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OFFICIAL GAME NOTES Houston Astros (1-0) @ Kansas City Royals (0-1) Kauffman Stadium - Friday, October 9, 2015 American League Division Series - Game #2 FS 1, 610 Sports, ESPN Radio UPCOMING SCHEDULE/PROBABLES Saturday, October 10: 1:00 p.m. workout at Minute Maid Park (Media availability times to be announced) Game #3 - Sunday, October 11 @ Houston Astros: RHP Edinson Volquez (13-9, 3.55) vs. LHP Dallas Keuchel (20-8, 2.48), 3:10 p.m. (CDT), MLB Network, ESPN Radio & 610 Sports Game #4 (if necessary) - Monday, October 12 @ Houston Astros: Yordano Ventura (0-1, 13.50) vs. TBA, 12:07 p.m. (CDT), MLB Network, ESPN Radio & 610 Sports This series is being broadcast on KCSP Radio (610 Sports) and the Royals Radio Network with , and Steve Stewart, while Don Free controls the dials as the producer/engineer...the ALDS is being televised nationally on FS 1 with , newly-minted Hall of Famer , A.J. Pierzynski and Jon Paul Morosi...every game is also being broadcast nationally on ESPN Radio with Dave O’Brien and . THE 2015 KANSAS CITY ROYALS POST-SEASON GUIDE IS AVAILABLE ON-LINE AT MLBPRESSBOX.COM

Royals vs. Astros GAME ONE TO THE ‘STROS--Kansas City opened its American League title defense last night with a The first-ever postseason meeting between these clubs went 5-2 loss to Houston in front of a full house of 40,146 here in Kauffman Stadium...the Wild Card winners the way of the Astros last night...KC fell to Houston in the regu- plated a pair of first inning runs and then added a solo tally in the second off of starter Yordano Ventura, lar season series this year by a 2-4 count. whose night was cut short to just 42 pitches due to a 49-minute rain delay after KC batted in the second... Date Site Score WP LP Att. 6/29 @ Hou L, 1-6 McCullers Blanton 20,419 the lone Kansas City tallies came off the bat of Kendrys Morales, who doubled his career postseason 6/30 @ Hou L, 0-4 Keuchel Duffy 24,642 home run total with solo shots in his first two at bats, matching the total he hit with the Angels during the 7/1 @ Hou L, 5-6 Gregerson Herrera 25,848 2009 postseason...the Royals had minimal other chances and came up empty on five at bats with runners 7/24 KC L, 0-4 Kazmir Guthrie 36,965 7/25 KC W, 2-1 (10) Herrera Harris *38,393 in scoring position...Chris Young, summoned from the pen after the rain delay, fanned seven hitters in his 7/26 KC W, 5-1 Ventura Keuchel 33,638 4.0 innings of work to set a KC postseason record for a relief pitcher, eclipsing the five fanned by Charlie Leibrandt in Game #7 of the 1985 ALCS...Ben Zobrist, whose wife Julianna sang the National Anthem 2015 AMERICAN LEAGUE DIVISION SERIES: prior to the playoff opener, had a pair of singles in the game. Date Site Score WP LP Att. 10/8 KC L, 2-5 McHugh Ventura *40,146 K-MO KO’S PITCHES--Kendrys Morales became the third different Royal to homer twice in a postseason 10/9 KC 10/11 @ Hou game when he went deep in each of his first two at bats last night off of Houston starter Collin McHugh... 10/12 @ Hou (If necessary) the veteran designated hitter was the first Royal to accomplish the feat since hit a pair in Game 10/14 KC (If necessary) #3 of the 1985 ALCS vs. Toronto...Brett holds the club mark of three in a game hit on October 6, 1978, in the ALCS at ...Willie Aikens hit two in a game twice with Kansas City, both occurring during the 1980 vs. the Phillies...the last time a player homered twice in a postseason game in the Majors prior to last night was Brandon Moss here with Oakland during the Wild Card game last year on September 30. WHO WILL WIN FIRST HOME GAME???--The Royals joined three other postseason qualifiers in dropping their first home contest of the 2015 playoffs, as the road clubs enter today’s full slate of games with a 4-0 mark...it all began on Tuesday with the Astros winning in Yankee Stadium and then followed up on Wednesday with a Cubs’ victory in Pittsburgh...last night’s defeat here to Houston was prefaced by a Texas Ranger victory in Toronto. SUNDAY ON MLB NETWORK--Major League announced this week that Game #3 of this American League Divisional Series between the Royals and the Astros will broadcast exclusively on MLB Network at 3:10 p.m. on Sunday...MLB Network’s Matt Vasgersian, John Smoltz and Jon Paul Morosi will be on the call live from Minute Maid Park...MLB Network is widely available in the Royals home television territory via AT&T U-verse, CenturyLink, Charter Communications, Comcast, Cox, DIRECTV, DISH Network, Google Fiber, Time Warner Cable and other distributors...since the , MLB Network has added 20 new distributors nationwide, including Craw-Kan Telephone, Eagle Communications, H&B Communications and Rainbow Communications in the Royals home television territory...fans may visit www.royals.com/postseason for a complete list of the distributors (including channel listings) that offer MLB Network in the Royals home television territory 95-WIN SEASON--The Royals finished the regular season with a 95-67 record, the most wins since the 1980 squad went 97-65, en route to the franchise’s first A.L. Championship...the 95 wins were the third-most in franchise history with the 1977 Royals setting the standard with 102 wins...this year’s squad was the sixth straight Royals’ club to improve its win total dating back to 2009...after winning 65 games in 2009, the Royals then won 67, 71, 72, 86, 89 and now, 94...only Connie Mack’s 1919-1925 Philadelphia A’s have achieved that stretch of continued improvement. MUST SEE TV--Kansas City set a franchise record by recording a Major League best 12.3 household rating during the 2015 season of telecasts on FOX Sports Kansas City...it was the highest mark for any Major League team on a regional sports network since 2002 and marked the first time the Royals and FSKC ranked #1 in ...viewership rose 84% over the 2014 season and games on FSKC were the most watched programming in Kansas City during the baseball season, with prime-time games averaging a 13.0, which was 136% higher than the closest competitor in the market (KCTV-Channel 5 and KMBC-Channel 9 each had a 5.5).

