KC Royals: 3 takeaways from the Detroit series sweep

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.