Royals Report: 4 Things About Tough Finale In Chicago

The Royals failed for the second series in a row to earn a sweep after taking the first two games, falling 3-2 to the 1983 throwback-wearing White Sox in Chicago on Sunday.

Former Kansas City Royals outfielder Melky Cabrera got his old team with a key two-run single in the fifth inning to seize a 3-1 lead. The White Sox bullpen held on for a one-run win. The KC Royals fell to 22-21 on the season, and are now again 3.5 games behind the division leading Chicago White Sox at 26-18.

While a sweep would have been sweet, Kansas City Royals fans aren’t complaining about winning three series in a row.

The KC Royals played good defense, enjoyed solid bullpen support, and did manage to get eight hits and two walks, but just couldn’t bunch enough offense in one inning to do any real damage against White Sox starter Carlos Rodon.

Overall, it was a pretty well-played game that the Kansas City Royals happened to lose. Oh well. The KC Royals now head to Minnesota to take on the Twins.

On to my observations about Sunday’s games:

Next: Yordano Ventura

4) Ventura’s Outing Turned On One Bad Pitch

After mostly attacking hitters in his last start against Boston, Yordano Ventura was back to fighting his command on Sunday.

In 6.0 innings, Ventura walked 4 while allowing 5 hits, 3 earned runs while notching 3 strikeouts. Though Ventura earned a quality start, it wasn’t a good outing. His game turned on one terrible pitch in the fifth inning.

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With the score tied 1-1, the White Sox loaded the bases against Ventura with two outs. Ventura got Melky Cabrera down 0-2, but then grooved a medium fastball down the middle and belt high. Cabrera laced a line drive into left center to score two runs.

Ventura should NEVER have given Cabrera a pitch that good with no balls and two strikes. He held every option in the book there. He could have gone with an outside change-up, a curve in the dirt, or high gas out of the strike zone to bait Cabrera to chase if he was looking fastball.

I suspect that Ventura was trying to execute the latter choice but simply missed.

One hitter later he got away with a high change-up that first baseman Jerry Sands took for a called third strike. It’s pretty clear that Ventura missed because catcher Salvador Perez gestured low with his glove and held it down in the zone before the pitch.

On one hand, Ventura allowing only three runs while fighting his command is good. On the negative, Ventura has walked more hitters than any pitcher in the league. That’s got to change before Ventura can turn his season around.

Next: Paulo Orlando

3) Paulo Orlando Remains Hot 

With left-hander Carlos Rodon starting for the Chicago White Sox on Sunday, Paulo Orlando was in the lineup at right field. Orlando slammed two hits, including an RBI double, on Sunday. The 2 for 4 day ran his triple slash to .377/.397/.525.

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Yeah. That’s pretty good.

At this rate, manager Ned Yost is going to have to make sure he doesn’t miss too many days in a row even if the KC Royals face right-handed pitchers. Orlando smashed a triple and home run against Boston’s Rick Porcello last week, so he’s not incapable of hitting righties. He’s hitting a more than solid .324/.342/.486 against right-handers so far this season.

At this rate, Yost has to consider him for the full time job in right field.

Orlando has given the offense a much needed injection of production in the last week. While it wasn’t enough to pull out a win on Sunday, Orlando’s been part of the solution to the offense’s problems.

Kansas City Royals hitting coach Dale Sveum needs to help Alex Gordon, Kendrys Morales, and Salvador Perez get it going.

Next: Mike Moustakas

2) Mike Moustakas Is Ice Cold After Return From Injury

Moose is 0-7 with three strikeouts and a walk after sitting for two weeks with a thumb injury. He did hit a screaming liner today that Chicago first baseman Jerry Sands snagged to rob him of probable extra-bases.

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Even so, Moustakas looks like he needs to shake off some rust after his layoff. He is fielding his position well, including spearing a hard smash down the line behind deep third base and making a long throw to record an out.

What the KC Royals offense really needs is to get back the Moustakas that slammed seven home runs in the first month of play. With Cain now hitting, a locked in Moose, Lorenzo, followed by Hosmer should do some damage. Moustakas’ ability to take pitches to the opposite field has changed his career. I expect he’ll get back in a groove shortly.

Next: Alcides Escobar