TODAY’S STARTING PITCHERS: LHP Scott Kazmir (7-11, 3.10) vs. RHP Johnny Cueto (11-13, 3.44) 2015 2014 Career 2015 2014 Career Johnny Cueto vs. Astros - - 3-6 Major League Record 11-13 (3.44 ERA) 20-9 96-70 Scott Kazmir vs. Royals 1-1 0-2 5-8 Major League Record 7-11 (3.10 ERA) 15-9 98-90 JOHNNY CUETO takes the hill today, making his third career postseason start and first since the 2013 National League Wild Card Game with the Reds...he posted an 11-13 overall record with a 3.44 ERA in 32 regular season starts between the Royals and ...he was acquired by Kansas City from the Reds on July 26, in exchange for left-handed pitchers Brandon Finnegan, John Lamb and Cody Reed. Johnny’s Stats A WIN TO FINISH REGULAR SEASON--Johnny’s last outing was five days ago DATE OPPONENT W-L ERA IP H R ER HR BB SO TP-K LEFT at Target Field, when he closed out the regular season with a 6-1 triumph over the Twins... 2015 w/ Royals 4-7, 4.76 81.1 101 45 43 10 17 56 1340-860 64% 2015 Totals 11-13, 3.44 212.0 194 87 81 21 46 176 3268-2145 66% the veteran righty allowed one run on six hits with four walks and four in the first Career Totals 96-70, 3.30 1420.1 1268 570 520 145 410 1171 - - 5.0 innings...the win was his second in his last three starts, after dropping five-straight starts Career Postseason 0-0 5.19 8.2 13 6 5 3 2 3 - - from August 21-September 13...he allowed baserunners in each of the first four innings, but stranded eight Twins and allowed the lone run in the fourth on Danny Santana’s RBI single...he fanned Shane Robinson and Max Kepler to strand the bases loaded in the fourth and then set the side down in order in the fifth. ELUSIVE POSTSEASON ‘W’--Cueto is looking for his first postseason victory this afternoon, entering at 0-2 with a 5.19 ERA (5 ER in 8.2 IP) in three starts... he was a tough-luck loser in Game #3 of the 2010 NLDS, being outdueled by Philadelphia’s Cole Hammels, 2-0...he left his start in Game #1 of the 2012 NLDS vs. San Francisco after just eight pitches, suffering a strained right oblique...his most recent playoff outing was a 6-2 loss at PNC Park in the 2013 Wild Card Game. DOMINATING THE DAY--Throughout his career, Johnny has been very good in his afternoon outings, posting a 40-21 record with a 2.52 ERA and a .225 opponents’ average...he’s been even better over the last three seasons as his 17 daytime victories are tied for fourth-most in the Major Leagues, while his 2.22 ERA (51 ER in 206.2 IP) is the fourth-lowest among starting pitchers, trailing only Jacob deGrom (1.29), Yu Darvish (1.99) and Zack Greinke (2.15). HOUSTON, HELLO!--Johnny faces the Astros for the first time since 2013, having gone 3-6 with a 3.64 ERA (31 ER in 76.2 IP) in 13 regular season starts against them...however, he’s won two of his last three outings against them, including September 16, 2013 at Minute Maid Park, when he tossed 5.0 shutout innings in a 6-1 Reds victory...Cueto also worked 7.0 scoreless in a 6-0 win on April 28, 2012 at the Great American Ballpark, when both he and the ‘Stros were in the National League. AT HOME--Cueto went 6-4 with a 2.96 ERA (30 ER in 91.1 IP) in 14 home starts combined between Cincinnati and KC this season...over the last three seasons, he’s recorded a 21-8 mark with a 2.18 ERA at home ERA, which is the sixth-lowest among qualifying Major League hurlers in that span...Johnny is 51-25 with a 3.00 ERA and a .230 opponents’ average in 104 regular season home starts, while it’s his second home start in postseason play and first since the 2010 NLDS. Cueto vs. Astros Johnny’s Last Win: Player AVG. AB H HR RBI October 4, 2015 at Minnesota (5.0 IP, 6-1 over Ricky Nolasco) Jose Altuve .167 6 1 0 0 Johnny’s Last Loss: Chris Carter .500 2 1 0 0 September 29, 2015 at Chicago White Sox (6.0 IP, 2-4 to Jeff Samardzija) Jason Castro .000 8 0 0 0 Carlos Gomez .333 12 4 2 2 Johnny’s High: Jed Lowrie .333 3 1 0 0 12 (2x), last: June 11, 2014 vs. Dodgers (6.0 IP, 5-0 win over Hyun-jin Ryu) Colby Rasmus .333 27 9 1 5 Johnny’s Last Complete Game and Shutout: - 12th CG; 6th shutout Luis Valbuena .211 19 4 0 2 August 10, 2015 vs. Detroit (9.0 IP, 4-0 over Matt Boyd) Jonathan Villar .000 2 0 0 0

