Uninterrupted Week of Royals Baseball Leaves More to Be Desired
In unsurprising news, it was another up-and-down week for the Kansas City Royals. It started with a loss to the Baltimore Orioles, which cost them the series. After that, they went to Texas and lost two of three to the Rangers. Later, they ended the road trip on a positive note by taking two of three from the Colorado Rockies.
It was also nice to see the first full week of baseball since the season started. No weather delays, no off days, just a lot of baseball. Let’s take a look at some of the key stories from this past week for the Royals.
At the beginning of every week, 'Mondays with Mark' will dive into the latest developments with the Royals. Have something you want to be discussed? Let Mark know on Twitter @MarkTheOverseer or find Inside the Royals @InsideRoyals.
Royals have losing record for the week
The Royals were hoping to do better than a 3-4 record against three baseball teams that are not on a trajectory to be competitive as spring turns to summer. Kansas City couldn’t capitalize on this road trip and once again proved that they are not ready to be a competitive ball club. It’s unfortunate, but true.
Pitching continues to ride the rollercoaster
The pitching (starting and bullpen) looked very suspect throughout the entire week. Brad Keller had his first bad outing of the year, as did Zack Greinke. Daniel Lynch had one bad start and one good one. Carlos Hernandez was horrendous in his outing against Colorado. The bullpen almost blew it in the finale against Colorado but luckily, the offense came through and Scott arlow closed the door. It’s going to be a wild ride all season.
Offense comes alive in Colorado
The Royals started the series with 14 runs and finished the series with 26 total runs. Everybody was getting in on the action up and down the roster. It was a fun series to watch, maybe the first one of the entire season where the offense looked like it's capable of being a decent unit. Was it just the Colorado air? Will the Royals be able to continue hitting with warmer weather in the forecast? Only time will tell, but hopefully this is the start of better offensive days ahead.
Hunter Dozier’s career game
Hunter Dozier had a career game on Friday night against the Rockies. He went 5-for-5 at the plate, the first five-hit game of his career. He only added one RBI to his season total, but scored four runs in the big 14-10 win for the Royals. After the weekend, his batting average is now up to .282 on the season.
Bobby Witt Jr. hits two dingers in Colorado
Bobby Witt Jr. hit home runs in consecutive games to close out the weekend against the Rockies. Witt has been playing some shortstop, his natural position and where many see him sticking long-term in the league, and maybe that brings him some comfort that can lead to some greater offensive output. Baseball is as much a mental sport as a physical one. Let’s hope this is the start of a power streak for the young rookie.
The Royals will be back at home for a five-game series against the Chicago White Sox, which opens up Monday night with a 7:10 p.m. CST first pitch. The series will include a doubleheader on Tuesday, with the first game scheduled to get underway at 1:10 pm. The Royals will finish the week at home against the Minnesota Twins with a three-game series Friday through Sunday.
Mark Van Sickle was born in Seattle, Washington, but has lived in the Kansas City area for 30 years. He has followed the city’s sports teams along the way, from the KC Blades to the Chiefs to the Wizards/Sporting KC, now the KC Current and — of course — the Royals. Mark has been a radio producer and on-air talent in Kansas City since 2011 and is currently a producer for morning shows on KCMO Talk Radio. He is a writer and podcast host for the Heartland College Sports Network, a writer for Arrowhead Report on FanNation and a consistent guest on Roughing the Kicker Chiefs podcast. He is also a writer and weekly contributor to FanNation’s InsideTheRoyals.com