The pitching staff enjoyed some rare immediate (although rather brief) success in July straight out of the All-Star Break. As a matter of fact, the entire team came out inspired and went on a 9-3 stretch.
Just look at the numbers below, and you’ll probably find yourselves looking this data up as you won’t believe these belonged to the Royals’ starting rotation – albeit a microscopic sample size.
Jakob Junis’ two starts after the All-Star Break: 2-0, 0.69 ERA, 15 Ks
Brad Keller’s three starts after the All-Star Break: 3-0, 1.27 ERA, 17 Ks
Danny Duffy’s two starts after the All-Star Break (took out his first start after the break for maximum effect, so these are his second and third starts): 1-0, 2.25 ERA, 16 Ks
Glenn Sparkman’s two starts after the All-Star Break: 1-1, 2.45 ERA, 9 Ks
Combined: 7-1, 1.73 ERA, 57 Ks, 57 IPs
Those are scary numbers from any rotation in MLB. Unfortunately for the Royals, this was only during a scorching hot streak post-All-Star Break, and the question remains whether they can sustain semi-decent performances on a nightly basis. However, these are glimpses of hope.
The offense also went ballistic, scoring 61 runs in 12 games following the break, good enough for a 9-3 record (from 12-24 Jul). Easily the best stretch of the entire season.
Once again, the potential is clearly there as the numbers speak for themselves. These numbers are extraordinary, but every successful ballclub has these stretches from time-to-time. The KC Royals just can’t continue falling into the abyss following these types of performances.