Kansas City Royals • One Royal Way • Kansas City, MO 64129-6969 • www.royals.com • ©Kansas City Royals 2014 Royals Notes - Houston Astros @ Kansas City Royals - Game #2, Friday, October 9, 2015 This & That TWO OUTS? NO PROBLEM--The Royals finished the regular season with a big league best .277 batting average with two outs, 34 points higher than the league average (.243)...KC also led the big leagues with a .278 average with two down and runners in scoring position, plating 301 two-out runs, third most in the Majors....a season ago, Kansas City hit just .236 in two-out situations with 219 total runs...the Royals had three of the top eight individual two-out hitters in the A.L. with Lorenzo Cain (.372) leading the league, followed by Kendrys Morales (.335) in fourth and Eric Hosmer (.303), who was eighth...Morales, who finished sixth in the A.L. in overall RBI (106) drove exactly half of those in with two outs with an American League-leading 53 while shattering Joe Randa’s (2000) previous club record of 46. FOX SPORTS TO AIR POST-GAME SHOWS--FOX Sports Kansas City, the TV home of the Royals, will air the Boulevard Royals Live postgame show after every Royals postseason game...the postgame shows will feature reports and analysis from the FSKC broadcasters who were with the Royals all season – Ryan Lefebvre, , Joel Goldberg and Jeff Montgomery...FOX Sports Kansas City’s coverage starts after the national network telecast of each game...after home games, Royals Live will originate from Kauffman Stadium and after away games, Goldberg and Hudler will anchor live from the Kansas City Live! Block in the Power & Light District, while Lefebvre and Montgomery will provide live reports from the ballpark. PLAYER AND PITCHER AWARDS FOR SEPTEMBER--Kendrys Morales was named the Royals Majestic Player of the Month for September/October, while Yordano Ventura was named the club’s Pitcher of the Month...the player award is determined by a combined fan and media vote, with the pitcher award voted on by local media...Morales won the honor for the first time this season after hitting .316 with seven doubles, seven homers and 16 RBI during September and the four regular season games in October...he also scored 24 runs in September/October, which ranked fifth in the American League, while his seven homers tied for ninth and his 1.016 OPS also ranked ninth in the league...the designated hitter had a career day September 20 in Detroit, becoming the first Royal to homer three times in a game since Danny Tartabull in 1991, while his 15 total bases in the contest set a franchise record...Ventura was tabbed the Pitcher of the Month for the second-straight voting period, also earning the honor in August...he posted a 4-1 record with a 3.14 ERA with 16 walks and 49 strikeouts in seven starts during September and October...he ranked second in the A.L. with his 49 K’s, matching a career high with 11 in starts vs. Detroit (September 2) and at Minnesota (October 3)...he recorded quality starts in each of his last three outings, posting a 1.80 ERA and a .171 opponents’ average in that span MOOSE’S CAREER YEAR--The re-invention of Mike Moustakas as a hitter has been deemed a success as the 27-year old third baseman finished the regular season with career highs in hits (156), home runs (22), RBI (82), runs scored (73) and walks (43)...his .284 batting average was also a career-best, topping the .263 mark from his rookie campaign of 2011, while finishing 72 points higher than his 2014 mark...perhaps the most jarring number is that he recorded his 43rd multi-hit game of the season on Saturday in Minnesota, after collecting 45 of them in 2013 and 2014 combined. AMERICAN LEAGUE CENTRAL CHAMPS!!!