Royals Report: 4 Things About Deflating Loss To Seattle

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Jul 10, 2016; Kansas City, MO, USA; Seattle Mariners first basemen Adam Lind (26) celebrates with third basemen Kyle Seager (15) after beating the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter G. Aiken-USA TODAY Sports /

The Royals failed to gain any momentum from their four game series at home against the Seattle Mariners just before the All-Star break, dropping Sunday’s finale 8-5 at Kauffman Stadium.

7. Final. 8. 62. 5

The Kansas City Royals fell to 45-43, and remain 7.0 games behind the Indians in the AL Central. The Mariners improved to 45-44 and 8.5 games behind the Rangers in the AL West.

The 2-2 split with the Mariners was a disappointing result from a team desperately in need of a spark. Instead of going into the All-Star break riding a two-game winning streak and a 3-1 series win, the KC Royals now no longer have the best home record in MLB after dropping two games at home. Kansas City’s 29-13 record at Kauffman Stadium is still outstanding, but ranks behind Baltimore’s 33-14 home mark.

Former Kansas City Royals top prospect Mike Montgomery started for the Mariners after spending the season as a reliever. He enjoyed a fine outing in which he held many of his former minor-league teammates to 5 hits, 0 walks, and 1 earned run with 3 strikeouts in 6.1 innings pitched. Montgomery earned the win to level his record at 3-3.

The Royals scored five runs after the sixth inning, but were not able to overcome an 8-0 deficit. Dillon Gee allowed three runs (two earned) while lasting only 3.2 innings before having to be rescued by reliever Brian Flynn. But, the KC Royals vaunted bullpen failed to keep the team close when the Mariners clobbered rookie Brooks Pounders for five runs in the seventh.

Game over.

On to my observations about Sunday’s game:

Next: Dillon Gee

Jul 10, 2016; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas City Royals pitcher Dillon Gee (53) delivers a pitch against the Seattle Mariners during the first inning at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter G. Aiken-USA TODAY Sports /

4) Dillon Gee Performed Like Dillon Gee

It’s clear this season that Dillon Gee is nothing more than a marginal stop gap as a starter. Gee pretty much pitched to that standard on Sunday.

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Gee lasted 3.2 innings, allowing 5 hits, 1 walk, and 2 earned runs while allowing another to score on his own error. He couldn’t get out of the fourth inning and required reliever Brian Flynn to bail him out. Gee gave up those two runs in the first inning when he threw wildly to second base in an attempt to turn a double play on a tapper back to the mound. Instead, he allowed the Mariners to get runners on first and third with one out.

Gee then hit Nelson Cruz with a pitch to load the bases before allowing a two-run single to third baseman Kyle Seager.

In the fourth, Gee recorded two quick outs before allowing two consecutive singles to put runners at first and third. KC Royals manager Ned Yost went to lefty Brian Flynn, who gave up a bunt single to shortstop Ketel Marte which scored center fielder Leonys Martin.

The bottom line is that the Kansas City Royals need to find someone else besides Dillon Gee to fill Chris Young‘s spot in the rotation if they expect to make a run at a playoff spot in the second half of the season. Yes, Gee is better than Chris Young. He’s not good enough to stabilize the rotation. Instead, Gee is merely less bad.

When you’re seven games out of first place while tied for third in the AL Central and 4.5 games out of the second AL wild card, a “less bad” Dillon Gee isn’t going to cut it.

Next: Brooks Pounders

Jul 10, 2016; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas City Royals pitcher Brooks Pounders (62) delivers a pitch against the Seattle Mariners during the seventh inning at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter G. Aiken-USA TODAY Sports /

3) Brooks Pounders Got Pounded

Rookie Brooks Pounders came into the game in the seventh inning with the Royals trailing 3-0. He’d logged two rather encouraging outings in which he had allowed one earned run in 3.0 innings pitched, while striking out three.

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Pounders joined the team after he was called up from AAA Omaha due to Wade Davis going to the 15-day disabled list. Pounders is having what many see as a breakthrough year for him in the minor leagues (2.80 ERA in 64.1 IP with a 10.9 K/9 in the Pacific Coast League).

Well, Pounders got pounded for five runs in the top of the seventh inning. He gave up one walk, two singles and two home runs which allowed the Mariners to build an insurmountable 8-0 lead. The debacle inflated his ERA to 13.50 in 4.0 IP in the major-leagues.

