Week in Review: Royals Avoid Winless Trip By Salvaging Sunday in St. Louis

Week in a Nutshell 

The Royals' woes on the road continued this week in their travels to Chicago and St. Louis. Kansas City went 1-5 on this Midwest road trip, bringing their road record to 7-17 (they are 13-10 at home). Their seven road wins are tied with the Tigers and Marlins for the fewest road wins in baseball, and only the Tigers have a worse road record (7-19) than the Royals. 

It wasn't necessarily one thing that hurt the Royals on this recent road trip, which has been the story of this frustrating season through 47 games. 

Against the White Sox, it was the pitching that let the team down, as they gave up 18 runs in their three losses (the Royals scored 12 runs). Against the Cardinals, it was the offense, as the pitching staff allowed only 9 runs, but the offense scored only 8. On a positive note, it felt like the Royals were in all these games, despite going 1-5. Hopefully, the positive momentum from winning the series finale in St. Louis can carry over into their upcoming nine-game homestand.

Record this Week: 1-5

Run Differential for the Week: -7

Record for the Year: 20-27

Run Differential for the Year: -21

Standing: Tied for 4th in the AL Central

Game 42: CHW 6, KC 5

• Early solo home runs by Bobby Witt Jr. and Salvador Perez in the first inning set the tone, but a five-run fifth took away all that momentum (Stephen Kolek was cruising until that fifth inning). The Royals tied it up in the sixth thanks to RBI base hits by Nick Loftin and Maikel Garcia. Unfortunately, a pinch-hit Derek Hill home run in the bottom of the eighth ended up being the nail in the coffin for Kansas City in game one.

Game 43: CHW 6, KC 5

• The White Sox got off to an early lead in this one, leading 3-0 after three. However, a two RBI single by Vinnie Pasquantino tied the ball game in the 5th. Despite getting a fresh game in the fifth, Seth Lugo couldn't keep it tied, as a two-run double by Jarred Kelenic gave them a two-run lead, which was padded on by a run in the sixth. A two-run home run by Witt in the ninth made it close, but Kansas City couldn't complete the comeback. 

Game 44: CHW 6, KC 2

• It was a Randal Grichuk revenge game as the former Royals outfielder had two hits, including a home run and four RBI. Starter Kris Bubic, who was sensational against the White Sox at Kauffman, struggled at The Rate, as he gave up five runs on five hits and three walks while striking out four in just four innings of work. Despite getting seven hits, just one less than the White Sox, they were 0-for-5 in RISP situations and stranded eight. 

Game 45: STL 5, KC 4 (11)

• It was a back-and-forth slugfest between the two Missouri-based ballclubs. Kansas City and St. Louis traded leads at different points in the game and actually answered one another in the 10th inning with one run each in their frame. Witt and Carter Jensen both had two hits each, while Isaac Collins had two RBI, despite not getting a hit. The Royals also got a quality start from Michael Wacha. Unfortunately, after coming up empty in the top of the 11th, the Cardinals ended the game in the bottom of the 11th, as pinch-hitter Yohel Pozo had a game-winning single that drove in Nathan Church with two outs.

Game 46: STL 4, KC 2

• The Royals got a much-needed bounce-back game from Noah Cameron on Saturday. The St. Joseph, Missouri, product delivered a quality start, allowing three runs on five hits and no walks while striking out four over six innings. Unfortunately, Cameron didn't get much run support, as Cardinals starter Kyle Leahy held the Royals offense to one run on five hits and three walks while striking out two in six innings of work. Jac Caglianone had a nice day with two hits and a mammoth 428-foot home run in the top of the ninth. 

Game 47: KC 2, STL 0

• Kolek proved to be the "stopper" for the Royals on Sunday in St. Louis, as he added another quality start to his Kansas City resume. In 6.1 IP, the 29-year-old righty allowed no runs, four hits, one walk, and struck out three. Daniel Lynch IV and Lucas Erceg shut the door on the Cardinals in the final two innings, as they received the hold and save, respectively. The offense had nine hits, but went 0-for-6 in RISP situations and stranded eight. Salvy launched his seventh home run of the season. 

