Kansas City Royals OFFICIAL GAME NOTES Kansas City Royals (18-10) @ Detroit Tigers (18-11) Comerica Park - May 8, 2015 Game #29 - Road Game #13 Fox Sports Kansas City (HD), KCSP Radio (610 Sports) UPCOMING PITCHING PROBABLES Saturday, May 9 @ Detroit Tigers: RHP Jeremy Guthrie (1-2, 6.52) vs. RHP Anibal Sanchez (2-3, 5.11), 12:08 p.m. (CDT), Fox Sports 1 (HD), ESPN Radio & 610 Sports Sunday, May 10 @ Detroit Tigers: TBA vs. RHP Shane Greene (3-1, 4.60), 7:05 p.m. (CDT), ESPN (HD), ESPN Radio & 610 Sports Monday, May 11 @ Texas Rangers: LHP Danny Duffy (2-1, 4.55) vs. TBA, 7:05 p.m. (CDT), FSKC (HD) & 610 Sports Tuesday, May 12 @ Texas Rangers: RHP Edinson Volquez (2-3, 2.65) vs. TBA, 7:05 p.m. (CDT), FSKC (HD) & 610 Sports Wednesday, May 13 @ Texas Rangers: RHP Yordano Ventura (2-2 +tonight) vs. TBA, 7:05 p.m. (CDT), FSKC (HD) & 610 Sports Thursday, May 14 @ Texas Rangers: RHP Jeremy Guthrie (1-2 +tomorrow) vs. TBA, 1:05 p.m. (CDT), FSKC (HD) & 610 Sports Tonight’s game is being broadcast in Kansas City on KCSP Radio (610 Sports) and the Royals Radio Network with Denny Matthews, Steve Physioc and Steve Stewart, while Don Free controls the dials as the producer/engineer...tonight’s game is being televised in High Definition by Fox Sports Kansas City with Ryan Lefebvre and Rex Hudler...the pre and postgame shows on FSKC, Royals Live, are hosted by Joel Goldberg, who is joined by Jeff Montgomery. Royals vs. Tigers A TIMELESS TRIUMPH--It took nearly five-and-a-half hours to complete, but Kansas City eventually Kansas City makes its first visit to Motown this weekend, after earned a series win yesterday with a 7-4 triumph over the Tribe at Kauffman Stadium...first pitch, which facing these Tigers last weekend at Kauffman. The clubs split a was scheduled for 1:10 p.m., wasn’t thrown until 3:27 local time due to a steady rainfall throughout the four-game set with the Royals winning the first two. KC looks late morning and early afternoon hours...once play began, KC’s bats didn’t need long to get started as Eric to close the gap in the all-time series, which it trails by a 313-316 Hosmer cracked a three-run homer to right-center in the bottom of the first, giving the Royals a 4-0 lead... margin. The Royals, however, lead in games played in Missouri by a 164-150 count, including 154-136 at Kauffman. after Cleveland took advantage of some wildness by Royals starter Edinson Volquez to cut the deficit to a Date Site Score WP LP Att. single run in the third, KC responded with a Salvador Perez RBI single in the fifth and a two-run double by 4/30 KC W, 8-1 Duffy Simon 28,405 Omar Infante in the seventh...both players collected clutch hits to end prolonged slumps as Perez snapped 5/1 KC W, 4-1 Young Lobstein 38,186 5/2 KC L, 1-2 Price Volquez 38,692 an 0-for-11 skid with his RBI hit, while Omar entered his at-bat 1 for his last 18, before doubling in the 5/3 KC L, 4-6 Sanchez Guthrie 38,326 final two runs...Franklin Morales earned his third victory out of the bullpen, tossing 2.0 scoreless frames 5/8 @ Det in relief of Volquez, who left after walking six in 3.0 frames...the Royals’ pen was again brilliant, allowing 5/9 @ Det one run in 6.0 innings of work...closer Greg Holland earned his fifth save in his first game back from the 5/10 @ Det 8/4 @ Det 15-day disabled list, while Luke Hochevar tossed a flawless sixth in his return from “Tommy John” surgery. 8/5 @ Det 8/6 @ Det ROLLING IN SERIES OPENERS--Kansas City looks for its 10th-straight series-opening triumph 8/10 KC tonight, which would set a franchise record...with their 5-3 win Tuesday night against Cleveland, the 8/11 KC Royals tied the 1983 club, which won its first nine set-starters that year...according to Elias Sports 8/12 KC 9/1 KC Bureau, the Royals’ current streak is the longest in the Majors since Milwaukee also won nine-straight 9/2 KC series-opening games at the beginning of the season, a team which had hitting coach Dale Sveum as its 9/3 KC starting shortstop...the last club to win more 10 or more series openers at the start of the year was the San 9/18 @ Det 9/19 @ Det Francisco Giants, who won 11-straight in 1973. 