Kansas City Royals
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Kansas City Royals OFFICIAL GAME NOTES Kansas City Royals (0-3) @ Detroit Tigers (1-3) Comerica Park - Tuesday, April 3, 2018 Game #4 - Road Game #2 FOX Sports Kansas City, FOX Sports Go, MLB Network and KCSP Radio (610 Sports) UPCOMING PITCHING PROBABLES Wednesday, April 4 @ Detroit Tigers: LHP Danny Duffy (0-1, 11.25) vs. LHP Daniel Norris, 12:10 p.m. (CDT), FSKC (HD) & 610 Sports Thursday, April 5: Off day in Cleveland Friday, April 6 @ Cleveland Indians: RHP Ian Kennedy (0-0, 1.50) vs. RHP Carlos Carrasco (1-0, 7.94), 3:10 p.m. (CDT), FSKC (HD) & 610 Sports Saturday, April 7 @ Cleveland Indians: RHP Jason Hammel (0-1, 9.00) vs. RHP Trevor Bauer (0-0, 3.60), 3:10 p.m. (CDT), FSKC (HD) & 610 Sports Sunday, April 8 @ Cleveland Indians: RHP Jakob Junis (0-0+ today) vs. RHP Mike Clevinger (1-0, 0.00), 12:10 p.m. (CDT), FSKC (HD) & 610 Sports Today’s game is being broadcast in Kansas City on KCSP Radio (610 Sports) and the Royals Radio Network with Royals’ Hall of Famer Denny Matthews, Steve Physioc and Steve Stewart...every game of this trip through Detroit and Cleveland is being televised on FOX Sports Kansas City and FOX Sports Go with Ryan Lefebvre and Rex Hudler calling the action...Joel Goldberg and Royals’ Hall of Famer Jeff Montgomery anchor the pre and post-game shows, Royals Live. Royals vs. Tigers ROAD WORK STARTS WITH A DEFEAT--The Royals continue to search for their first win of the ‘18 The Tigers got a jump on the season work with yesterday’s season, dropping a 6-1 contest to the Tigers yesterday...on a day where the temperature never broke the series opening win...the first six get togethers this year will oc- 40-degree mark, Kansas City was held to just five hits by a quartet of Detroit hurlers, with Alcides Escobar cur here, with KC returning to Detroit on the next road trip later this month, then all nine sessions in Kauffman Stadium will go picking up a double and triple for his first two knocks of the year...the lone Royal run was worth a 1-0 lead uninterruped between May 3 and August 29 before the Royals when Esky opened to third on a double, advanced on a wild pitch and scored on Drew Butera’s sac fly...the return here one more time in September...KC holds a 344-340 lead was brief though as the Tigers tied it in the home half of the frame then ran away with a 4-run fifth... edge in the all-time work, but trails 165-178 in Motown, 78-86 Jason Hammel absorbed the loss allowing five runs on seven hits with three walks (two intentional) and in Comerica. Date Site Score WP LP Att. three K’s...this marks the second straight year the Royals have started with an 0-3 ledger, getting swept in 4/2 @ Det L, 1-6 Liriano Hammel 15,476 Minnesota last year to open the campaign. 4/3 @ Det 4/4 @ Det ALMONTE MOVED FOR ALMONTE--Kansas City made a 40-man maneuver yesterday by claiming outfielder Abraham Almonte off outright waivers from Cleveland...to make room on the 40-man, the Royals designated right-handed pitcher Miguel Almonte (no relation) for assignment...Abraham Almonte, 28, played in 69 games with the Indians last season, batting .233 (40-for-172) with eight doubles, three triples, three homers and 26 runs...he was designated for assignment by Cleveland on March 29...a switch-hitter, Almonte has played in parts of five Major League seasons, spending time with Seattle (2013-14), San Diego (2014-15) and Cleveland (2015-17)...he will report to Omaha (AAA) to begin this season DUPE STARTS WITH A “W”--One of the top replay reviewers in the game converted his first opportunity yesterday as Bill Duplissea wasn’t buying the out call at first base in the ninth inning...his doubt was proved correct 1:15 later when the crew working in New York concurred with Dupe’s challenge...in his four years as the replay coordinator, Duplissea has made good on over 66% of his challenges, which ranks among the big league’s best, including a season mark of 69% (24-for-35) last year, which was second to the New York Yankees 74% (28-of-38)...Duper closed 2016 as the best in baseball with a 69.2% success rate, converting 27 of 39 challenges. NEW FACES IN 2018--Kansas City had 15 