Kevin O'Brien

Abraham Toro powered Omaha with a triple, a two-run homer, and three hits, but St. Paul walked off the Storm Chasers 6 to 5. Andrew Morones struck out six over three scoreless innings in relief for Northwest Arkansas in a 9-to-1 loss to Tulsa. Kendry Chourio fanned 10 across 4 2/3 innings for Quad Cities in a 12-to-2 defeat, and Luis Valdez tossed two scoreless innings for Columbia in a 10-to-0 shutout at Hickory. Royals Transactions Kansas City Royals activated RHP Seth Lugo from the 7-day injured list. Kansas City Royals optioned RHP Mason Black to Omaha Storm Chasers. Toro's Power Not Enough As Storm Chasers Fall In Walk-Off Omaha collected 11 hits but stranded nine runners in a 6-to-5 walk-off loss to the St. Paul Saints. Toro led the way, going 2-for-5 with a triple, a home run, and two runs batted in. Drew Waters added two doubles, a run, and an RBI, while Matthew Lugo and Brett Squires each had two hits. Omaha jumped on the board in the second inning. Waters doubled to right to score Toro, and Brandon Drury followed with a single that brought Waters home, cutting the deficit to 3 to 2. The Storm Chasers tied it in the fifth when Squires singled home Lugo. Toro put Omaha ahead in the eighth with a two-run homer to left center that scored Luca Tresh, making it 5 to 4. Randy Dobnak took the bulk of the work, allowing three runs, all earned, on six hits with one walk and five strikeouts over 4 1/3 innings. The bullpen could not hold the late lead, as St. Paul tied the game in the ninth and pushed across the winning run to take it 6 to 5. Player AB R H RBI BB K Peyton Wilson 5 0 0 0 0 2 Matthew Lugo 5 1 2 0 0 1 Brett Squires 5 0 2 0 0 3 Luca Tresh 4 1 1 0 0 2 Abraham Toro 5 2 2 2 0 0 Drew Waters 4 1 2 1 0 0 Brandon Drury 3 0 1 1 1 0 Gavin Cross 3 0 0 0 1 0 Kevin Newman 4 0 1 0 0 2 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Randy Dobnak 4 1/3 6 3 3 1 5 1 Dan Altavilla 1 2/3 1 1 0 0 1 0 Andrew Pérez 1 0 0 0 1 2 0 Eric Cerantola 1 1/3 4 2 2 1 3 1 Naturals Bats Go Quiet In Lopsided Loss To Tulsa Northwest Arkansas managed just four hits and stranded five runners in a 9-to-1 loss to the Tulsa Drillers. Daniel Vazquez drove in the lone run, going 1-for-3 with a walk. Colton Becker added a double and scored the only run, while Rudy Martin Jr. and Omar Hernandez each chipped in a single. The Naturals scored their only run in the first inning, when Vazquez singled to left to bring home Becker and tie the game at one. Tulsa answered immediately, building a lead with a four-run second inning and never looking back. Hunter Owen had a rough outing, surrendering six runs, all earned, on seven hits with four walks and one strikeout across two innings. Morones was the bright spot out of the bullpen, working three scoreless innings while allowing one hit, walking two, and striking out six. Chase Jessee followed with three innings, allowing one run on two hits, and Brandon Johnson gave up two runs in the ninth. Player AB R H RBI BB K Rudy Martin Jr. 4 0 1 0 0 2 Colton Becker 4 1 1 0 0 0 Sam Kulasingam 4 0 0 0 0 1 Carson Roccaforte 3 0 0 0 1 2 Daniel Vazquez 3 0 1 1 1 1 Omar Hernandez 4 0 1 0 0 0 Connor Scott 3 0 0 0 0 0 Canyon Brown 3 0 0 0 0 2 Alberto Rodriguez 1 0 0 0 2 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Hunter Owen 2 7 6 6 4 1 0 Chase Jessee 3 2 1 1 3 4 0 Brandon Johnson 1 2 2 2 2 1 0 Andrew Morones 3 1 0 0 2 6 0 Chourio Strikes Out 10 But River Bandits Drop Slugfest Quad Cities piled up 12 runners left on base and could not string together offense in a 12-to-2 loss to the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers. Erick Torres had the lone multi-hit day at 2-for-4, while Asbel Gonzalez, Ramon Ramirez, Luke Pelzer, Derlin Figueroa, and Angel Acosta each added a single. Figueroa and Tyriq Kemp drove in the runs. The River Bandits got both of their runs in