You can count shortstop Brad Miller among those who are not.
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Kansas City had three errors, and now has three games this season where it has given up at least 12 runs and made at least three errors.
“It wasn’t a bad pitch”, Soria said. “In my view, it was a good pitch”. “So now it’s shifting gears and changing mind-sets and trying to become the best shortstop I can be”.
In this instance, such distinctions were beside the point.
He allowed a run in the first inning on a pair of two-out singles with a stolen base mixed in. After a season of frustrating blowups in tight games, he had seen this movie before.
Kanas City dropped to 40-2 when ahead after seven innings.
Moss and Jhonny Peralta returned from the disabled list at the start of the series and have contributed as the teams split the first two games. 500 after losing 3-2 to Tampa Bay in a matinee Thursday.
“Obviously, pretty disappointing”, Miller said before Tuesday’s night game against Kansas City. After Thursday’s loss, Soria’s ERA topped out at 4.50.
“Hall of Fame pitchers have had issues with the first inning”, Royals manager Ned Yost said. “The guys in the bullpen came in and finished the last three innings to keep the shutout going”.
It happened to be the birthday of Matt Strahm’s father, Tim.
“With his speed, he can bunt, he can move the ball”, manager Kevin Cash said, “and I think that will be a challenge that we will look forward to seeing the next two months”. “But we just never got there”. All I can say is that from my perspective, as a follower of the Tampa Bay Rays for a number of years now, these trades fall in line with what I was expecting, and have upside potential for the future.
Is anyone really able to verify or qualify the quality of prospects that are just beginning their careers? “If we eliminate the first inning, we’re right in the game”.
Ian Kennedy provided another moment, six innings of one-hit ball with nine strikeouts.
“A personal record, probably”, Kennedy joked. I appreciate it. But we feel like we’re going to be a better defense with this new alignment. Alex Gordon hit his eighth home.
At the plate, Kansas City has a few notable names to talk about. The Rays had won four straight coming into the series, but managed one hit in the series opener and went 1-for-14 with runners in scoring position in Tuesday’s 3-2 loss.
The Rays scored their runs in the fifth inning when Logan Forsythe drew a leadoff walk against Royals starter Yordano Ventura. His only glaring mistake came in the fourth inning, on an 86 miles per hour cutter to Gordon that hung in the middle of the strike zone. Then after the first they just roll. When the series was over, the Royals’ 412 runs ranked dead last in the American League, 16 behind the Rays’ 428.
The offensive incompetence was magnified in the top of the eighth. Alcides Escobar and Cheslor Cuthbert opened the inning with singles against reliever Brad Boxberger.
Indians: Cleveland will be without All-Star pitcher Danny Salazar for two to three weeks, a blow to the momentum of the AL Central leaders.
For most of the afternoon, the lead had remained intact.
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“Been a tough season”, he said.
