Kansas City Royals 2015

[DukeOfPork]

Outstanding series win against one of the best teams in baseball.  Huge midweek crowds in the 2nd smallest market in MLB. 

We're rolling, but we've got more tough competition coming up.

[pigture perfect]

I'll go out on a limb and say the Cards will not produce enough offense to win tonight.

[popcornhog]

I'll go out on a limb and say the Cards will not produce enough offense to win tonight.

The lead isn't safe by any means, but I'd have said 4 runs would win it if you asked before the game.

Why on earth did the Royals pinch hit Morales in that spot btw? Makes no sense.

[DukeOfPork]

The lead isn't safe by any means, but I'd have said 4 runs would win it if you asked before the game.

Why on earth did the Royals pinch hit Morales in that spot btw? Makes no sense.

Because we're not going to score many runs.  Six straight scoreless innings!

[pigture perfect]

Rosie is scary. You don't know what you are going to get from him.

[Uncommon]

F!@#

[popcornhog]

Because we're not going to score many runs.  Six straight scoreless innings!

Yeah, but with two out and 1 RISP? I don't know, seems like a dumb call. But what do I know.

Good game, y'all. Hope to see you again in the World Series.

[DukeOfPork]

Yeah, but with two out and 1 RISP? I don't know, seems like a dumb call. But what do I know.

Good game, y'all. Hope to see you again in the World Series.

Well, the call likely did lose the game for the Royals since Yost was left with only a guy with a total of three career at bats...who promptly struck out with runners at 2nd and 3rd and no outs.

Good game.  Probably should have won that one though.

[pigture perfect]

Me too. I hope my nephew will get me a ticket to the WS. (Works for the Royals) also on Hogville some. Hope you're reading this JJAM.

[Uncommon]

Nothing much to say about tonight's game.  Oh well, on to the next one.

57-38

[DukeOfPork]

Nothing much to say about tonight's game.  Oh well, on to the next one.

57-38

5 out of the last 6 pitchers we have faced have a sub-3.00 ERA.  And we see Keuchel again on Sunday.

[popcornhog]

5 out of the last 6 pitchers we have faced have a sub-3.00 ERA.  And we see Keuchel again on Sunday.

I may go to that game. Not sure who to cheer for -- the former Razorback or the hometown Royals, who I always cheer for when they're not playing the Cards.

[popcornhog]

Cueto was almost a Royal.

http://www.mlbdailydish.com/2015/7/25/9040647/reds-royals-johnny-cueto-trade-cancelled

[pigture perfect]

I would rather the Royals get him than the Cardinals or Dodgers. I don't like Cueto's schtick. He's a punk, which is why I don't want him on the Cardinals. He is one of the best pitchers in baseball which is why I don't want him to go to the Dodgers. They have too much pitching and Mike Bolsinger might be sent back down. I love the Royals too, which is why I would want them to get a top of the line pitcher, just wish it would be someone else. Yes, I am fueled by emotionalism.

[DukeOfPork]

Cueto was almost a Royal.

http://www.mlbdailydish.com/2015/7/25/9040647/reds-royals-johnny-cueto-trade-cancelled

Cueto is going to KC.  Excellent move for the Royals.

I would rather the Royals get him than the Cardinals or Dodgers. I don't like Cueto's schtick. He's a punk, which is why I don't want him on the Cardinals. He is one of the best pitchers in baseball which is why I don't want him to go to the Dodgers. They have too much pitching and Mike Bolsinger might be sent back down. I love the Royals too, which is why I would want them to get a top of the line pitcher, just wish it would be someone else. Yes, I am fueled by emotionalism.

Well, obviously, he wouldn't be going to the Cardinals.  I'm less interested in what happened in a fight 5 years ago and more interested in him filling a gaping hole in our rotation.

[popcornhog]

Cueto is going to KC.  Excellent move for the Royals.

Well, obviously, he wouldn't be going to the Cardinals.  I'm less interested in what happened in a fight 5 years ago and more interested in him filling a gaping hole in our rotation.

Yeah, I'm in the minority as a Cardinals fan, but I love Johnny Cueto. Excellent pickup.

[DukeOfPork]

This is interesting from an ESPN blog:

"...I scrolled through the opposing starters the Royals have faced and wrote down guys who could be considered aces or something close to an ace. Here are those starters I wrote down that they've faced: Sonny Gray, Scott Kazmir, Chris Sale, Corey Kluber, David Price, Michael Pineda, Johnny Cueto, Lance Lynn, Michael Wacha, Jake Arrieta, Felix Hernandez, Dallas Keuchel, Chris Archer, A.J. Burnett, Cole.

