Royals Report: Paulo Orlando Mashes In 4-1 Win Over White Sox

The Royals struck first in their three-game series against the AL Central leading White Sox, taking the first game 4-1 at U.S. Cellular Field in Chicago.

Dillon Gee made his second start in place of the injured Chris Young, and held the White Sox to one run in five innings. This time, Gee earned the win when the bullpen finished the job to go 1-1 on the season.

The Kansas City Royals are once again playing like the defending champions after a three-week funk that saw their record slide from a strong 12-6 start, to two games under .500 before their series against the Braves last weekend.

Though the KC Royals managed to take two out of three against the Braves, they didn’t look very good doing it due to exchanging base-running blunders with moribund Atlanta.

No matter. The Kansas City Royals appear to be back on track after playing well in their series against Boston, and beginning their road trip with a W against Chicago. The KC Royals can make up a lot of ground on the White Sox in the near future, playing six more games against their Central Division rivals before the end of May.

On to my five observations about Friday night’s game:

Next: Dillon Gee

4) Forget Those Reports About Andrelton Simmons Stealing Esky’s Gold Glove

Last winter, most pundits believed Alcides Escobar‘s reign as Gold Glove shortstop in the AL would be a one year affair when the Los Angeles Angels traded with the Braves to acquire Andrelton Simmons.

Not so fast.

More from KC Royals News

• KC Royals Roster Moves: 3 players added, 1 re-signed
• KC Royals News: Awards, a new coach, and more
• Why the KC Royals could reunite with this old friend
• 3 outfielders the KC Royals should consider protecting
• Should the KC Royals call this championship exec?

Simmons tore the ulnar collateral ligament in his left thumb (glove hand) on May 8 and will be out until July. Meanwhile, Alcides Escobar is making plays like this from Friday night (click the link, everyone. It’s well worth it).

Escobar rescued the Kansas City Royals from a sticky situation in the seventh when Soria gave up a hit and a walk to put the tying run at the plate in the person of slugger Todd Frazier, who is tied for the AL lead with 12 home runs. Frazier hit a screaming line drive to short that Escobar speared with a lunge to his right and turned with a perfect throw to double off the runner at second.

Yeah, Andrelton. Super-Esky isn’t going to give up the AL shortstop hardware without a fight.

Though I must confess, Fangraphs.com’s defensive metrics don’t love Esky that much. Their DEF metric rates Escobar a mere 17th in defense with a slightly above average mark of 0.1 (compared to 6.0 for Simmons). Ultimate Zone Rating has Escobar at a -5.0, which is considerably below average.

Go figure. By the eye test, that’s just not true at all.

Next: Paulo Orlando

3) Paulo Orlando Should Get A Shot At Full Time Job

The Kansas City Royals have faced a string of lefties recently, which has brought Paulo Orlando into the lineup at right field. Orlando has been on an absolute tear since pinch hitting against the Yankees on May 9.

In his last five games, Orlando has three multi-hit games and four extra base hits. On Friday night, Orlando went 3-4 with a key double that scored Omar Infante from second base to trigger the KC Royals three-run sixth inning rally. The day pushed his triple slash to an outstanding .368/.390/.509.

White Sox starter Carlos Quintana had held the Kansas City Royals offense scoreless through five innings while cruising along using only 53 pitches. That all changed in the sixth, and Orlando’s double into the right-center gap was the key hit that put him in trouble. Friday night was the first time this season that Quintana had given up more than two runs in a start, and he came into the game with a 1.43 ERA.

Orlando is so hot right now that Yost should give him at bats against right-handed starters, too.  Orlando is riding a five-game hitting streak and has given a shot in the arm to a KC Royals offense that badly needed it.

Here’s to you.  Paulo. Took you a long time to get to the major-leagues. He looks like he wants to stay awhile.

Next: Joakim Soria

2) Joakim Soria Didn’t Give Up Any Runs, But…

Soria needed an absolutely fantastic play to escape the seventh inning without damage. Certainly every Kansas City Royals pitcher will get some help from this defense at one time or another, but Soria isn’t making anyone feel really good about the idea that he’s done with his early-season struggle.

More from Kings of Kauffman

• KC Royals Roster Moves: 3 players added, 1 re-signed
• KC Royals News: Awards, a new coach, and more
• Why the KC Royals could reunite with this old friend
• 3 outfielders the KC Royals should consider protecting
• Should the KC Royals call this championship exec?

With Danny Duffy and Dillon Gee on strict pitch counts due to opening the season in the bullpen, Joakim Soria looks like he’s back in the saddle for the seventh inning job as the opening act for the KC Royals three-headed bullpen monster.

Soria gave up a single, walk, and then a screaming line drive to Todd Frazier that might have plugged the gap for extra bases without Escobar’s terrific double-play. One run would certainly have scored, and Soria would have been facing switch hitter Melky Cabrera with the tying runs on base.

So, Soria’s numbers are looking much better with an ERA now under 4 (3.98). But he still seems vulnerable.

This isn’t exactly what general manager Dayton Moore had in mind when he paid $27 million to Joakim Soria this winter (over three years). Let’s hope Soria can find himself soon.

Next: The Slump

1) The Slump Looks Over

The KC Royals have won five of their last seven games after an awful string in which they dropped 12 out of 16 games. They won their first series after five straight losses in a weekend series against Atlanta, and then took two of three games against the hard-hitting Red Sox.

Friday night, the Kansas City Royals beat the AL Central division-leading White Sox with what looked to be a game right in line with their championship style. The White Sox made the KC Royals look helpless until the sixth inning, when the Royals strung together a keep-the-line-moving rally that put them ahead 3-1.

More from KC Royals News

• KC Royals Roster Moves: 3 players added, 1 re-signed
• KC Royals News: Awards, a new coach, and more
• Why the KC Royals could reunite with this old friend
• 3 outfielders the KC Royals should consider protecting
• Should the KC Royals call this championship exec?

Pulling Gee in favor of Luke Hochevar in the sixth, the bullpen shut the door over the final four innings to hold onto a 4-1 victory. Yes, Alcides Escobar might have made a base-running error getting doubled off the bag at first on Lorenzo Cain‘s liner to end a seventh. But, the Royals mostly played good baseball for the win.

That continues a trend that started after the KC Royals got a much-needed off day on Monday due to a rainout that followed a 13 inning game where Kansas City had to use nine relievers. Thankfully, the Red Sox never got a chance to exploit that tired pen.

Instead, the KC Royals got their first off day in 10 games and have looked refreshed ever since.

The Washington Post can stuff their story about how the off-season doubters have been proved right by the Kansas City Royals tepid early season performance. This team is back. An’d they’re not mediocre.

Next: Five Reasons It Would Suck To Be A White Sox Fan

NEXT GAME

The KC Royals will send Yordano Ventura (4-2, 4.85 ERA) to the mound against Carlos Rodon (1-4, 4.73 ERA) for the Chicago White Sox 1:10 CST at US Cellular Field in Chicago, IL Saturday, May 21.