the first inning. Figueroa singled home Blake Mitchell, and Kemp followed with a sacrifice fly that scored Ramirez to tie the game at two. The offense went silent from there as Wisconsin pulled away, scoring 10 unanswered runs. The River Bandits left 12 runners on base and went 1-for-7 with runners in scoring position. Chourio was sharp at times and overpowering with the strikeout, fanning 10 batters over 4 2/3 innings, but he was charged with seven runs, five earned, on seven hits and a home run while issuing no walks. Mason Miller allowed one run over 2 1/3 innings, and Ryan Ure was tagged for four runs in two innings to close it out. Player AB R H RBI BB K Asbel Gonzalez 4 0 1 0 1 3 Blake Mitchell 3 1 0 0 2 3 Ramon Ramirez 4 1 1 0 1 2 Luke Pelzer 4 0 1 0 1 0 Derlin Figueroa 5 0 1 1 0 3 Tyriq Kemp 3 0 0 1 0 0 Connor Rasmussen 4 0 0 0 0 1 Erick Torres 4 0 2 0 0 0 Angel Acosta 3 0 1 0 1 0 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Kendry Chourio 4 2/3 7 7 5 0 10 1 Mason Miller 2 1/3 2 1 1 1 1 0 Ryan Ure 2 3 4 4 1 1 0 Fireflies Shut Out At Hickory In Quiet Night At The Plate Columbia was held to three hits and was shut out 10 to 0 by the Hickory Crawdads. Hyungchan Um, Sean Gamble, and Angel Ramirez each had a single, and Yandel Ricardo and Josh Hammond drew the only walks. The offense never advanced a runner across the plate. The Fireflies went 1-for-4 with runners in scoring position and left five runners on base. The damage came in the fifth inning, when Hickory broke the game open with six runs to turn a manageable deficit into a rout. The Crawdads had taken an early lead with three runs in the third and tacked on another in the seventh. Coleman Picard absorbed the loss, allowing three runs, all earned, on five hits with one walk and two strikeouts over 2 2/3 innings. Randy Ramnarace was charged with five runs, though none were earned, across two innings. Valdez finished strong, striking out three over two scoreless innings while allowing two hits and two walks. Player AB R H RBI BB K Yandel Ricardo 3 0 0 0 1 2 Josh Hammond 3 0 0 0 1 0 Stone Russell 4 0 0 0 0 3 Hyungchan Um 4 0 1 0 0 1 Sean Gamble 3 0 1 0 0 0 JC Vanek 1 0 0 0 0 1 Roni Cabrera 3 0 0 0 0 1 Angel Ramirez 3 0 1 0 0 1 Ivan Sosa 3 0 0 0 0 1 Josi Novas 3 0 0 0 0 2 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Coleman Picard 2 2/3 5 3 3 1 2 0 Randy Ramnarace 2 2 5 0 2 1 0 Brandon Herbold 1 1/3 1 1 0 2 1 0 Luis Valdez 2 2 1 0 2 3 0 Top-20 Prospect Performance Kendry Chourio: 4 2/3 IP, 7 H, 7 R, 5 ER, 0 BB, 10 K, 1 HR David Shields: DNP Sean Gamble: 1-for-3 Blake Mitchell: 0-for-3, 2 BB, 3 K Josh Hammond: 0-for-3, BB Ramon Ramirez: 1-for-4, R, BB, 2 K Drew Beam: DNP Asbel Gonzalez: 1-for-4, BB, 3 K Ben Kudrna: DNP Carson Roccaforte: 0-for-3, BB, 2 K Yandel Ricardo: 0-for-3, BB, 2 K Felix Arronde: DNP Blake Wolters: DNP Michael Lombardi: DNP Luinder Avila: DNP Steven Zobac: DNP Frank Mozzicato: DNP Daniel Vazquez: 1-for-3, RBI, BB, K Warren Colcano: 0-for-2, 1 BB Shane Panzini: DNP View full article

In addition to strong fWAR numbers, the trio has also put up strong results in wRC+ this month. Witt has a 142 wRC+, Cags has a 190 wRC+, and Thomas has a 160 wRC+. Thus, in terms of production, those three players have been key to Kansas City's offensive turnaround in June. The biggest story has been the emergence of Cags, who leads all Royals hitters this month in wRC+. While the former Florida product has a high K% at 26.5%, he leads the team in home runs with five, his latest coming on Friday night against the Cardinals. Cags has also been an RBI machine this month. He had 11 RBIs going into Friday's game, and he collected two more after a two-hit game in the Royals' 6-5 win. When looking at Cags' Statcast percentiles chart this month via TJ Stats, there's a lot to like with his profile. He's hitting the ball hard, pulling