his third balk of the season and an error from Alcides Escobar that put the lead run on base.

Of course, Kelvin Herrera made ABSOLUTELY sure the Kansas City Royals would lose by allowing two more runs to put the KC Royals down 10-7 in the bottom of the eighth.

I’m sorry, this isn’t just running bad. This looks like LAZY play. The KC Royals are suddenly looking like the sad sack losers that they supposedly left behind three years ago. It’s pathetic to call them the defending World Champions right now.

Regression is a bitch.

Move on to observation no. 1 about the game by clicking below:

Next: Kris Medlen

1). Kris Medlen Isn’t Cutting It In Rotation

General manager Dayton Moore took a big gamble by signing Kris Medlen before the 2015 season to a two-year, $8 million deal. Medlen had been a top of the rotation pitcher for the Atlanta Braves, but suffered his second torn ulnar collateral ligament in his elbow.

Only one pitcher in major league history has made more than 15 starts after two Tommy John surgeries: Chris Capuano.

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Capuano has made 109 starts since his second Tommy John surgery, but has moved to the pen as a 37-year-old for the Milwaukee Brewers this season. Though durable, Capuano has been a slightly-below average starting pitcher.

That’s not a great track record for guys coming back from their second Tommy John surgery. Medlen was decent as a starter after joining the KC Royals staff in last July, but hardly dominant. Medlen went 6-2, with a 4.01 ERA in 2015, and a 4.50 ERA in eight starts.

However, he’s struggled with command in 2016. So far, Medlen’s 7.77 ERA includes 20 walks in 24.1 innings pitched.

Like Chris Young, Medlen needs to return to the pen until he shows he’s right. The KC Royals are giving away games that they can’t afford when he starts.

Next: Lorenzo Cain

3.) Danny Duffy Should Replace Medlen In The Rotation

Danny Duffy’s problem has always been iffy control that forces him into high pitch counts as a starter.

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So far as a reliever in 2016, Duffy’s BB/9 is down to a career-low 2.8, compared to 3.8 over his career. Of course, Duffy is also throwing 97 mph gas which has inflated his K/9 to 10.7 up from his 7.3 career rate.

The problem is, Duffy has been so effective as a lefty reliever that Kansas City Royals manager Ned Yost might be reluctant to disturb his success. Yet, Duffy has always had the stuff of a starter. Here’s to hoping that Danny Duffy is more Zack Greinke (whose time in the bullpen helped him gain confidence in his stuff) than Luke Hochevar, who simply wasn’t effective as a starter.

The big difference is Duffy has been attacking hitters as a reliever instead nibbling like he did as a starter. If he can bring a similar approach to starting, he could be just what the Kansas City Royals rotation needs to find their footing in 2016.

Next: Cheslor Cuthbert

4.) Cheslor Cuthbert Has Indeed Boosted Royals Offense

Cheslor Cuthbert was tearing up AAA Omaha .333/.402/.624 with 7 home runs and 28 RBI’s. Cuthbert looked too good for AAA.

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He’s continued to hit in the major leagues, slashing .333/.333/.533 with one home run in four games with the big club.

Tuesday night, Cuthbert slammed a 2-run home run and added single. His second-inning home run gave the KC Royals a rare 2-1 lead in the second inning, and his single triggered the Kansas City Royals three-run rally in the fifth that Lorenzo Cain capped with his second bomb.

Cuthbert appears ready for a major-league job, and the big club needs to find room for him when Mike Moustakas returns from the disabled list. In the mean time, the third base job appears to be his for the next few weeks. Here’s hoping that Cuthbert can hold the fort until Moose returns.

Here comes the second wave of prospects that the Kansas City Royals need to create a dynasty.

Next: Joakim Soria

5). Joakim Soria Has Decapitated The Royals Three-Headed Monster

Joakim Soria, in a word, has sucked in 2016. Signed to a three-year, $27 million deal last winter, Soria has put an end to the KC Royals three-headed bullpen monster.

Soria started the season as the set-up man, got demoted to seventh inning guy, and is now failing at that job. Handed a 6-5 lead Tuesday night, he not only failed to hold it, but gave up two runs and the lead in a game that the Kansas City Royals desperately needed to break out of a losing streak.

That’s just not getting the job done.

Soria just doesn’t look comfortable on the mound, which follows from tying a team record for balks in a season with three. That’s pretty bad when you’re a reliever and it’s only early May. He’s doing something in his motion that is triggering the umpires, and Soria needs to get it sorted out before the team can trust him in a tight game again.

Joakim Soria’s 4.96 ERA is throwing a monkey wrench into a back end that had been almost unhittable until Kelvin Herrera got rocked last night.

Next: Royals Cheslor Cuthbert Is Hitting The Ball Really Hard

NEXT GAME:

The KC Royals will send Yordano Ventura (2-2, 4.65 ERA) to the mound against  Michael Pineda (1-3, 5.73 ERA) for the New York Yankees 6:05 CST at Yankee Stadium in New York, New York on Wednesday, May11.