Those are all good pitchers, no matter how you exactly classify them. They Royals have faced those guys a total of 21 games. They're 15-6 and have averaged 4.6 runs per game. They Royals have been beating good starters..."

http://espn.go.com/blog/sweetspot/post/_/id/60637/no-doubt-royals-are-the-best-team-in-al

That is an astounding number.  And that blog was written before they beat Keuchel on Sunday, so make that record 16-6.

This bodes well for the playoffs, where we will meet numerous elite starters.  It's good to see that the Royals almost relish the challenge of facing someone's ace...it brings out the best in this team.

[popcornhog]

That really is impressive.

Interestingly, we were 4-2 against you guys this year (well, really 4- 1.77, but whatever )

Anyway, the Cardinals starters were

Lackey W
Lynn L
Wacha W
Garcia W
Lyons W
Lackey L

Of note, our ace was out for the season before we ever played you guys. You also never faced our new "ace," Carlos Martinez.

The 6 games is way too small of a sample size to mean anything, but it's still interesting. And of course if we meet in the Fall Classic, y'all will be way tougher with Cueto in the rotation.

[onebadrubi]

Unfortunately, you add those up on that list and you still see ofer from Bumgarner. 

[DukeOfPork]

Unfortunately, you add those up on that list and you still see ofer from Bumgarner. 

The Giants were very good in the playoffs, so I don't want to take anything away from them.  But that guy single handedly beat us.  He accounted for three of their four wins.

[DukeOfPork]

That really is impressive.

Interestingly, we were 4-2 against you guys this year (well, really 4- 1.77, but whatever )

Anyway, the Cardinals starters were

Lackey W
Lynn L
Wacha W
Garcia W
Lyons W
Lackey L

Of note, our ace was out for the season before we ever played you guys. You also never faced our new "ace," Carlos Martinez.

The 6 games is way too small of a sample size to mean anything, but it's still interesting. And of course if we meet in the Fall Classic, y'all will be way tougher with Cueto in the rotation.

Yes, I realize that the Cardinals are the "best team in baseball" right now.  We're not unaware of that.

But we've still got about 65 games and a couple postseason series to navigate through before we even begin to care about who we would hypothetically face in the World Series.

My point is that KC is the only other team playing .600 ball at this point and they have done it against a steady diet of damn good pitchers. 

They have faced six starters with sub 3.00 ERAs in the last eight games.  They checked the historical stats and the last team to run a gauntlet like that was 30 years ago (Mets in 1985). 

They went 5-3 against that string of pitchers, so that's not too shabby. 

[popcornhog]

The Giants were very good in the playoffs, so I don't want to take anything away from them.  But that guy single handedly beat us.  He accounted for three of their four wins.

Yeah, his post season (and WS, especially), was incredible. The Giants were amazing in the post season last year. We ran into them a week before you did.

[popcornhog]

Yes, I realize that the Cardinals are the "best team in baseball" right now.  We're not unaware of that.

But we've still got about 65 games and a couple postseason series to navigate through before we even begin to care about who we would hypothetically face in the World Series.

My point is that KC is the only other team playing .600 ball at this point and they have done it against a steady diet of damn good pitchers. 

They have faced six starters with sub 3.00 ERAs in the last eight games.  They checked the historical stats and the last team to run a gauntlet like that was 30 years ago (Mets in 1985). 

They went 5-3 against that string of pitchers, so that's not too shabby.

I wasn't taking anything away from the Royals, just noting that they seem to excel against aces this year and more of their losses seem to come against "the other guys" in the rotation.

As you said -- there's a very long way to go. Neither the Royals nor the Cardinals are locks to win their respective divisions. The Pirates could absolutely win the NL Central. Hell, even 10 games back, the Cubs are good enough if the Pirates/Cards hit a rough patch.

In the AL Central, the Royals probably have a better shot. I don't think the Twins can make a sustained push, although they're a great story. The Tigers are still at .500, I guess they've got the talent to get hot.

[DukeOfPork]

Yeah, his post season (and WS, especially), was incredible. The Giants were amazing in the post season last year. We ran into them a week before you did.

Take Bumgarner off that team and the Royals beat the Giants in 6 games, possibly even in 5.

Bumgarner is the greatest pitcher in the history of the World Series and I say that with a straight face.  No one else even has a legitimate claim to it.

If I was him, I would never want to pitch in a World Series ever again because he can only taint his legacy; there is no way to improve on it.