it more often, and launching it effectively. While cutting down the strikeouts and chasing would be nice, Royals fans can live with the whiffs and strikeouts as long as the power continues to develop. While Cags' breakout was nice, some of it was to be expected (or at least hoped for) in Spring Training. Thomas, however, was a bit more of a wild card when he was signed to a one-year deal this offseason. Thomas was showing progress in April, hitting .255 with a .739 OPS in 64 plate appearances. However, he declined heavily in May, hitting just .171 with a .514 OPS in 51 plate appearances. Thankfully, he has not just bounced back in June but emerged as one of the Royals' more dependable hitters. This month, the 30-year-old outfielder is hitting .280 with a .950 OPS in 59 plate appearances. He has hit four home runs in June after only one in March, April, and May combined. Thomas was particularly good in his old stomping grounds in Washington, as he hit homers in back-to-back games against the Nationals. When looking at his TJ Stats Statcast percentiles this month, Thomas has not been as flawless as Cags, who was dark red in nearly every Statcast category. The 30-year-old's bat speed still rates below average, and his Max EV leaves a bit to be desired. That said, Thomas' patient approach seems to be paying off in June, as evidenced by his strong wOBA and xwOBA percentiles, just to name a few. The Royals acquired Thomas because he had a history of not chasing. He's done that especially well in June, as evidenced by his 98th percentile O-Swing%. That has not only helped his BB% (90th percentile) but also improved his swing decisions. Those better decisions have resulted in more barrels (69th percentile barrel%) and better actual (98th percentile wOBA) and expected (85th percentile xwOBA) production. Thus, the former Guardians and Nationals outfielder has emerged as an everyday option in the outfield for manager Matt Quatraro, which is much needed with Isbel expected to be on the IL for a while due to plantar fasciitis. Can the Royals Overcome the Loss of Bobby? Kansas City has weathered the loss of Vinnie and Maikel well this month. Caglianone has slid into first base and may make Pasquantino expendable this offseason. Nick Loftin has also filled in well for Garcia, as Loftin is putting up a 151 wRC+ and 0.3 fWAR, the latter thanks to much better defense at third than second. However, if Bobby goes on the IL, that could be a more significant hit to this surging Royals lineup (even though they scored six runs in his absence on Friday). Witt hasn't hit for much power this month, as evidenced by his one home run and .108 ISO. That said, he not only led the team in fWAR, but he had a 142 wRC+, a 14.3% BB%, a 14.3% K%, and 12 runs scored before going down to injury on Thursday. Bobby's Statcast percentiles summary via TJ Stats showed he was an elite hitter in June, hitting the ball hard and effectively, though he could barrel and launch the ball more often. Witt only had a 35th-percentile barrel% and a Pull Air% in the 27th percentile, not a recipe for home runs. However, those paltry marks could be due to lackluster bat speed this month (32nd percentile), which caused him to swing late and settle for singles and doubles rather than home runs. He did seem to be trending in the right direction on Thursday, as he hit his first home run of the month in the first inning off Cardinals starter Matthew Liberatore. Unfortunately, the excitement with Witt's power was cut short after he injured his knee on a diving play. As Quatraro said in his pregame presser, an IL stint could be possible, though no decision has been made just yet. It's likely that the Royals will let him rest and recover on the Saturday off day and make a decision about his future before Sunday's game. If Witt does hit the IL, it will be difficult