News and Notes

The Royals only made one move this week, but it was a big one that affected their bullpen.

Matt Strahm pitched on Friday, going 0.2 IP and allowing no runs, one hit, one walk, and striking out one. However, he was visited by manager Matt Quatraro in the middle of the inning, as they noticed him wincing. On Saturday, the Royals confirmed that he had injured his right knee and would be placed on the 15-Day IL due to right knee inflammation. 

Bailey Falter was recalled from Omaha as a result, where he had been on a rehab outing after suffering a minor elbow injury earlier in the year.

Highlights

Witt continued his solid pace this season on this road trip. In 23 at-bats, he hit .304 with a 1.016 OPS. That included two home runs, four RBI, three runs scored, and a stolen base. He also walked four times and struck out four times, showing excellent plate discipline and pitch recognition on this road trip. While the rest of the Royals' lineup has been inconsistent, Witt has been a rock for this Kansas City offense.

The AL MVP candidate also showed some incredible baseball IQ on Saturday by deking St. Louis' Ivan Herrera on a passed ball that kept Herrera at third base (he should've scored). 

Perez and Jensen also had nice road trips, which is good as they were less-than-stellar in the previous homestand.

In 23 at-bats this week, Salvy hit .292 with an .850 OPS. That also included two home runs, three RBI, and three runs scored. He also walked once and struck out four times. Perez got a lot of heat for still being in the cleanup spot despite his struggles this year. However, he helped silence the critics a bit with a big homer on Sunday.

As for Jensen, he had been struggling going into this road trip, but he seemed to turn it around away from Kauffman Stadium this week.

In 16 at-bats, he hit .375 with a .944 OPS, and he walked twice while striking out four times. He didn't hit a homer and had two RBI and two runs scored, which isn't a massive amount. However, he looked a lot more comfortable and locked in at the plate, something that wasn't really the case in the last homestand.

Kyle Isbel has struggled on the road this year, but he had an encouraging road trip this week.

In 20 at-bats, he hit .300 with an .833 OPS. That included two doubles and a triple. He struck out five times and walked only once. However, he has a .641 OPS on the road (compared to an .864 OPS at home). Thus, to see him hit well away from the K this week should be a good sign for him going forward. Isbel also flashed his signature leather, with an amazing catch in game one in the bottom of the ninth that sent the game to extra innings.

On the pitching end, Lynch was absolutely nails on this road trip. In three outings and 3.2 IP, he didn't allow a single run, gave up only three hits, walked one, and struck out five batters. He's becoming the Royals' most important reliever beyond Lucas Erceg, and that role should only grow with Strahm on the IL. 

The Royals also got quality starts from Cameron and Kolek in St. Louis, which shouldn't be dismissed, as they were coming off rough outings in their previous starts. In his one outing this week, Cameron not only produced a quality start but also generated some solid TJ Stuff+, impressive whiff and chase rates, and induced a lot of weak contact in six innings of work.

As for Kolek, he had a brutal outing against the White Sox, though that was primarily due to a nightmarish fifth inning where he gave up home runs to Drew Romo and Chase Meidroth. He was much more settled against St. Louis, throwing only 82 pitches in 6.1 IP.

With six pitches, Kolek looked very Lugo-esque on Sunday. He didn't generate a ton of whiff, but he lived on the edges, generated a good amount of chase and strikes, and kept the ball on the ground. As a result, he earned another quality start for the Royals and helped get them a much-needed win.

Luinder Avila also had a good week, allowing no runs on no hits in two outings and 3.1 IP. He walked three, but he also struck out four. Avila may also be pushing for more high-leverage opportunities soon, especially with Strahm's return questionable.

Lowlights

It was not a great road trip for the "Michaels": Maikel Garcia hit .143 with a .379 OPS in 28 at-bats, while Michael Massey hit .143 with a .286 OPS in 14 at-bats. Both hitters have struggled on the road this year. Garcia has a 57 wRC+ away from Kauffman Stadium, while Massey has a -36 mark. Unfortunately, that trend didn't change much this week.