--The Royals won their first A.L. Central title in franchise history, with the last division crown for the Royals coming in 1985, when KC was a member of the A.L. West...of the now nine postseasons that Kansas City has qualified for, clinching in game #152 was the third earliest in team annals, following only the American League title club of 1980 that iced the A.L. West in the 145th game of the year and the 1977 division winners, who clinched in the 151st game...this also marks the first time the Royals have played in the postseason in consecutive years since 1984-85. NEW TEAM SAVE MARK--Wade Davis got out of a bases loaded jam in Minnesota on Saturday for the 56th save by the Kansas City bullpen, which established a club record, while finishing the third-most in the Major Leagues, behind only St. Louis (62) and Tampa Bay (60)...the KC pen has set the team save record in each of the last three years, with the 2013 relief corps becoming the first to rescue 52 games, which was eclipsed by one with last year’s group...the 2015 pen topped the previous mark by three, while the Royals’ bullpen ended with the second best ERA in the Majors at 2.69 (Pittsburgh leads at 2.64), which was more than a half of a run better than last year’s stellar corps that finished with a 3.30 mark...opponents hit .214 off KC’s relievers this year, compared to a .235 mark last season. WADING THROUGH THE COMPETITION--With his 17th save of the year last Saturday in Minnesota, Wade Davis finished the regular season allowing one earned run in his last 19.2 innings, limiting the opposition to a collective .098 batting average while fanning 25 in that span...he was rewarded with his eighth win of the year on September 23, which were more victories than 15 pitchers in the Majors who have made at least 25 starts this year...he’s 8-1 with 17 rescues and a 0.95 ERA this season... dating back to September 4, 2013, when Wade made the full-time return to the bullpen, he has posted a Major League best 19-4 record among relievers and 0.96 ERA, allowing only 16 earned runs in 149.1 innings, while fanning 194 hitters for an 11.69 strikeouts per 9-inning ratio. DIVISIONAL WORK--The Royals finished with a 44-32 record within the Central after finishing with five straight divisional wins...Kansas City had a winning record against each of it’s division rivals this season as the club went 12-7 vs. Chicago, 10-9 vs. Cleveland, 10-9 vs. Detroit, and is 12-7 vs. the Twins...KC finished its regular season work against the A.L. West at 20-12...the Royals went 18-16 vs. the East and finished with a 13-7 mark vs. the National League this year...dating back to the start of 2014, KC has the best Interleague record in the Majors at 28-12 (Toronto is next at 25-15). HOMER HAPPY--Kansas City closed the year with 139 home runs, easily outdistancing last year’s total of 95...the 139 roundtrippers hit by the Royals this season are the most by the club since 2009, when KC went deep 144 times and the second-highest total in the last 10 seasons...since 2010, only eight Royals have hit 20 home runs or more, with three of them doing it this season -- Kendrys Morales (22), Mike Moustakas (22) and Salvador Perez (21)...while Eric Hosmer (18), Lorenzo Cain (16) and Alex Gordon (13) have also reached double-digits. RECORD SEASON AT THE GATE--Kansas City finished the home slate with 2,708,549 fans passing through the Kauffman Stadium turnstiles to shatter its previous single season total of 2,477,700 set back in 1989...the Royals had a per game average of 33,439 and enjoyed 60 crowds in excess of 30,000, going 34-26 in those affairs, while posting a 13-7 mark in 20 home sellouts..Kansas City blew past the 2,000,000 mark in season attendance in the 60th home date on August 14, marking the fastest that KC has eclipsed that milestone, three dates earlier than the 1989 campaign. RECORD SETTING SKIPPER--Manager Ned Yost, who became the winningest manager in franchise history earlier this year, finished this regular season with a career mark just a game under .500 all-time as KC’s skipper (468-469)...he took on the role on May 13, 2010, and in his first 2 1/2 seasons saw his club play 55 games under .500 at 198-253...since the start of 2013, Ned’s troops have gone 270-216 for a .556 winning pct., which is the best record in the American League (Baltimore next at 262-224), and the fourth-most wins in the Majors trailing only St. Louis (287), Pittsburgh (280) and the Dodgers (278) in that span...Ned passed Royals’ Hall of Famer Whitey Herzog as the winningest skipper in team annals when he captured win #411 on June 18 vs. the Brewers...Ned’s 925 career wins, which include 457 with Milwaukee, rank sixth among active managers and 66th all-time.