for the Royals to find an adequate replacement at shortstop. Tyler Tolbert got the start at shortstop on Friday, and he showed some strong defense and drove in an RBI on a sacrifice fly to center field. That said, he has a 98 wRC+ in 15 plate appearances and is striking out 46.7% of the time. The Royals need more than that at shortstop, even with Tolbert's speed (five stolen bases) and defense, which was on full display tonight. If healthy, Garcia makes the most sense at shortstop, especially since he has profiled well there defensively in the past. That said, he hasn't exactly had a stellar June. In 39 plate appearances, he is hitting .257 with an 89 wRC+. His K% is high this month at 23.1%, and he hasn't hit a home run, a slump that goes back to April (he didn't hit a home run in May). Garcia's Statcast summary shows a hitter who doesn't chase and is barreling better, but is struggling to generate consistent launch angle, exit velocity, and bat speed. Those issues could be tied to his on-again, off-again hand injury. He isn't pulling the ball in the air either, an area where he was showing progress earlier in the season. If Garcia can get healthy and closer to his April form, then the Royals should be fine with Witt out. Grade 1 MCL sprains typically have a 1-3 week recovery time, and Garcia can certainly hold down the shortstop position during that window. And yet, the Venezuelan infielder is not healthy, and hand injuries can take time to fully recover from, even if they do not require an injury stint. It's possible that Garcia may not return to his April self until after the All-Star break, at the soonest. That murkiness around Garcia's health makes this Witt situation that much more difficult for Quatraro and the President of Baseball Operations, JJ Picollo. 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Also, Bobby Witt Jr. is out of the starting lineup for the first time this season. According to Anne Rogers, Witt has a grade 1 MCL strain. Typically, grade 1 strain recovery takes anywhere from 1-3 weeks. However, 1 is the lowest it can be, so it's possible that it's more on the mild end, which explains why Witt isn't on the IL. The Royals do have an off day on Saturday due to the World Cup game at Arrow...errr I mean Kansas City Stadium. Perhaps the Royals are thinking they can get him two days off and then have him return on Sunday?

Game two of the I-70 Series is tonight, as the Royals try to go for the series win. Below is the lineup and percentage odds, according to Fangraphs. Michael McGreevy goes for the Cardinals on the mound. Even though he's a cool Irish name and has a sub-3.00 ERA, his profile is very similar to Matthew Liberatore's, who got shelled in Thursday night's outing. Below is McGreevy's TJ Stuff+ summary from the year. Notice that he rates as below average in many categories. First pitch is at 7:10 p.m. and the broadcast will be on Apple TV, not Royals.TV tonight.

I agree. It has been a few days and Lynch just hasn’t looked the same recently. You could argue that some other relievers have looked better than him, with Steven Cruz being one of them and one I’m more open to hanging onto than Lynch because of Cruz’s stuff and velocity. Relievers always tend to have inflated value at trade deadline and I think it’s possible to get a decent prospect package in return for Lynch. Might as well get something now than hold onto him and see him regress hard. Relievers are so volatile and I think the Royals could replace him in ‘27 in some kind of fashion on the cheap.

Check out my latest postgame show at KCSN with Joel Penfield as we talk about the Royals' big win over the St. Louis Cardinals and the injury to Bobby Witt Jr. I'll try to post these episodes here and on Bluesky since I know KCSN doesn't have much of a presence there. Please like, comment, and subscribe!

