Kansas City Royals OFFICIAL GAME NOTES Kansas City Royals (23-24) @ Los Angeles Angels (27-20) Angel Stadium - Saturday, May 24, 2014 Game #48 - Road Game #24 FOX (HD) & KCSP Radio (610 Sports) UPCOMING PITCHING PROBABLES Sunday, May 25 @ Los Angeles Angels: LHP Jason Vargas (4-2, 3.76) vs. RHP Garrett Richards (4-1, 2.90), 2:35 p.m. (CDT), FSKC (HD) & 610 Sports Monday, May 26 vs. Houston Astros: RHP Scott Feldman (2-2, 3.02) vs. RHP Yordano Ventura (2-4, 2.80), 7:10 p.m., FSKC (HD) & 610 Sports Tuesday, May 27 vs. Houston Astros: RHP Collin McHugh (2-3, 3.32) vs. RHP Jeremy Guthrie (2-3, 4.39), 7:10 p.m., FSKC (HD) & 610 Sports Wednesday, May 28 vs. Houston Astros: RHP Jared Cosart (3-4, 4.39) vs. LHP Danny Duffy (2-4, 2.59), 1:10 p.m., No TV & 610 Sports Today’s game is being broadcast in Kansas City on KCSP Radio (610 Sports) and the Royals Radio Network with Ryan Lefebvre, Steve Physioc and Steve Stewart, while Don Free controls the dials as the producer/engineer...the game is being televised in High Definition on FOX with Matt Vasgersian and Eric Karros calling the action...tomorrow’s finale will be on FSKC with Steve Physioc and Rex Hudler...the pre and postgame show on FSKC, Royals Live, is hosted by Joel Goldberg and Royals Hall of Famer, Jeff Montgomery. Royals vs. Halos C.J. HELPS L.A. DOWN K.C.--Kansas City dropped the series opener here last night by a 6-1 count as Los Angeles drew first blood in the season series with Kan- the Royals were held to just five hits by Angels starter C.J. Wilson and five L.A. relievers...KC got off to sas City last night, scoring a 6-1 triumph here...after the clubs a good start against the veteran lefty, plating a run on Alex Gordon’s two-out RBI single in the first, but complete the three-game set here on the West Coast, the Royals and Angels will play three times at ‘The K’ June 27-29...Kansas couldn’t keep it going...the Royals left the bases loaded in the opening frame and were held to just three City trails the all-time series 270-281 margin, but still holds a hits over the final 8.0 innings...right fielder Nori Aoki led the offense, going 3-for-4 with a double...Chris 144-136 advantage in Anaheim. Ianetta and Mike Trout each hit solo home runs off KC starter Danny Duffy, handing him his fourth loss Date Site Score WP LP Att. of the year...Iannetta’s roundtripper with one out in the second snapped a streak of over two years that 5/23 @ Ana L, 1-6 Wilson Duffy 35,082 5/24 @ Ana Duffy had gone without allowing a home run (67.2 innings), which had been the longest active streak in 5/25 @ Ana the Major Leagues...the 25-year old lefty worked 6.0 innings and allowed 5 runs on 9 hits with 2 walks 6/27 KC and 2 strikeouts...the loss was the Royals’ fifth-straight to the Angels, dating back to a four-game sweep 6/28 KC 6/29 KC at Kauffman Stadium in May of last season. HONOR AMONG THIEVES--Kansas City recorded two more stolen bases last night as Nori Aoki swiped second base in the first inning and Alex Gordon lifted second in the sixth...it was KC’s 12th game this season with multiple steals, which are the most in the American League and rank third in the Majors, behind the Dodgers (14) and Cincinnati (13)...the Royals’ 38 thefts are tied for the American League lead with Detroit and tied for third-most in MLB...shortstop Alcides Escobar leads the club with 12 steals, while three other players have stolen five bags or more...last year, KC led all of baseball with 153 thefts. PICKING THEIR SPOTS--Left-handed pitcher Danny Duffy recorded his third pickoff last night, in the third inning, which ties him for the Major League lead with Pittsburgh’s Charlie Morton...as a team, the Royals have picked five runners off base, which is tied for second in the American League...today’s starting pitcher, James Shields, is looking for his first pick of the season, but has 27 in his career including a Major League-best 13 in 2011 with Tampa Bay. DAY BALL--While today’s matinee on the West Coast will not start until