[DukeOfPork]

I wasn't taking anything away from the Royals, just noting that they seem to excel against aces this year and more of their losses seem to come against "the other guys" in the rotation.

As you said -- there's a very long way to go. Neither the Royals nor the Cardinals are locks to win their respective divisions. The Pirates could absolutely win the NL Central. Hell, even 10 games back, the Cubs are good enough if the Pirates/Cards hit a rough patch.

In the AL Central, the Royals probably have a better shot. I don't think the Twins can make a sustained push, although they're a great story. The Tigers are still at .500, I guess they've got the talent to get hot.

Yes, the Royals undoubtedly rise to the occasion against true aces this year.  The record shows that.  KC's bats do go silent at times, but it's just not necessarily against the pitchers you would expect.

I think the Cubs and Tigers are out of contention for their respective divisions.

If the Royals maintain their focus, they are likely to have a more favorable run of games to the end of the season.  They are done with playing the Cards, Pirates, Astros, Cubs, and Yankees.  They've just got the Twins, Tigers, and one series against the Angels.

They could very easily lose their focus, but the competition is not as tough as what they have gone through in compiling a 59-38 record thus far.

[onebadrubi]

Bumgarner absolutely wins best WS peformance I can think of. 

Cubs have no shot at winning the division, not a 3% chance.  No offense and pitching skeptical at best.  They were a flash in the pan with the young talent earlier this year.

[popcornhog]

Yes, the Royals undoubtedly rise to the occasion against true aces this year.  The record shows that.  KC's bats do go silent at times, but it's just not necessarily against the pitchers you would expect.

I think the Cubs and Tigers are out of contention for their respective divisions.

If the Royals maintain their focus, they are likely to have a more favorable run of games to the end of the season.  They are done with playing the Cards, Pirates, Astros, Cubs, and Yankees.  They've just got the Twins, Tigers, and one series against the Angels.

They could very easily lose their focus, but the competition is not as tough as what they have gone through in compiling a 59-38 record thus far.

The Angels have really come on. If I had to bet on a team to win the WS right now, I might pick the Angels.

Those series against the Tigers and especially Twins will be big.

We still have 3 more series against the Pirates (2 of those coming in STL though, where the Cards play .750 ball. Those three series may well decide the division. There's a 6 game cushion right now, but one sweep can change that in a hurry. Plus, the Pirates just signed the Cardinal killer last week.

[popcornhog]

Bumgarner absolutely wins best WS peformance I can think of. 

Cubs have no shot at winning the division, not a 3% chance.  No offense and pitching skeptical at best.  They were a flash in the pan with the young talent earlier this year.

Realistically its Cards and Pirates. Just like realistically it's Royals and Twins in the AL Central.

[DukeOfPork]

Bumgarner absolutely wins best WS peformance I can think of.

0.25 ERA over three world series.  That pretty much says it all.

The same Kansas City team that he shut out in Game 5 and (most of) Game 7 pounded the Giants 10-0 in between those games.

[onebadrubi]

The Angels have really come on. If I had to bet on a team to win the WS right now, I might pick the Angels.

Those series against the Tigers and especially Twins will be big.

We still have 3 more series against the Pirates (2 of those coming in STL though, where the Cards play .750 ball. Those three series may well decide the division. There's a 6 game cushion right now, but one sweep can change that in a hurry. Plus, the Pirates just signed the Cardinal killer last week.

'

What did I miss?  Who is this killer?

[popcornhog]

'

What did I miss?  Who is this killer?

Aramis Ramirez.

[pigture perfect]

Looks like Ben Zobrist to the Royals now. I love the hustle of that guy. He is a perfect fit either as a 2nd bagger or utility guy.

[DukeOfPork]

Looks like Ben Zobrist to the Royals now. I love the hustle of that guy. He is a perfect fit either as a 2nd bagger or utility guy.

Frankly, I'm a bit shocked that we got Cueto AND Zobrist.  These are big moves by Moore.

With Infante being a liability at the plate and Gordon being out, Zobrist should get lots of opportunities to play.

[Uncommon]

Entertaining 9th inning, with an Eric Hosmer home run after Lorenzo Cain gets caught stealing and a web gem by Infante and Escobar, wins it tonight against the Tribe with a final score of 2-1.

61-38

[DukeOfPork]

Entertaining 9th inning, with an Eric Hosmer home run after Lorenzo Cain gets caught stealing and a web gem by Infante and Escobar, wins it tonight against the Tribe with a final score of 2-1.