No one should really be surprised by the results. As a 24-year-old rookie, Pounders has some lessons to learn before he sticks in MLB. There’s nothing unusual about even a celebrated prospect taking his lumps before getting the swing of things at the highest level of baseball, and Pounders figures to be nothing more than a mid-rotation pitcher if everything breaks just right in his career.

Pounders is likely headed back to AAA Omaha with Wade Davis eligible to return from the 15-day DL after the All-Star break. He does have six strikeouts in his four innings, so we know he can miss bats at the major league level. He also racked up his first career win in his short stint with the Kansas City Royals.

If nothing else, the 2016 season has helped push the development of a number of rookies.

Next: Rookies

Jul 9, 2016; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas City Royals left fielder Whit Merrifield (15), center fielder Paulo Orlando (16), and right fielder Brett Eibner (12) celebrate in the outfield after the win over the Seattle Mariners at Kauffman Stadium. The Royals won 5-3. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports /

2) The Three Rookies In The Lineup Enjoyed A Good Day

Brett Eibner, Cheslor Cuthbert, and Whit Merrifield all enjoyed solid days on Sunday. All three were in the lineup, and all three contributed. Merrifield went 1 for 4 with a walk and run scored in the leadoff spot and Cheslor Cuthbert chimed in with a 1 for 3 and an RBI double.

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Brett Eibner did the real damage, going 3 for 4 with a solo shot off Seattle starter Mike Montgomery in the seventh inning that chased the ex-Royals top prospect from the game.

No analyst expected much of a contribution from the Kansas City Royals farm system before the season began. Today, Merrifield, Cuthbert, and Eibner are making those pre-season evaluations look silly. The three have combined to contribute 1.9 bWAR (Wins Above Replacement) a little more than half-way through the 2016 season.

What’s impressed me about this trio is how polished they look. Clearly, they piled up a lot of minor-league game experience due to the big club being stocked with enough talent to win the last two American League pennants.

Whit Merrifield has the most certain major-league future, since his ability to play plus defense at seven positions will keep him on rosters for years to come. Yet, it is 23-year-old Cheslor Cuthbert who has the most upside. The former seven-figure international signing from Nicaragua is hitting a solid .282/.310/.442 with 8 home runs and 28 RBIs in 206 at bats. He’s also doing a fine job defensively at third base by the eye test, though metrics peg him as nothing more than league average.

Eibner has showed impressive pop, with 6 doubles and 3 home runs in only 52 at bats. Nine of his 17 hits have gone for extra bases. Eibner can also run the bases, though he has yet to swipe a bag.

The KC Royals playoff hopes would be a pipe dream without them.

Next: Alex Gordon

Jul 10, 2016; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas City Royals left fielder Alex Gordon (4) rounds the bases after hitting a solo home run against the Seattle Mariners during the ninth inning at Kauffman Stadium. Seattle won 8-5. Mandatory Credit: Peter G. Aiken-USA TODAY Sports /

1) Alex Gordon Enjoyed A Good Day

One of the keys to the second half is for Alex Gordon to get it going. After a slow start, and a month long stint on the disabled list after breaking his hand, Gordon is still stuck at a substandard .207/.307/.348.

Ned Yost tried moving Gordon to lead-off to get him started, but to no avail. On Sunday, Gordon hit no. 7 in the order and went 2 for 4, with a double and solo home run (7). His blast in the ninth inning off Seattle closer Steve Cisheck pulled the KC Royals within three runs, but the rally petered out afterwards.

Gordon has enjoyed good days before, but let’s hope this is the one that propels him to more normal production. I’d hate to think the Kansas City Royals signed him to a four-year, $72 million contract just before a career crash.

The KC Royals produced 10 hits, 3 walks, and five runs on Sunday, but it wasn’t enough to overcome Brooks Pounders giving up five runs in the seventh inning. One of the odder things I noticed in the box score is that four time All-Star catcher Salvador Perez‘s .283/.318/.500 slash line looked almost identical to backup Drew Butera‘s .283/.348/.500 line.

Next: Royals Don't Expect Rotation Help From The Disabled List Anytime Soon

While no one expects Butera’s production to hold up over the entire season, it still shows how strong the KC Royals catching situation is right now.

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The Royals failed to gain any momentum from their four game series at home against the Seattle Mariners just before the All-Star break, dropping Sunday’s finale 8-5 at Kauffman Stadium.

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