the evening hours in Kansas City, it will still count as the Royals’ 18th day game of the season...KC is 9-8 in afternoon affairs this year, including victories in four-straight day contests, going back to an 8-0 triumph down the road in San Diego on May 7...as a team, the Royals have hit slightly better under the sun, averaging 4.5 runs per game while batting .265 during the day, compared to 3.5 runs a game and a .251 average at night. QUICK STAY STARTS MEMORIAL DAY--This visit to Anaheim starts a stretch in which 9 of 12 games will be contested on the road for KC...the lone break will be a brief 3-game laundry stop against the Houston Astros beginning with a 7:10 game on Monday, which is also Memorial Day...the series runs through a Wednesday 1:10 matinee and then KC will head north of the border for a 4-game set in Toronto beginning next Thursday...that 6-game trip will conclude with a 2-game stop in St. Louis to open the 2014 version of the I-70 Series, followed on Wednesday and Thursday with the Redbirds in Kauffman Stadium. TONIGHT’S STARTING PITCHERS: RHP James Shields (6-3, 2.67) vs. RHP Matt Shoemaker (2-1, 3.06) 2014 2013 Career 2014 2013 Career James Shields vs. Angles - - 6-3 Major League Record 6-3 (2.67 ERA) 13-9 106-85 Matt Shoemaker vs. Royals first career appearance Major League Record 2-1 (3.06 ERA) 0-0 2-1 JAMES SHIELDS makes his team-leading 11th start of the year, his 262nd career starting assignment and 263rd overall appearance..a native of Newhall, Calif., this is James’ 13th career start against the Angels....he was acquired by Kansas City in a 7-player deal with Tampa Bay on December 9, 2012. BATTLING BACK FOR SIXTH WIN--James earned his third-straight victory James’ 2014 Starts last Sunday, tossing the first 7.0 innings in the Royals’ 8-6 win over Baltimore at ‘The DATE OPPONENT SCORE IP H R ER HR BB SO TP-K LEFT 3/31 at Detroit ND, 3-4 6.1 5 3 3 1 1 3 106-71 3-1 K’...the veteran righty scattered nine hits and allowed three runs – all in the third 4/6 Chicago L, 1-5 7.0 5 1 1 0 0 6 102-65 0-1 inning – with one walk and three strikeouts...Shields started fast, retiring the first six 4/12 at Minnesota L, 1-7 5.2 6 7 1 2 3 5 115-69 1-7 4/17 at Houston W, 5-1 8.0 4 1 1 0 2 12 107-64 5-1 hitters he faced, but allowed four consecutive hits and a sacrifice fly to find himself 4/22 at Cleveland W, 8-2 6.0 6 2 1 0 1 9 106-65 6-2 trailing 3-2 after 3...however, Alex Gordon’s first of two three-run shots helped the 4/27 at Baltimore W, 9-3 7.0 3 2 2 1 2 6 101-69 8-2 5/2 Detroit L, 2-8 6.1 12 8 7 1 1 3 105-68 2-6 Royals regain the lead...James pitched out of jams in the sixth and seventh to earn the 5/7 at San Diego W, 8-0 7.0 7 0 0 0 2 4 118-73 7-0 5/13 Colorado W, 5-1 7.0 5 1 1 0 0 8 98-75 4-1 victory...it marked his sixth win in his last 7 starts, with the only blemish being an 8-2 5/18 Baltimore W, 8-6 7.0 9 3 3 0 1 3 99-64 8-3 loss to Detroit on May 2...Shields did not earn his sixth victory last year until August 2014 Totals 6-3, 2.67 67.1 62 28 20 5 13 59 1057-683 65% Career Totals 106-85 3.75 1750.2 1716 798 729 209 421 1505 - - 1, but finished the season with 13 wins. TAKE ME TO YOUR LEADERS--James ranks among the league leaders in several categories...his six wins are tied for third in the American League with four other pitchers, including reigning Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer and the Angels’ C.J. Wilson...he’s also eighth in the A.L. in ERA (2.67), fifth in innings (67.1), tied for fourth in quality starts (8), tied for ninth in strikeouts (59) and 10th in WHIP (1.11)...dating back to last June 28, he’s tied for the Major League lead in wins (17) with the Dodgers’ Zack Greinke. QUALITY IN QUANTITY--Shields’ 7.0 innings last Sunday marked his 35th quality start in 44 outings with the Royals...his total over the last two seasons leads all Major League hurlers, just ahead of Adam Wainwright (34), Max Scherzer (33) and Cliff Lee (32)...he’s also logged the most innings (296.0) in the A.L.