Great piece, Yirsandy. I appreciate the data shared, especially with the new swing timing data from Statcast. He definitely has shown improvement in generating more swing and miss as well as improving the stuff profile of his pitch arsenal. It's a story from the Royals pitching coaches that's not getting talked about enough. My concern with Lynch is that maybe this is the peak of what he can do at the MLB level. He won't return to the rotation and while he's been effective, he still hasn't gained trust for the ninth inning. Without being a closer long term, I don't know what his value would be to the Royals, especially with him arb eligible as soon as next year. His price will definitely go up and I'm not sure that's worthwhile on a rebuilding club. I'm not saying the Royals should aggressively shop him, but I hope they keep him available and maybe they can get something similar or greater to what they got for Freddy Fermin last year. Lynch could be a valuable piece on a contender, and the Royals could use the assets, especially in terms of prospects who are close to the big leagues. I wouldn't be surprised if Lynch is pitching in another uniform come August.

Josh Rojas and Gavin Cross each homered as the Omaha Storm Chasers took both ends of a doubleheader in St. Paul, 12-4 and 6-2. Ramon Ramirez crushed two home runs and drove in four to lead Quad Cities to a 9-3 win, while David Shields struck out 10 over five innings. Rudy Martin Jr. delivered a walk-off single to lift Northwest Arkansas past Tulsa, 6-5, and Columbia rallied for a 6-4, 10-inning win behind Stone Russell's three RBIs. Royals Transactions Kansas City Royals placed LHP Cole Ragans on the 60-day injured list. Left elbow impingement. Seattle Mariners traded RHP Randy Dobnak to Kansas City Royals for cash. Rojas And Cross Power Omaha In Game One Rout The Omaha Storm Chasers opened their doubleheader in St. Paul with a 12-4 win over the Saints. Leadoff man Rojas went 3-for-4 with a home run, three runs, and four runs batted in. Cross added three hits, a home run, and three runs in a 3-for-3 day with a walk, and Peyton Wilson doubled twice while driving in two. The decisive frame was the sixth, when Omaha plated five runs. Rojas singled home Drew Waters to start the scoring, Wilson doubled in two more, Rojas later scored on a Brett Squires groundout, and Matthew Lugo singled in another to break the game open. Bailey Falter started and worked four innings, allowing two runs on three hits with three walks and four strikeouts. Génesis Cabrera earned the win with a perfect inning, striking out two, and Luke Jackson finished with two innings, two runs, one walk, and four strikeouts. Omaha left three runners on base and went 6-for-13 with runners in scoring position. They improved to 31-39 after the game one victory. Player AB R H RBI BB K Josh Rojas 4 3 3 4 0 1 Peyton Wilson 4 2 2 2 0 1 Brett Squires 4 0 1 1 0 2 Matthew Lugo 4 0 1 2 0 1 Abraham Toro 4 0 0 0 0 1 Drew Waters 4 1 1 0 0 1 Gavin Cross 3 3 3 1 1 0 Luke Maile 2 2 1 0 2 0 Kevin Newman 4 1 1 1 0 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Bailey Falter 4 3 2 2 3 4 1 Génesis Cabrera 1 0 0 0 0 2 0 Luke Jackson 2 3 2 2 1 4 1 Squires And Drury Go Deep In Omaha's Nightcap Win The Omaha Storm Chasers completed the sweep with a 6-2 win in the second game. Squires homered and drove in two runs, and Brandon Drury went 2-for-2 with a home run, a walk, and two runs batted in. Lugo collected two hits, including a double. Omaha built its lead with a three-run second inning, when Luca Tresh, Drury, and Rojas