Royals Report: 5 Things About Memorial Day Rally

1) Injuries Seems To Have Triggered An Adversity Response

The KC Royals suffered injuries to three All-Stars in left fielder Alex Gordon, third baseman Mike Moustaks, and catcher Salvador Perez. Normal teams start LOSING when missing their best players.

The Kansas City Royals rally.

It’s no accident. Last season, the Kansas City Royals went 31-17 after Alex Gordon tore his hamstring in July. Add in their historic playoff comebacks against the A’s and Astros in elimination games, hanging three blown saves on Mets closer Jeurys Familia, eight multi-run post-season comebacks in 2015, and you have a team that hits another level with their backs to the wall.

So instead of retreating back into their shell to lick their wounds, adversity has inspired the KC Royals to play with elimination-game intensity. With this team, late-inning comebacks seem to follow.

The Kansas City Royals are the best refutation I know to the sabermetric wisdom that good CLUTCH performance is a creation of small sample size. The KC Royals consistently pull out games in the late-innings when outrageous fortune threatens their season.

Next: Royals vs. Rays Series Preview

The reaction has been so consistent that it’s hard to believe it’s an accident.

Long live intangibles!