Royals vs. Astros ALDS Career Pitcher W-L S ERA G IP H ER W-L S ERA G IP H ER Cueto ------3-6 0 3.64 13 76.2 83 31 Davis ------1-0 0 2.25 6 16.0 15 4 Duffy ------1-2 0 4.82 4 18.2 19 10 Herrera 0-0 0 0.00 1 1.0 1 0 2-1 0 2.16 8 8.1 4 2 Hochevar 0-0 0 0.00 1 1.0 1 0 1-0 0 0.96 6 18.2 8 2 Madson 0-0 0 9.00 1 1.0 2 1 0-3 1 3.86 24 23.1 25 10 Medlen ------0-0 0 3.12 3 8.2 10 3 Morales ------1-0 0 3.72 7 9.2 7 4 Ventura 0-1 0 13.50 1 2.0 4 3 2-1 0 3.78 3 16.2 17 7 Volquez ------6-0 0 2.70 9 56.2 41 17 Young 0-0 0 2.25 1 4.0 3 1 4-1 0 4.67 6 34.2 27 18

vs. Astros (ALDS) vs. Astros (career) At Home (career) vs. Kazmir (Career) vs. Keuchel (Career)

Player AVG AB H HR RBI AVG AB H HR RBI AVG AB H HR RBI AVG AB H HR RBI AVG AB H HR RBI Butera - - - - - .273 11 3 0 0 .173 387 67 2 23 .000 2 0 0 0 .333 6 2 0 0 Cain .250 4 1 0 0 .377 61 23 1 8 .300 877 263 19 121 .167 24 4 0 2 .417 12 5 1 2 Colon - - - - - .000 3 0 0 0 .286 84 24 0 4 .444 9 4 0 0 - - - - - Dyson - - - - - .167 24 4 0 3 .264 556 147 6 53 .200 5 1 0 1 - - - - - Escobar .000 4 0 0 0 .225 138 31 0 11 .265 1720 455 11 144 .292 24 7 0 0 .286 14 4 0 0 Gordon .250 4 1 0 0 .292 65 19 0 1 .274 2062 566 67 287 .176 34 6 1 2 .143 7 1 0 0 Gore ------.000 4 0 0 0 ------Hosmer .000 4 0 0 0 .345 55 19 0 4 .278 1334 371 36 178 .391 23 9 0 1 .667 6 4 0 0 Morales .500 4 2 2 2 .222 99 22 4 9 .281 1565 440 67 260 .278 18 5 0 5 .375 16 6 0 1 Moustakas .000 3 0 0 0 .140 50 7 1 3 .249 1108 276 32 137 .154 13 2 0 1 .000 4 0 0 0 Orlando - - - - - .200 10 2 0 0 .280 132 37 4 17 .000 5 0 0 0 .000 3 0 0 0 Perez .000 4 0 0 0 .231 52 12 2 8 .279 953 266 27 138 .222 18 4 1 5 .083 12 1 0 0 Rios .000 2 0 0 0 .277 148 41 3 17 .286 3093 886 96 416 .218 55 12 1 6 .385 26 10 0 4 Zobrist .500 4 2 0 0 .287 87 25 1 10 .255 2041 521 60 259 .143 7 1 0 3 .182 11 2 0 0 Royals Notes - Houston Astros @ Kansas City Royals - Game #2, Friday, October 9, 2015 Pitching Notes Sunday’s Starter - Edinson Volquez = Edinson takes the hill for Game #3 in Houston...he has had a career year with the Royals, finishing as the club leader in innings (200.1) and quality starts (19)...he went 13-9 with a 3.55 ERA, with 155 punchouts and opponents batting .251 against him. = Volky made his last start on September 30 in Chicago and was strapped with a no decision, despite after allowing just one run on nine hits over his 6.0 innings of work... the Royals won the game 5-3 in 10 innings...the righty gave up his lone run in the bottom of the second on three-consecutive singles, but worked out of trouble. = Edinson also pitched in relief in the season finale in Minnesota, for the first time since April 3 of last season, to tune up for his first postseason start...he tossed 2.0 scoreless frames, allowing just two free passes...the outing also pushed him over the 200.0 innings plateau for the first time in his career = Pitching out of trouble has been Volquez’s MO...he held the opposition to a .202 (38-for-188) average with runners in scoring position, the fifth-lowest in the A.L. = He takes on the Astros for the second time this year, taking a no decision in his July 1 start in Houston...he tossed 5.0 innings and allowed five runs on eight hits and two home runs, despite striking out eight in the Royals, 6-5, defeat...he’s unbeaten in nine career starts vs. the ‘Stros, going 6-0 with a 2.70 ERA. = Edinson makes the third postseason start of his career, and will be looking to turn his narrative around, after losing each of the first two...he struggled in Game 1 of the 2010 NLDS with the Reds, allowing four runs on four hits and two walks, and was pulled after just 1.2 innings...he also got the nod for Pittsburgh in the NL Wild Card Game last season, but allowed five runs on five hits and three walks in 5.0 innings, including a grand slam to Brandon Crawford...he holds a 12.15 postseason ERA. 2015 Postseason Pitching Lines G W-L SV SVO ERA IP H R ER HR BB SO OPP AVG Starters 1 0-1 - - 13.50 2.0 4 3 3 0 1 2 .400 Relievers 1 - - - 2.57 7.0 7 2 2 2 2 12 .269 Totals 1 0-1 0 0 5.00 9.0 11 5 5 2 3 14 .306 Bullpen Totals: 1st Batter Efficiency: 2/4 (50%) Saves/Save Opp: -/- Inherited Runners/Runners Scored: -/- Wade Davis 1st Batter Efficiency:57/69 Saves/Save Opp: 17/18 (94%) Last Save: Oct. 3 @ Minn. (20th career) Last Outing: IP H R ER BB SO Inherited Runners/Runners Scored: 13/1 2015 Strikeout High: 3 (twice, last 5/29 @ Cubs) October 3 @ Minnesota (Save) 0.2 0 0 0 0 2 = Wade recorded his second save in less than 24 hours on Oct. 3 in Minnesota, working out of a bases loaded jam in the ninth...he fanned pinch-hitter Kennys Vargas and Eduardo Escobar