all delivered run-scoring singles. The Storm Chasers added a pair in the fifth on Squires' solo homer and a Waters single that brought home Lugo. Henry Williams started and went 3 2/3 innings, allowing four runs on five hits with four walks and five strikeouts. Ben Sears picked up the win with 1 1/3 scoreless innings, Jose Cuas struck out two in a perfect inning, and Eli Morgan worked the ninth for the save. Omaha left five runners on base and went 4-for-12 with runners in scoring position. After sweeping the doubleheader in St. Paul, the Storm Chasers' record is now 32-39. Player AB R H RBI BB K Josh Rojas 4 0 1 1 0 1 Peyton Wilson 4 0 0 0 0 1 Brett Squires 3 1 1 1 1 2 Matthew Lugo 4 2 2 0 0 0 Luca Tresh 4 1 1 1 0 2 Drew Waters 2 1 1 1 1 1 Gavin Cross 3 0 0 0 0 1 Brandon Drury 2 1 2 2 1 0 Elih Marrero 3 0 0 0 0 3 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Henry Williams 3 2/3 5 4 4 4 5 1 Ben Sears 1 1/3 1 0 0 0 2 0 Jose Cuas 1 0 0 0 0 2 0 Eli Morgan 1 2 0 0 0 1 0 Martin Jr. Walks Off The Naturals In Extras The Northwest Arkansas Naturals walked off the Tulsa Drillers, 6-5, in 10 innings. Martin Jr. finished 2-for-5 and delivered the winning single, scoring the zombie runner Spencer Nivens from third. Daniel Vazquez went 2-for-4 with a run batted in, and Omar Hernandez drove in two. The Naturals built their early lead in the fourth, when Vazquez singled home Sam Kulasingam, and Hernandez followed with a two-run single to plate Nivens and Vazquez. After Tulsa pushed the game to extras, Vazquez moved the zombie runner to third with a sacrifice bunt before Martin Jr. ended it. Steven Zobac started and allowed four runs on four hits over three innings, walking one and striking out three. Oscar Rayo followed with three scoreless innings, Tommy Molsky gave up one run across two innings, and Augusto Mendieta earned the win with two scoreless frames and five strikeouts. The Naturals left nine runners on base and went 4-for-13 with runners in scoring position. Northwest Arkansas improved its record to 29-35. Player AB R H RBI BB K Carson Roccaforte 5 0 0 0 0 4 Jack Pineda 4 0 0 0 1 1 Sam Kulasingam 3 1 1 0 2 0 Spencer Nivens 4 2 0 0 1 1 Daniel Vazquez 4 1 2 1 0 1 Rudy Martin Jr. 5 2 2 1 0 1 Colton Becker 2 0 1 1 2 0 Omar Hernandez 4 0 1 2 0 1 Justin Johnson 3 0 0 0 0 2 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Steven Zobac 3 4 4 4 1 3 1 Oscar Rayo 3 0 0 0 1 3 0 Tommy Molsky 2 3 1 1 1 1 0 Augusto Mendieta 2 0 0 0 1 5 0 Ramirez's Two Homers And Shields' 10 Strikeouts Carry Quad Cities The Quad Cities River Bandits rolled to a 9-3 win over the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers. Ramirez was the story, going 2-for-4 with two home runs and four runs batted in. Blake Mitchell drove in two, and Asbel Gonzalez led off with a 2-for-5 effort and a run batted in. The fourth inning blew the game open as Quad Cities scored five. Gonzalez singled home a run, Mitchell followed with a two-run single, and Ramirez capped the rally with a three-run homer. Shields was dominant on the mound, striking out 10 over five innings while allowing three runs on five hits and one walk to earn the win. Max Martin followed with three scoreless innings, and L.P. Langevin closed with a perfect inning and three strikeouts. Quad Cities left seven runners on base and went 3-for-10 with runners in scoring position. They are 30-33 for the season. Player AB R H RBI BB K Asbel Gonzalez 5 1 2 1 0 0 Nolan Sailors 4 1 0 0 1 1 Blake Mitchell 4 1 1 2 1 1 Ramon Ramirez 4 2 2 4 1 0 Derlin Figueroa 3 0 0 0 1 2 Erick Torres 3 0 0 0 1 2 Tyriq