61-38

Omar and Esky.  Wow.  That was beautiful.

[jbell96]

That webgem in the 9th was a thing of beauty. It wasn't even close at first.

[popcornhog]

Omar and Esky.  Wow.  That was beautiful.

That was pretty amazing. I just saw a replay.

[DukeOfPork]

That was pretty amazing. I just saw a replay.

Yeah, here's the link for anyone who didn't see it:

http://m.mlb.com/news/article/139368934/omar-infante-alcides-escobar-star-on-defense

It was so fluid.  Escobar didn't have to adjust at all: Infante tossed it right into the path of Esky's throwing hand and he spun and threw it all in the same motion.

Really pretty play.  It looked effortless and easy.

[DukeOfPork]

Cueto!

[pigture perfect]

Cueto is not the trade I thought he would be. 2-6 since joining the Royals is not good. I do cheer for the Royals in the AL, except when he pitches. I hope he leaves or is traded before next season.

[pigture perfect]

I can't believe this thread hasn't had much traffic lately. The Royals have the best record in the AL and by some pundits are still the favorites for the WS.

[DukeOfPork]

Well, I'm ready to talk about the Royals, but there's no one to discuss them with on here.  Admittedly, 98% of the posters on Hogville never even look at the MLB board, so there may be some Royals fans that don't even know this thread exists.

I went to the last home game of the season, the 3-0 win over Cleveland.  I can't go this week, but I'm looking at Game 5 tickets on StubHub.

September was a train wreck, but they have put it all together in the last week and suddenly look like the team that blew through the ALCS and ALDS last year.

[pigture perfect]

Although I have a Cardinal Avatar, that doesn't mean I'm not a huge Royals fan. I'm almost beside myself thinking of the possibility of that matchup meaning all the marbles.

I give the Royals credit for improving my marriage. Been married 24+ to a KC gal. Over the last 2 years, I've found that sports commonality that brings you closer. I love when she asks about baseball and wants to know stats and situations. Their resurgence has been great.

[DukeOfPork]

Although I have a Cardinal Avatar, that doesn't mean I'm not a huge Royals fan. I'm almost beside myself thinking of the possibility of that matchup meaning all the marbles.

I give the Royals credit for improving my marriage. Been married 24+ to a KC gal. Over the last 2 years, I've found that sports commonality that brings you closer. I love when she asks about baseball and wants to know stats and situations. Their resurgence has been great.

The NL looks strong. 

On the AL side, I've felt like Toronto are the odds on favorite, but in the last week it has become clear that Kansas City is the team to beat.

The starting pitching is shaping up and Ventura is looking like the cool customer that dominated in the playoffs last year.  This team suddenly looks focused and they've got their swagger back.

I'm feeling a lot better about them than I did a couple weeks ago.

[popcornhog]

The NL looks strong. 

On the AL side, I've felt like Toronto are the odds on favorite, but in the last week it has become clear that Kansas City is the team to beat.

The starting pitching is shaping up and Ventura is looking like the cool customer that dominated in the playoffs last year.  This team suddenly looks focused and they've got their swagger back.

I'm feeling a lot better about them than I did a couple weeks ago.

It's interesting, the AL is not as deep, but the best team in baseball is in the AL.

There are seven teams right now, to me, that are all very, very good. Any of these seven could very easily win it in my mind with very little separation from 2-7. The Blue Jays are a cut above in my mind, though. And I agree 100% -- the Royals are looking better again. If Ventura is on and Cueto is up to snuff, y'all will be very tough. FWIW, Lorenzo Cain is my favorite non Cardinal.

That said, the Astros or Yankees will probably win it all.

1) Blue Jays
2) Pirates
3) Cardinals (# 2 if Molina is 100%)
4)Cubs
5) Dodgers
6) Royals
7) Mets

Hell, probably 8 really -- the Rangers have looked really good, too.

[popcornhog]

Morales has hit two bombs to keep the Royals in it.

[pigture perfect]

Time running out tonight. Come on Royals.

[DukeOfPork]

Wow, what a comeback by the Royals.  Game 5 should be a good one.

Kauffman Stadium is going to be rocking.

[pigture perfect]

I'm watching tonight's game like I watch NASCAR. Hoping for a wreck. I Would love to see Donaldson get plunked and benches clear.

[GolfNut57]

I'm watching tonight's game like I watch NASCAR. Hoping for a wreck. I Would love to see Donaldson get plunked and benches clear.

N.A.S.C.A.R. - Non Athletic Sport Centered Around Rednecks