Royals Report: 5 Things About 4-3 Loss In Philadelphia

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Jul 1, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Ian Kennedy (31) and catcher Salvador Perez (13) take the field for the start of a game against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park. The Philadelphia Phillies won 4-3. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports /

2) Salvador Perez Cools Off

After a long hot streak, catcher Salvador Perez has cooled off the last week. Over the previous seven days, Perez has slashed a rather anemic .150/.217/.150 with 0 extra base hits.

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Perez also hit a base runner attempting to steal second. The ball skidded into the outfield, allowing the runner to advance to third. The error helped the Phillies take a 2-1 lead in the third.

Well, it had to happen. Salvador Perez has still raked when you extend the time frame to 28 days. Over that longer span, Perez has hit .311/.337/.522 with 5 home runs and 12 RBI’s. He’s the most valuable catcher in the American League, and one of the best in the game. Now that he’s discovered his power stroke, he belongs in the same category as San Francisco Giants star Buster Posey.

The biggest flaw in Perez’s game remains his tendency to hack. Even in his fifth full season, and sixth year overall, Perez rarely takes the free pass. At this point in his career, with him learning how to sit on pitches to drive, I don’t ever expect him to take many bases on balls.

Honestly, it’s nitpicking. Very few catchers in the game help out their teams on both offense and defense. Perez is one of the very few who do, and he’s 26-years-old. He’s got a number of prime seasons ahead of him.

So, don’t get greedy KC Royals fans. He’s already pretty great.

Next: Kendrys Morales

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