Collins has had his issues away from the K as well. His 28 wRC+ on the road is the second-worst mark among Royals hitters with five or more plate appearances this season. This week was more of the same, as he hit .158 with a .531 OPS in 19 at-bats. On a positive note, he at least walked three times and struck out just three times. 

Lane Thomas didn't get a whole lot of action this week, as he only received nine at-bats. Unfortunately, he struggled in his limited opportunities this week, hitting .111 with a .419 OPS. While he walked three times, he struck out five times, which was tied with Isbel for the most this week (Isbel had 11 more at-bats).

On the pitching end, Bubic and Isbel had forgettable outings this week in Chicago. 

Not only did Bubic go four innings of work, but he also struggled with command and didn't generate a whole lot of chases or whiffs. He also was hit around hard, as illustrated below via his TJ Stuff+ summary from his Thursday outing against the White Sox. 

Lugo's outing felt very similar to Bubic's. The 36-year-old veteran struggled with efficiency and command, producing just a 59.8% strike% in five innings of work and 92 pitches. His zone, whiff, and chase rates were subpar, and he allowed not only a lot of hits (eight) but also hard contact, as evidenced by his xwOBACON below.

Lugo and Bubic are allowed to have bad outings. On one end, Lugo has been solid on the road this season. He has a 3.00 ERA and 1.93 FIP in 24 IP away from Kauffman Stadium. Thus, this outing against the White Sox may have just been a blip on the radar.

As for Bubic, he's been a much worse pitcher on the road this year. In 20.2 IP on the road, he has an 8.8% K-BB%, 5.23 ERA, and 3.68 FIP. In 29.2 IP at the K? He has a 14.7% K-BB%, 3.34 ERA, and 3.74 FIP. Thus, Bubic may be looking forward to this upcoming nine-game homestand, and hopefully, he can build some positive momentum during this stretch to carry over into his next road trip. 

The bullpen was fine for the most part in this series, with only John Schreiber (6.75 ERA) and Strahm (5.40 ERA) sporting ERA marks over five this week. Strahm is on the IL, so he won't be a factor for at least this upcoming homestand, maybe longer depending on how his knee heals. As for Schreiber, he's been better recently, but he's still struggling to generate chase and whiffs, collect strikes consistently, and limit hard contact.

Unless something dramatic happens, Schreiber may be pitching himself out of Kansas City sooner rather than later.

Looking Ahead

The Royals have a nine-game homestand, with the first two series against the Boston Red Sox and Seattle Mariners, two playoff teams from a year ago that have gotten off to disappointing starts this year as well.

The Red Sox are 19-27 with a -20 run differential and are 11.5 games behind the division-leading Tampa Bay Rays. Boston has struggled on offense, as many of its key players have gotten off to brutal starts. Three of the 10 worst-qualified players in OPS happen to be Red Sox players, as TJ Stats shared on Twitter.

The Royals will face the Mariners a second time, after sweeping them in Seattle during the first weekend in May. Unlike the Red Sox, the Mariners have a positive run differential at +11. That makes them a tougher opponent than their 22-25 record suggests, and the Royals can't afford to overlook them because they took three in Seattle.

One of their hottest hitters has been Randy Arozarena, who is slashing .440/.500/.640 in his last 25 at-bats. 

After the weekend series against the Mariners, the Royals begin a three-game slate against the rival New York Yankees starting on Memorial Day. The Yankees swept the Royals back in April in the Bronx, and Kansas City is 0-11 against the Yankees since beating them in Game 2 of the 2024 ALDS in Yankee Stadium.  

The Royals will have to do a lot to avoid going 0-14 against the Yankees since that Game 2 ALDS victory. New York is one of the best teams in the league with a 28-19 record and +68 run differential, the third-best run differential in baseball (only the Atlanta Braves and Dodgers have better marks at +98 and +94, respectively).