KC Royals: 3 takeaways from the Detroit series sweep

The KC Royals are seeing just enough offense to win, but their luck may run out if something doesn’t spark.

The Royals aren’t always known for making a lot of noise with their bats and so far that trend is continuing this season. The issue is that they have the pieces to actually create some good offense.

There have been some decent starts from players like Salvador Perez, Whit Merrifield, Nicky Lopez, and Michael Taylor, but it seems the offense is only coming on an as-needed basis.

They are doing exactly what is needed to win games. That’s great, but it may not hold up for the rest of the season.

The Royals are about to enter a long stretch where they will see multiple games against Cleveland and Chicago, two teams that they will be fighting with for the division lead. If they can’t turn the offense on, these teams may pass them up.

In recent games, Carlos Santana, Andrew Benintendi, Jorge Soler, and Hunter Dozier have all seen some isolated success, but more is needed.

Soler and Dozier both only recorded two hits throughout the four-game series in Detroit. While everyone else seems to be finding some sort of rhythm, these two often look a bit lost at the plate still.

There is time for them to turn things around, but they are important pieces of the Royals offense that need to start getting in good hits. They can both provide power and they both have the ability to knock in runs. They could be the difference between the Royals holding the lead or losing it to another AL Central Rival.

Two games against Detroit were won by one run. It’s important to see the Royals winning in tough situations and knowing that the bullpen can help to keep the game under control, but continuing to add some padding with a few more runs would go a long way.

The biggest concern to start the season for the Royals may have been the rotation, but things are looking better now.

The KC Royals starting rotation was a bit shaky to begin the season. There are some who saw early success such as Danny Duffy, but others, especially Brad Keller, have had fans on the edge of their seats every time they pitch.

Luckily, throughout the Detroit series, the starting rotation was a strength. Together, over the four games, they pitched 23.2 innings, striking out 29, and only giving up five earned runs.

Duffy managed to continue his impressive streak and is now sitting at a league-leading 0.39 ERA after 23.0 innings pitched with a career-high 10.6 strikeouts per 9.

Minor looked more comfortable on the mound. He gave up two runs over his 5.2 innings but struck out nine. He’s sitting at a 4.64 ERA after 21.1 innings and it’s likely this will continue to move downwards as long as he stays locked in.

Brady Singer still didn’t get much run support, but thankfully he didn’t need it. He pitched seven quality innings, striking out eight and only giving up one earned run. Over his 21.1 innings this season he has held his ERA at 2.95.

The most important start of the series, though, may have been the final, sweep-sealing start from Brad Keller. Keller has spent the season working on his mechanics as he has struggled to find the control that made him one of the Royal’s best starters for the past few seasons.

He needed a good start to help build his confidence back and while he struggled a few times, his defense was always there to pick him up. Keller managed 6 innings, his longest start of the season, and struck out four while giving up two runs.

He did enough to get the win and help his season numbers. He has pitched 18 innings so far in 2021 and is currently sitting at a 9.00 ERA. His walks are up, but so are his strikeouts.

Hopefully, yesterday’s important win will help bring Keller’s confidence back and will carry over to his next start, getting him back on track to help the Royals continued push for wins.

There is a lot of season left, but things are looking great for the Royals. They are sitting with the best record in baseball currently and if they continue to play the way they have been, they may be able to extend that lead even further.