in succession to strand all three inherited runners...he allowed just one earned run on six hits over his last 19 outings of the season (0.48 ERA). = Served as both a setup man and a closer as Greg Holland battled through injuries this season...he posted an 8-1 record with a career-high 17 saves in 18 opportunities, with a Major-League and Franchise best 0.94 ERA (7 ER in 67.1 IP)...his efforts got him named to his first All-Star game, where he notched two strikeouts in 1.0 inning. = He held lefties to a .146 average on the year (19-for-130), fifth among Major League pitchers with at least 100 opponent at-bats by left-handers. = Wade had a club record 125.2 innings without allowing a home run snapped August 1 at Toronto. = Enters 2015 with a career record of 3-0 with a 1.25 ERA (3 ER in 21.2 IP) in 15-career postseason appearances...12 of those came during the Royals 2014 postseason run, where he allowed just one run in his 14.2 innings, for a 0.63 ERA and notched 20 strikeouts, which tie for second-most by a reliever in a single postseason. Danny Duffy 1st Batter Efficiency:5/6 Saves/Save Opp: 1/1 (100%) Last Save: Sept. 20, 2015 @ DET (1st career) Last Outing: IP H R ER BB SO Inherited Runners/Runners Scored: 3/0 2015 Strikeout High: 8 on 9/11 @ Bal (start) October 3 @ Minnesota 1.0 0 0 0 0 2 = Danny last pitched on Oct. 3 in Minnesota, where he sat down the Twins in order in the eighth inning, fanning Aaron Hicks and Joe Mauer...he tossed six-straight scoreless outings out of the bullpen, since being added to the ‘pen on Sept. 20, holding the opposition to a .138 average (4-for-29), while recording 12 strikeouts in 8.1 innings. = He earned his first career save on Sept. 20, in Detroit, tossing the final 4.0 frames...it marked the first 4.0-inning save by a Royal since Kris Wilson on May 31, 2001. = Duff went 7-8 with a 4.35 ERA in 28 outings as a starter this season...he worked as a reliever at the beginning of the 2014, going 1-1 with a 2.16 ERA (2 ER in 8.1). = Danny made three appearances out of the bullpen during last year’s postseason run, earning the victory in Game 1 of the ALDS and posting a 3.86 ERA. Kelvin Herrera 1st Batter Efficiency:53/61 Saves/Save Opp: 0/7 (0%) Last Save: April 10, 2013 vs. Min (5th) Last Outing: IP H R ER BB SO Inherited Runners/Runners Scored: 20/8 2015 Strikeout High: 3 (twice, last on 6/6 @ Det) October 8 vs. Houston 1.0 1 0 0 0 2 = Kelvin entered in the seventh last night and allowed a lead-off hit, but stranded him with the help of two strikeouts, lowering his career-postseason ERA to 1.69. = Kelvin made 72 appearances out of the bullpen this season, going 4-3 with a 2.71 ERA (21 ER in 69.2 IP), striking out 64 and walking 26, earning him a spot on the 2015 American League All-Star Team for the first time in his career. = He held lefties to a .151 average on the year (18-for-119), sixth among Major League pitchers with at least 100 opponent at-bats by left-handers. = Kelvin made 11 appearances out of the bullpen during last year’s postseason run, going 1-0 with a 1.80 ERA (3 ER in 15.0 IP). Luke Hochevar 1st Batter Efficiency:34/48 Saves/Save Opp: 1/2 (50%) Last Save: August 11 vs. Detroit (3rd career) Last Outing: IP H R ER BB SO Inherited Runners/Runners Scored: 18/6 2015 Strikeout High: 3 (twice, last on 8/11 vs. Det.) October 8 vs. Houston 1.0 1 0 0 0 0 = Hoch made his first-career postseason appearance last night, tossing a scoreless ninth. = He totaled 49 appearances on the season, going 1-1 with a 3.73 ERA (21 ER in 50.2 IP), striking out 49 and walking 16, in his return from ‘Tommy John' surgery. = He picked up his only win of the year on August 19 in Cincinnati...his first since September 20, 2013...collected his only save on August 11 vs. Detroit. Ryan Madson 1st Batter Efficiency:49/67 Saves/Save Opp: 3/5 (60%) Last Save: October 1 @ CWS (55th) Last Outing: IP H R ER BB SO Inherited Runners/Runners Scored: 24/7 2015 Strikeout High: 3 (twice, last on 9/28 vs. CHC) October 8 vs. Houston 1.0 2 1 1 0 3 = Ryan got his first work of the postseason last night in the eighth and was ambushed on the first pitch by Colby Rasmus for a solo shot...after allowing the next batter to reach, Madson found his form and struck out the next three hitters he faced....the home run brought his career-postseason ERA to 2.50. = He closed out the season with 11.0 scoreless innings in 12 appearances, allowing just six hits with 11 strikeouts. = In his first season since 2011, he made 68 relief appearances, his most since 2009, and posted a 1-2 record with three saves and a 2.13 ERA (15 ER in 63.1 