players on the Opening Day roster who were not aboard when the 2017 club opened the campaign...the list included Blaine Boyer, Brian Flynn, Justin Grimm, Tim Hill, Jakob Junis, Brad Keller, Brandon Maurer, Eric Skoglund, Burch Smith, Cam Gallagher, Lucas Duda, Ryan Goins, Whit Merrifield, Jon Jay and Jorge Soler...Thursday’s starting lineup features four holdovers from last year’s starting 10 with Alex Gordon, Mike Moustakas, Alcides Escobar and Danny Duffy remaining from the ‘17 opener in Minneapolis...Gordon and Escobar extended their Opening Day starting lineup streak with their eighth straight and the 11th in the last 12 years for Gordon...Moose made his seventh consecutive start on Opening Day for KC. TICKET PROMOTIONS--To celebrate the first 50th Season-themed weekend, the Royals are offering a ticket promotion where for just $5, fans can purchase Outfield Plaza tickets for the game on Sunday, April 15 when the Royals host the Los Angeles Angels...the tickets are limited and located in the Field Level sections 247-252 in right field and 208-206 in left field, with a limit of six tickets per household, credit card and email address...the Royals have also announced the Bo Jackson Flex Plan, a new ticket package that will give fans the opportunity to use mobile ticket vouchers throughout the 2018 season...through the plan, fans can purchase 16 ticket vouchers than can be used at their discretion throughout the season...the tickets can be used in any amount and can be redeemed up until first pitch of any game...different seating options are available in the Dugout Plaza, Field Box, Field Plaza and View Box...the package is available exclusively through the Ballpark App. TODAY’S STARTING PITCHERS: RHP Jakob Junis vs. LHP Matthew Boyd 2017 2016 Career 2017 2016 Career Jakob Junis vs. Tigers 2-1 - 2-1 Major League Record 9-3 (4.30 ERA) - 9-3 Matthew Boyd vs. Royals 1-1 0-2 2-4 Major League Record 6-11 (5.27 ERA) 6-5 13-22 JAKOB JUNIS gets his first turn in the 2018 rotation with today’s start against the Tigers…it’s the 17th start of his career (21st appearance)…it’s his fourth career appearance (third start) vs. the Tigers…he was the Royals’ 29th-round pick in the Jakob’s 2018 Cactus League Starts 2011 First-Year Player Draft. DATE OPPONENT SCORE IP H R ER HR BB SO TP-K LEFT ROOKIE WONDER--Jakob went 9-3 with a 4.30 ERA (47 ER in 98.1 IP) in 20 3/7 vs. Milwaukee ND, 7-10 2.0 2 1 1 1 0 3 - 2-1 3/12 vs. San Diego W, 4-0 4.0 0 0 0 0 0 7 - 4-0 appearances (16 starts) with Kansas City as a rookie in 2017…his nine wins were one 3/17 at Texas ND, 5-5 4.0 3 2 1 0 1 4 - 1-2 shy of the Angels’ Parker Bridwell for most among American League rookies, and were 3/23 at San Francisco W, 9-6 4.1 4 1 1 1 0 6 - 3-1 2018 Spring Totals 2-0 1.88 14.1 9 4 3 2 1 20 - - most among Royals rookies since the late Yordano Ventura won 14 games in 2014…the 2017 Totals 9-3 4.30 98.1 101 52 47 15 25 80 543-342 63.0% Royals went 11-5 (.688) in Junis’ 16 starts. ELIAS SAYS--Jakob earned two wins in his four relief appearances with the Royals last season, both times pitching ahead of extra-inning home runs on the road (May 9 at Tampa Bay and July 24 at Detroit)…as a starter, Junis went 7-3 with a 4.16 ERA (43 ER in 93.0 IP)…according to Elias, he became the first Royals rookie with two wins as a starter and reliever since Tom Gordon in 1989. PITCHER OF THE YEAR--Junis earned Omaha (AAA) Pitcher of the Year honors in 2017, despite making just 12 starts with the Storm Chasers…he went 3-5 with a 2.92 ERA (23 ER in 71.0 IP), 86 strikeouts (10.9 K/9) and just 15 walks (1.9 BB/9). SPECTACULAR SPRING--In four starts this spring, Junis went 2-0 with a 1.88 ERA (4 ER in 14.1 IP) and 20 strikeouts (12.6 K/9) and one walk (0.6 BB/9)… his ERA ranked first on the team (min. 10.0 IP) and his 20.0 strikeout-to-walk ratio was tops among Major League starters. HIDDEN GEM--Junis made his Major League debut last April 12 after six years in the minors as a 29th-round pick in the 2011 Draft…in the Royals’ 50-year history, only one pitcher drafted in the 29th round or later has recorded as many as nine wins with the club: Jose Santiago (70th round in 1994), who went 13-12 from 1997-2001.