Royals Report: 5 Things About Squeaker Over White Sox

The Royals won their second straight game over Chicago, taking a 2-1 victory over the White Sox at U.S. Cellular Field on Saturday.

The Kansas City Royals ran their record to 22-20 on the season, and pulled within 2.5 games of the AL Central leading White Sox who fell to 25-18. So far, the KC Royals are showing Chicago why they are the defending World Champions in their late May showdown.

Not only are the Kansas City Royals putting the White Sox in their place, they’re leaving their losing streak far behind them. The KC Royals have won six of their last eight games and appear back on track after a rough three-week skid.

The Kansas City Royals aren’t exactly “hot”. Alex Gordon, Kendrys Morales, and Salvador Perez have yet to put up the kind of numbers they expect. However, the rotation has stabilized with Danny Duffy and Dillon Gee replacing the injured Chris Young and Kris Medlen. The bullpen is also looking better with Joakim Soria getting much better results in the past week.

In short, the KC Royals are looking like themselves: which is bad news for the rest of the American League.

ON to my five observations about Saturday’s win:

Next: Jarrod Dyson

1) Jarrod Dyson Isn’t Going To Go Down Without A Fight

Many KC Royals fans believe that red hot Paulo Orlando has earned the right field job, even against right handed pitchers instead of platooning with Jarrod Dyson. Orlando is hitting a sizzling .368/.390/.509 and smacked three hits on Friday. 

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Not so fast.

Jarrod Dyson got the start on Saturday, and put up a three-hit game of his own along with his seventh stolen base of the season. The performance boosted his slash line to .250/.296/.329. If Dyson can get on base, his speed and outfield range make him a useful player. It’s when he fails to reach the basepaths that he becomes a drag on the offense.

Right now, Jarrod Dyson and Paulo Orlando are pushing each other. That’s a good place to be for KC Royals manager Ned Yost. With both players trying to seize the job, they’ll stay focused every time they get an opportunity.

I still believe that Jarrod Dyson is better as a part-time player. But, if he continues to get on base, he’ll keep the larger half of the platoon. Both Orlando and Dyson are in “produce or die” mode since outfielders Jorge Bonifacio and Brett Eibner are hitting well in AAA.

Next: Whit Merrifield

2) Whit Merrifield Brings Both Speed And Versatility

One advantage of Whit Merrifield instead of Christian Colon as the utility infielder is that Merrifield brings more speed and versatility to the bench. Merrifield had 16 stolen bases in about six weeks in Omaha with only one caught stealing. Add Merrifield’s speed to his ability to play every position except catcher, and he allows Ned Yost to pinch run in almost any situation without compromising the defense.

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That’s perfect for a team that is going with a short bench in favor of an extra reliever. With KC Royals starters not getting deep into games, Yost needs all the bullpen help he can get.

Of course, whether Merrifield sticks will depend on his bat. If he can show he’s merely serviceable with the lumber, Merrifield will enjoy a long major league career despite getting a late start at age 27. So far, he’s notched two hits in seven at bats (both singles), but it’s still too early to tell if his bat can play over the long-term.

If Merrifield can show adequate production at the plate, he’ll get a lot of playing time on a team whose position players are creeping up in age. Left fielder Alex Gordon is 32, center fielder Lorenzo Cain is 30, second baseman Omar Infante is 34 and simply isn’t hitting, and Alcides Escobar is 29 and could use more breaks.

One advantage that Whit Merrifield has over Christian Colon is that the organization seems to believe he is a better shortstop. That might allow Yost to give Esky more days off rather than ask him to play more than 155 games per season like he did every year from 2011 through 2014.

In 2015, Escobar played a mere 148 games, but he missed a week when Brett Lawrie spiked him in a now infamous incident.

In the end, Merrifield can sub for more players and help keep the roster sharper than Christian Colon.

Next: Danny Duffy

3) Danny Duffy Continues To Impress As A Starter

After Duffy moved to the bullpen late last season, he’s learned to attack hitters rather than nibble. He’s carried this lesson from the pen to the rotation in his first two starts since filling in for injured Kris Medlen.

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Duffy had another impressive outing on Saturday.

Danny Duffy lasted 4.1 innings, allowing 4 hits, 0 walks, and 0 earned runs while striking out three. The no walks is the most impressive statistic, because his problem has always been trying to shave the edges of the plate and throwing too many pitches to last deep into games.Instead, Duffy has dialed up his fastball velocity about 2 mph, and is attacking hitters.

If he keeps it up, Duffy will push someone from a rotation job because he’ll be too good to return to the bullpen. There aren’t all that many lefties that can notch 97 mph on the radar gun like Duffy can. He’s always had a starter’s stuff and repertoire. Now he’s got the approach.

Even an average starting rotation would make the KC Royals a scary team.

Next: Lorenzo Cain

4) Lorenzo Cain’s Power Surge Looks Permanent

Lost in Lorenzo Cain’s slow start to the season has been the questions about his sudden jump in power in 2015. Cain slammed 16 home runs after hitting no more than seven in any prior season.

Cain with teens home run power is one of the best players in baseball when you combine it with his speed and defense. Dare I say it, he’s looking like Torii Hunter in his prime—which is pretty damn good.

With his solo shot in the sixth inning on Saturday, Cain is on pace for 23 home runs this season according to ESPN’s projections. That would definitely make Cain look a whole lot like the former Minnesota Twins star to which he’s often been compared.

With Cain hitting once again from the no. 3 hole, the Kansas City Royals offense figures to perk up.

If they can get some hits to fall for Kendrys Morales and Alex Gordon, the KC Royals could go on a hot streak. The Kansas City Royals have been scoring just enough to win in the last week. The offense needs to take it to the next level.

Next: Joakim Soria