Kemp 4 1 1 0 0 0 Connor Rasmussen 3 2 2 1 1 0 Trevor Werner 3 1 2 1 1 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR David Shields 5 5 3 3 1 10 0 Max Martin 3 1 0 0 0 2 0 L.P. Langevin 1 0 0 0 0 3 0 Russell's Three RBI Lift Columbia In 10-Inning Comeback The Columbia Fireflies came from behind to beat the Hickory Crawdads, 6-4, in 10 innings. Russell led the way, going 2-for-4 with two doubles and three runs batted in. Hyungchan Um homered and drove in a run, and Josh Hammond scored twice. After Um's solo homer accounted for one of two Columbia runs in the fourth, the Fireflies broke a tie in the 10th. Ivan Sosa struck out swinging but reached when the zombie runner JC Vanek scored on a throwing error, and Russell followed with a two-run double to plate Sosa and Hammond. Ryan McDonagh started and allowed two runs on one hit over five innings, walking two and striking out four. Andy Basora and Hunter Alberini combined for three scoreless innings out of the bullpen, and Dash Albus earned the win in the 10th despite allowing two unearned runs while striking out three. Columbia left five runners on base and scored six runs despite going 1-for-10 with runners in scoring position. The victory improved the Fireflies' record to 34-32. Player AB R H RBI BB K Yandel Ricardo 5 0 1 0 0 1 Josh Hammond 4 2 1 0 1 1 Stone Russell 4 0 2 3 0 2 Hyungchan Um 4 1 1 1 1 1 Sean Gamble 4 0 1 0 0 1 Roni Cabrera 4 1 1 0 0 0 JC Vanek 4 1 0 0 0 1 Angel Ramirez 3 0 0 0 0 1 Ivan Sosa 4 1 0 0 0 2 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Ryan McDonagh 5 1 2 2 2 4 0 Andy Basora 1 2/3 1 0 0 2 3 0 Hunter Alberini 1 1/3 1 0 0 0 1 0 Dash Albus 2 2 2 0 0 3 0 Top-20 Prospect Performance Kendry Chourio: DNP David Shields: 5 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 10 K Sean Gamble: 1-for-4, 1 K Blake Mitchell: 1-for-4, 2 RBI, 1 BB, 1 K Josh Hammond: 1-for-4, 1 BB, 1 K Ramon Ramirez: 2-for-4, 2 HR, 4 RBI, 1 BB Drew Beam: DNP Asbel Gonzalez: 2-for-5, 1 RBI Ben Kudrna: DNP Carson Roccaforte: 0-for-5, 4 K Yandel Ricardo: 1-for-5, 1 K Felix Arronde: DNP Blake Wolters: DNP Michael Lombardi: DNP Luinder Avila: DNP Steven Zobac: 3 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 3 K Frank Mozzicato: DNP Daniel Vazquez: 2-for-4, 1 RBI, 1 K Warren Colcano: 0-for-4, 1 K Shane Panzini: DNP View full article

Hell yeah and congratulations Salvy! Pretty sick graphic honestly.

The Good news: The Royals are up 11-4 in the bottom of the sixth, with the hitting on fire! The bad news: Bobby Witt Jr. tweaked his knee on a defensive play and is out of the game due to right knee discomfort.

For those unfamiliar, Matthew Liberatore is a very similar pitcher to Noah Cameron. Relies on a pretty mediocre fastball, and he doesn't generate a ton of whiffs either. Liberatore can be susceptible to hard contact, so it will be important for the Royals' lineup to get to him early. Data courtesy of TJ Stats.

Going to start a place where fans on Royals Keep can share thoughts about the game, Royals baseball, or just shoot the breeze, in general. I will periodically share thoughts, data, and comments during the game here. Tonight begins a three-game series against our I-70 Rival, the St. Louis Cardinals. The Royals have a 54.3% chance to win today, according to Fangraphs. Noah Cameron is on the bump with first pitch at 6:40 p.m.. at Kauffman Stadium. Apparently, fans should be mindful of traffic due to stadium adjustments at the Truman Sports Complex for the World Cup games. Lineups are down below, via Fangraphs. Welcome to the Royals Roadhouse! Go Royals!