9/20 @ Det ROYALS MAKE SEVERAL MOVES--The Royals announced several roster moves today as shortstop Alcides Escobar was activated from the seven-day D.L. (concussion), after being struck in the side of the face by a pitch in Cleveland on April 29...third baseman Mike Moustakas was placed on Bereavement/Family Emergency List; he will be eligible to rejoin the team on Monday in Texas...KC also placed LHP Jason Vargas on the 15-day D.L., with a left flexor strain, retroactive to Tuesday, making him available for reinstatement on May 21...RHP Yohan Pino was recalled from Omaha after making four appearances with KC in an earlier stint in the big leagues...to make room for newly acquired Drew Butera, the club also optioned catcher Francisco Pena to Triple-A following yesterday’s game. RISP REWARDS--Kansas City has taken advantage of its scoring opportunities this season, entering tonight with an American League-best .313 (78-for-249) with runners in scoring position this season...those numbers have gotten even better in recent games as KC is batting .386 (32-for-83) with seven doubles and four homers with RISP over its last 10 contests, dating back to April 27...despite a recent slide, Salvador Perez remains the club’s top hitter with runners in scoring position, ranking third in the league with a .464 average (13-for-28), while Kendrys Morales (.382) and Eric Hosmer (.355) are also above .350 in scoring opportunities. TONIGHT’S STARTING PITCHERS: RHP Yordano Ventura (2-2, 4.94) vs. LHP David Price (3-1, 2.93) 2015 2014 Career 2015 2014 Career Yordano Ventura vs. Tigers - 2-0 2-0 Major League Record 2-2 (4.94 ERA) 14-10 16-13 David Price vs. Royals 1-0 - 2-0 Major League Record 3-1 (2.93 ERA) 15-12 89-52 YORDANO VENTURA takes the hill for his sixth start of the season, his 40th career outing and 39th starting assignment...he is making his first appearance in nine days after serving a seven-game suspension for his role in an altercation at U.S. Cellular Field on April 23...he faces Detroit for a third time in his career, making his second start...the 23-year old signed a five-year contract with two club options on April 4...he originally signed on October 8, 2008 as a non-drafted free agent out of Samana in the Dominican Republic. Yordano’s 2015 Starts DATE OPPONENT SCORE IP H R ER HR BB SO TP-K LEFT ROAD STREAK ENDS IN CLEVELAND--Yordano’s road winning streak was 4/6 vs. Chicago W, 10-1 6.0 4 1 1 1 1 2 81-56 4-1 snapped at four in his last outing, a 7-5 loss at Progressive Field on April 29...he was 4/12 @ L.A. Angels W, 9-2 5.2 4 2 2 1 2 7 87-49 7-2 4/18 vs. Oakland L, 0-5 3.1 4 5 5 1 2 2 63-32 0-5 tagged for five runs on six hits with a season-high four walks and just one strikeout... 4/23 @ Chicago ND, 3-2 (13) 7.0 5 2 2 0 1 8 95-67 2-2 Ventura was staked to a 2-0 lead in the first, but allowed a three-run homer to Jason 4/29 @ Cleveland L, 5-7 5.1 6 5 5 1 4 1 98-54 4-4 2015 Totals 2-2, 4.94 27.1 23 15 15 4 11 20 424-258 61% Kipnis in the third inning...then, after Eric Hosmer’s two-run shot put KC back in front, Career Totals 16-13, 3.43 225.2 204 91 86 21 86 190 - - Yordano allowed back-to-back one-out doubles to Lonnie Chisenhall and Roberto Perez to find himself on the bench...he was charged with a fifth run, thus taking the loss, when Michael Bourn doubled off reliever Franklin Morales...the defeat was the first for Ventura on the road since last August 16, a 4-1 setback at Target Field. TOUGH EARLY--‘Ace’ has posted his best numbers early, both in terms of innings and in his starts...batters are hitting just .120 when leading off an inning (3-for-25) and .143 the first time through the order (6-for-42), with Ventura recording 14 of his 20 strikeouts...the opposition is batting .257 (9-for-35) the second time through and .364 (8-for-22) in their third plate appearance. KEEPING RUNNERS AT BAY--Yordano has allowed just one stolen base in 225.2 career innings, while just three baserunners have attempted to steal on him...since 1963, only former Cardinals’ hurler Jason Simontacchi (2002-07) has thrown more innings (355.2) and allowed one steal...Yoenis Cespedes is the only successful base stealer with Ventura on the hill, swiping second while with Boston last September 12 at Kauffman Stadium.