Royals Report: Revenge Sweep Over Cleveland

5) Ian Kennedy Does The Job

Ian Kennedy held the Cleveland Indians to two runs over 6.0 innings Wednesday night, after giving up 12 runs and 6 home runs in his last two starts. Kennedy continued the KC Royals string of strong starts that began with Danny Duffy busting the losing streak with 6.0 scoreless innings on Saturday.

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Unfortunately, Kennedy gave up a two-run home run in the seventh inning when Ned Yost left him in the game after the Royals scored three runs in the bottom of the sixth to take a 9-2 lead.

Even so, it was a solid performance from Kennedy, who most likely would have been pulled after six under normal circumstances. Overall, Kennedy went 6.2 innings, allowing 5 hits, 4 earned runs, with 2 walks and 6 strikeouts.

Kennedy’s ERA actually went up to 4.17 from 4.06 before the game, but Kennedy picked up the win to even his season record at 5-5.

If Kennedy continues to pitch like he has at home (1.45 ERA coming into the game), he’s going to be well worth his $70 million contract.

Next: Omar Infante

4) Omar Infante Gone But Not Forgotten

Kansas City Royals general manager Dayton Moore made the necessary decision to DFA Omar Infante Wednesday afternoon. Infante had no role on the team with both Christian Colon and rookie Whit Merrifield playing much better than him.

Not only can both Colon and Merrifield play multiple positions, they’re simply hitting more effectively than Infante’s .239/.279/.321. Add in that the KC Royals want an eight-man bullpen due to the need to protect their starting pitching, and Infante just wasn’t useful.

Infante’s long-time keystone partner Alcides Escobar used Infante’s bat on Wednesday, going 1 for 3 with a single that helped keep going what turned out to be a four-run rally in the sixth inning that put the game away.

Yes, Omar Infante disappointed in his 2 1/3 seasons with the Kansas City Royals, but he did make some big post-season plays that fans will long remember, especially his 2 for 3 game in Game 2 of the 2014 World Series:

Whatever else we might say about Omar Infante, he does leave Kansas City with two AL pennants and one World Series ring.

Next: Cheslor Cuthbert

3) Cheslor Cuthbert Demanding More Respect At The Plate

Sort of lost in the KC Royals barrage of 11 hits and 9 runs on Wednesday night, Cheslor Cuthbert drew two walks.

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While that might not seem all that significant compared to Salvador Perez’s three-run shot, especially since Cuthbert didn’t score a run, Cuthbert is no longer a rookie that pitchers will simply challenge until he proves he can hurt them.

Cuthbert’s two home-run game against the Chicago White Sox on June 11, which helped the KC Royals bust their eight-game losing streak, has also forced pitchers to treat the rookie with more care at the plate.

Though Cuthbert showed a solid eye in the minor-leagues, he was barely drawing any walks after taking over at third base following Mike Moustakas‘ season-ending injury. Now that Cuthbert showed his extra base power, pitchers have to be more careful about giving him pitches in his wheelhouse.

Cheslor Cuthbert’s .273/.307/405 triple slash doesn’t really make him an offensive asset. However, combined with his better-than-average defense, Cuthbert is more than playable. His performance has staved off the need for Dayton Moore to seek third base help on the trade market.

Next: Drew Butera

2) Drew Butera’s Hitting Give Royals Best Catching Situation In MLB

Every Kansas City Royals fan with even remote contact with the team knows how catcher Salvador Perez is hitting right now. We’ll be talking about him in the next slide. But, Drew Butera is also performing well in the back-up role.

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The 32-year-old Butera is slashing a more-than-adequate .298/.353/.553 in 47 at bats. His solid defense isn’t quite up to Salvador Perez’s gold glove standards, but has been quite good in his own right. In fact, Butera helped the team maintain a six-game winning streak after Perez collided into Chaslor Cuthbert and needed to sit out a handful of games.

Butera’s .856 OPS is something of an anamoly compared to his career .189/.246/.280 slash line, but he continues to hit better than expected in the 2016 season. On Wednesday night, Butera went 2 for 3, with a single, double, and two runs scored.

While KC Royals fans can’t help but wonder when Butera’s bat will desert him, so far he’s been a great substitute for Salvador Perez on his more-frequent-than-normal off days in 2016.

Next: Salvador Perez

1) Salvador Perez Bombs Away

What can we say? Salvador Perez hit a key bomb for the second straight night that changed the game. On Tuesday, his two-run shot erased a 2-1 deficit in the 8th inning to set up the KC Royals fourth win in a row. On Wednesday, his three-run shot turned a narrow 3-2 lead into a 6-2 bulge.

This time, the drive went to straight-away center field.

Perez is now on pace for 27 home runs this season, which would break his career high of 21 set just last year. The 26-year-old Perez is slashing a terrific .293/.321/.534 after his 1 for 4 performance Wednesday night.

Perez is clearly looking to drive the ball early in the count, and isn’t putting pitches that he can only make weak contact with in play before the pitcher has two strikes on him. As a result, Salvy is getting the chance to hit a lot more mistake pitches out of the yard.

Perez’s newfound power at the plate might make him the best catcher in baseball, with all due respect to Buster Posey, the resurgent Jonathan Lucroy, and Wilson Ramos in Washington.

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With a World Series MVP, three straight gold gloves, and three consecutive All-Star nods, Salvador Perez is one of the best players in the game. He certainly belongs in the AL MVP conversation for 2016.