“I’ve always believed in myself, and I know that I can go deep into games. It’s been fun to watch for sure”.
Advertisement
Manager Ned Yost was pleased with Duffy’s performance.
“I thought he threw great”.
“I’m going pitch by pitch”, Archer said.
“We’ve got to play with passion. He wasn’t quite as sharp as he was last time, but was still very, very consistent with his fastball, mixed in his slider well and a good changeup”.
Chris Archer struggled again, giving up four runs in the first two innings.
“They’re not as successful as they are for no reason”, Archer said of the Royals. “They’re playing with a lot of confidence and energy”.
Those Royals swept a seven-game homestand, taking four against the Mariners and three versus the Athletics (then won six of seven games on a subsequent road swing). Smyly went 6.0 innings, surrendering five runs, striking out four and walking one in a 9-1 defeat to the Marlins in his last outing. With 2-outs in the top of the 5th Duffy hit Brandon Guyer with a pitch putting him on first.
The five-year veteran held a 2.61 ERA and 0.97 WHIP in three starts against Kansas City in 2014, though those were all with Detroit. Paulo Orlando singled in the eighth, extending his hitting streak to a career-high 14 games.
Second baseman Omar Infante (.618 OPS), third baseman Mike Moustakas (.240 average, .801 OPS in 27 games), shortstop Alcides Escobar (.612 OPS), DH Kendrys Morales (.568 OPS) and outfielder Alex Gordon (.650 OPS) now are running with the second string at their positions.
Tampa Bay did manage nine hits, including two each by Evan Longoria and Curt Casali. As Drew Butera took ball four, Dyson broke for third.
Miller knocked in a run, though later in the third he got thrown out at the plate on what seemed like an aggressive send by third-base coach Charlie Montoyo. Jarrod Dyson picked up his sixth outfield assist, which is tied for second in the American League.
Morales provided additional insurance by hitting a two-run laser home run into the Tampa Bay bullpen in the sixth inning.
Kennedy slogged through a 29-pitch first inning, which included a Taylor Motter single and walks to Steve Pearce and Logan Morrison to load the bases.
It’s certainly possible Perez, Hosmer and Cain retain their starting spots, but all the other Royals should drop as the voting rolls on. “We just couldn’t quite get the big hits with the guys on”. That’s when we get into fits and stuff doesn’t go the way we want it to.
Every Royal had at least one hit. He was carted off the field with what the Royals are calling a left ankle sprain.
Rays: RHP Brad Boxberger, who just came off the DL after adductor muscle surgery in March, left after 16 pitches in the sixth with a muscle strain in his left side….
Advertisement
The Rays recalled INF Tim Beckham from Triple-A Durham for his second stint.
