Royals Report: 3 Things About KC’s Comatose Day In Cleveland

2) Danny Salazar Cools Off Royals Hot Bats

The Kansas City Royals came into Friday’s game riding a streak of 10 or more hits in each of their last 10 games. The KC Royals offense had scored 68 runs over that 10 game stretch for a very healthy 6.8 runs per game.

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On Friday, Danny Salazar held the Kansas City Royals to three hits over 8.0 innings, allowing only 1 earned run (HR by Drew Butera), 5 walks, and striking out 9.

Certainly, Kansas City’s patience at the plate was a bit unusual, but the lack of hits made the Royals look listless and moribund while losing their second straight game in Cleveland. That’s pretty much what happens when a pitcher is on his game like Salazar was on Friday night.

Throw in the fact that one of the three Kansas City Royals hits involved Cheslor Cutbert getting thrown out at second base while trying to stretch a single into a double in the seventh inning with KC trailing 5-1, and you have an very punchless night at the plate.

Yes, the KC Royals played poorly on Friday night. Drew Butera’s wild throw past third base on Jose Ramirez‘s steal in the eighth inning allowed Ramirez to score an unearned run. Cuthbert’s baserunning mistake squandered a leadoff hit in the seventh when the Kansas City Royals desperately needed baserunners in a game that was still within reach. Volquez’s wild pitch allowed Mike Napoli to score the third run in Cleveland’s three-run third inning. But what truly made them look dead was their inability to make contact against Salazar.

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