KC Royals: Psych Studies Support Batting Alcides Escobar At Leadoff

Apr 5, 2016; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas City Royals shortstop Alcides Escobar (2) is embraced by manager Ned Yost (3) as he receives his World Series ring before the game against the New York Mets at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 5, 2016; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas City Royals shortstop Alcides Escobar (2) is embraced by manager Ned Yost (3) as he receives his World Series ring before the game against the New York Mets at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports /
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May 30, 2016; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas City Royals players celebrate after a game against the Tampa Bay Rays at Kauffman Stadium. Kansas City won 6-2. Mandatory Credit: John Rieger-USA TODAY Sports
May 30, 2016; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas City Royals players celebrate after a game against the Tampa Bay Rays at Kauffman Stadium. Kansas City won 6-2. Mandatory Credit: John Rieger-USA TODAY Sports /

Memorial Day Weekend

Now we come to Memorial Day weekend. After getting the miserable news that they had lost All-Star third baseman Mike Moustakas for the season on Thursday, they went out and swept the White Sox using three consecutive multi-run comebacks after the sixth inning. 

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That run includes Saturday’s seven-run, ninth-inning rally that powered an 8-7 win. CBS Sports estimated their winning chances at an even more improbable 1 in 1000.

Get that boys and girls, the Kansas City Royals came back trailing by six runs in the ninth inning. This came AFTER emotional leader Salvador Perez was helped off the field by trainers with an apparent knee injury that looked like it would also cost him the season in the top of the inning.

KC Royals fans on Twitter were calling it a lost season with three All-Stars in Alex Gordon, Mike Moustakas, and Salvador Perez suffering serious injuries:

Instead, the team pulled off the greatest ninth inning comeback in franchise history. For good measure, the KC Royals won their fourth straight game on Memorial Day due to a four-run eighth inning rally after the Tampa Bay Rays erased a one-run lead in the top of the inning.

This weekend isn’t the first time an injury caused the team to rally. After Alex Gordon tore his hamstring July 8, 2015, the Kansas City Royals went 31-17 in his absence.

Something happens to the Royals under adversity that takes their game to the next level

In the game that trainers drove Gordon off the field on a cart, the KC Royals fell behind 3-2 in the 4th when the Rays plated an inside the park home run with Gordon sprawled on the turf. Oh yeah, the Royals rallied to win that game by hanging five runs on the Rays in the fifth inning.

Just how many improbable rallies does it take before baseball analysts will accept that something happens to the Royals under adversity that drives them to another level of performance?

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