The Philadelphia Phillies and Kansas City Royals continue their interleague series Sunday.
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In his eight starts this year, Duffy has only allowed two total runs in the first three innings.
Follow along on your desktop or mobile device during Saturday’s Royals-Phillies game for live stats and updates from Rustin Dodd, The Star’s Royals beat reporter, and other Star sportswriters and editors.
Ventura gave up four runs and four hits in 2 2/3 innings.
Maybe it kicked something in the Phillies young right-hander, because he was a different pitcher in the final three innings of his outing Saturday night during a 6-2 loss to the Kansas City Royals at Citizens Bank Park.
Hellickson (6-6) allowed one run and five hits in six innings, striking out six.
“I understand the process”, Nola said. “Just dragging a little bit”.
Pitching coach Bob McClure raised the possibility that Nola’s recent struggles were caused by “dead arm”, a common but not serious condition that pitchers encounter now and then. Velasquez struck out seven and walked two on the afternoon. “He didn’t have his above-average velocity, but he made his secondary pitches”.
Unfortunately, Yordano Ventura was unable to do duplicate Velasquez’s first inning success. He has played in right field during the first two games of this weekend series.
“His breaking ball hasn’t been as effective because of where he’s throwing it. But I think he’s got a good makeup and I think he’s going to go out there and compete”. “The first couple of days it was like, ‘OK, I’m really interested to see this happen.’ But now, this has worked out really, really well for us….”
Ian Kennedy gave up solid hits on good pitches.
“It was 98 miles per hour so he supplied the power”, Rupp said.
Philadelphia had bookend runs in the first – Maikel Franco’s hot smash back up the middle to score Peter Bourjos – and in the ninth, when Cesar Hernandez singled through left side of the infield to score Carlos Ruiz. He hit a solo homer off Brian Flynn in the eighth. With his spot coming up in the bottom of the inning, Pete Mackanin decided that it was a great time to take him out of the game. “All of our runs came with two outs and that’s encouraging”. Cody Asche has turned it on since the previous homestand, going 13-for-33 with seven doubles and as many RBIs in his last nine contests – including a run-scoring double in Friday’s 4-3 victory. The Phillies (37-46) have won five of six.
“We’ll see”, Mackanin said. Nola would be eligible to return for the fourth game after the break, meaning he’d miss one start.
Escobar has a 12-game hitting streak. He’s 21 for 47 in those games, raising his average to.
It was the third straight game with a homer for Morales, who extended his hitting streak to eight games by going deep in the second inning. RHP Aaron Sanchez (8-1, 3.08) goes for the Blue Jays.
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It wouldn’t have been news to Aaron Nola to hear that his scheduled start Saturday night against the Kansas City Royals was an important assignment. RHP Joel De La Cruz (0-1, 4.50) pitches for the Braves.