IP). = Entered 2015 with a career record of 2-1 with a 2.31 ERA (9 ER in 35.0 IP) in 33-career postseason appearances and a World Championship in 2008. Kris Medlen 1st Batter Efficiency:5/7 Saves/Save Opp: 0/0 (0%) Last Save: April 27, 2012 vs. Pitt. (first career) Last Outing: IP H R ER BB SO Inherited Runners/Runners Scored: 5/1 2015 Strikeout High: 4 vs. Pittsburgh on 7/20 October 1 @ CWS (start) 6.0 4 2 1 3 4 = Medlen last pitched out of the bullpen on Aug. 20 in Boston...he split time between the 'pen and the starting rotation as he recovered from his second 'Tommy John.' = He made 15 appearances and eight starts, posting a 6-2 record with a 4.01 ERA...he’s posted a 2.88 ERA (47 ER in 147.0 IP) in 98 career relief appearances. = Medlen picked up his first win since September 27, 2013, with a scoreless 12th inning on Aug. 18 in Cincinnati. = Kris is making his third postseason appearance, making a start with the Braves in the 2012 Wild Card game and Game 1 of the 2013 NLDS, going 0-2 with a 6.10 ERA. Franklin Morales (L) 1st Batter Efficiency:45/67 Saves/Save Opp: 0/1 (0%) Last Save: July 31, 2012 vs. Det (11th) Last Outing: IP H R ER BB SO Inherited Runners/Runners Scored: 24/4 2015 Strikeout High: 3 (2x), last: 8/21 @ Bos October 4 @ Minnesota 1.0 1 0 0 0 0 = Franklin last pitched on Oct. 4 in Minnesota, where he tossed a scoreless eighth frame. = He totaled 67 appearances out of the bullpen in his first season with the Royals, posting a 4-2 record with a 3.18 ERA (22 ER in 62.1 IP), to go along with 41 strikeouts and 14 walks. = He had a stretch of 13-straight appearances (14.0 IP) without giving up a run from June 28 - July 29, allowing opponents to hit just 216 during the span. = Making his fourth trip to the postseason, he was also a member of the Rockies in 2007 and 2009 and the 2013 World Champion Red Sox...he has totaled 14.0 postseason innings and holds a 7.71 ERA. Chris Young 1st Batter Efficiency:13/16 Saves/Save Opp: 0/1 (0%) Last Save: None Last Outing: IP H R ER BB SO Inherited Runners/Runners Scored: 2/0 2015 Strikeout High: 9 on 5/1 vs. Det (start) October 8 vs. Houston 4.0 3 1 1 2 7 = Chris took the hill in the third last night after a 49-minute rain delay...he fanned six of the first seven hitters he faced, while he went on to set a Royals postseason record with seven K’s in his 4.0 innings of work...... the previous record of five was held by Charlie Leibrandt, who fanned five in 5.1 innings of relief in Game 7 of the 1985 ALCS. = He totaled an 11-6 record this season, with a 2.59 ERA (42 ER in 123.1 IP) in 34 appearances, including 18 starts... he was 3-0 with a 2.59 ERA and a .153 opponents batting average (13-for-85) as a reliever this season. = Among active pitchers that have thrown at least 1,000 innings, Chris has allowed the fourth-fewest hits (979) and his .225 opponents’ batting average is second. = Chris is participating in his second postseason, reaching the playoffs in 2006 with the ...he made one start in Game 3 of the NLDS, tossing 6.2 scoreless innings and striking out nine in a, 3-1, win over the Cardinals at Busch Stadium. Royals Notes - Houston Astros @ Kansas City Royals - Game #2, Friday, October 9, 2015 Hitter’s Notes Drew Butera This Series: Has not played Postseason: Has not played = Drew is looking to participate in his first postseason game...he was on the Los Angeles Dodgers roster during the NLDS last season, but did not play. = Batted .198 with KC, but that included hitting .280 (7-for-25) during the month of August, which was his highest average in a month with at least 20 at-bats since hitting .360 in June of 2011... he has thrown out 33.3 percent of would-be basestealers, since debuting in 2010, which ranks eighth in MLB in that span. Lorenzo Cain This Series: 1-for-4 Postseason: 1-for-4 = Lorenzo singled in the eighth inning with two outs to bring the tying run to the plate...he’s hit safely now each of his last five playoff games, dating back to Game #4 of the 2014 World Series...he hit .333 (20-for-60) during last year’s postseason, including .533 (8-for-15) in the ALCS, earning MVP honors. = Lo was named the starting right fielder for the American League in the 2015 All-Star Game...set career highs in runs scored (101), hits (169), doubles (34), homers (16), RBI (72), batting average (.307), on-base (.361) and slugging (.477)...hit over .300 for the second-straight year. = He ranked fifth in the American League in batting average and was tied for fifth in runs scored...he became the first Royal to score 100+ runs in a season since 2011, when Melky Cabrera (102) and Alex Gordon (101) both did it...also ranked second in the A.L. with 28 steals...his 56 thefts over the last two years are ninth in MLB. = Cain led the league, hitting .372 (67-for-180) with two outs this season, which was the third-highest in franchise history...he also tied with teammate Eric Hosmer for fourth in the A.L. with 67 two-out hits, while his 44 runs scored with two down ranked third...a career .377 hitter vs. the ‘Stros in the regular season. = He hit .337 at Kauffman Stadium, which was the highest home average by a Royals player since Billy Butler batted .362 here in 2009. Christian Colon This Series: Has not played Postseason: Has not played = Christian is looking to participate in his second postseason after playing in two games last season...he scored the winning run in the 12th inning of the 2014 Wild Card Game vs. Oakland, after driving in the tying run with an infield single...he was also a defensive replacement in Game #2 of the ALCS in Baltimore. = Colon is a career .444 hitter (4-for-9) with a double off Houston starter Scott Kazmir. = He went 11-for-24 (.458) during the month of September...that included his first career four-hit game at Comerica Park on September 20. Jarrod Dyson This Series: Has not played Postseason: Has not played = Jarrod didn’t play last night, but is making his second trip to postseason play...he appeared in 13 games during last year’s playoffs, which included three starts in center field during the World Series... scored the tying run in the ninth inning of the 2014 A.L. Wild Card Game vs. Oakland, after stealing third base. = Dyson recorded 26 steals this season, which tied for third in the league with Oakland’s Billy Burns...over the past four seasons, he’s swiped 126 bags, which is tied for sixth-most in the Majors with Jacoby Ellsbury and Billy Hamilton. = He batted .318 (14-for-44) with five doubles, a triple and seven runs scored vs. A.L. West foes...that included a pair of extra-base hits vs. the Astros. Alcides Escobar This Series: 0-for-4 Postseason: 0-for-4 = Alcides went hitless in four at-bats last night...he’s started all 16 Royals playoff games the last two years, leading off all of them...he had a nine-game hitting streak during the 2014 playoffs, which was tied for the second-longest by a Royal in postseason play, behind only Amos Otis (11). = Esky had an impressive first half and was named the A.L.’s starting shortstop in the Midsummer Classic...he batted .290 (92-for-317) before the All-Star break and .220 (65-for-295) after it...he played in 148 games during the regular season...played in 468 games since the start of 2013, tied for the most by a shortstop. = Hit out of the leadoff spot for much of the season, hitting .259 with a .296 on-base percentage...however, the Royals were 82-49 with Esky batting first, while dating back to last season, the club is 103-59 (.636) with him leading off, which includes 11-4 in last year’s postseason. = Set a career high with 76 runs scored, which ranked second among A.L. shortstops, behind only Boston’s Xander Bogaerts (84)...recorded his second career walk-off hit against these Astros, singling in the winning run in the 10th inning on July 25 in a 2-1 victory. Alex Gordon This Series: 1-for-4 Postseason: 1-for-4 = Alex singled in the fifth inning with one out, but was stranded at second base...participating in his second-straight postseason after setting a Royals playoff record with six doubles last year...he also had the second-highest RBI total (11) by a Royal, trailing only the 12 RBI by Eric Hosmer. = Selected to his third-straight All-Star Game, however he did not play due to injury...missed 48 games after suffering a Grade 2 left groin strain on July 8. = Among hitters with at least 300 at-bats, his .377 on-base percentage ranked sixth in the American League...also ranked 13th in the A.L. averaging a walk every 8.61 plate appearances...he also tied for fourth in the league, being hit by pitch 14 times...Gordon’s 67 career plunkings are fourth-most in team history. = Became the second player in the last 35 years to collect seven hits and at least six RBI in a single day, doing so in a day-night doubleheader vs. Tampa Bay...the only other player to do this was Ben Zobrist, then with the Rays, when he had seven hits and 10 RBI in a twinbill vs. Minnesota on April 28, 2011. Terrance Gore This Series: Has not played Postseason: Has not played = Terrance made his second-straight postseason roster...collected three steals in the 2014 Postseason, including two in the ALDS vs. the Angels. = Had two stints in the Major League in 2015, being recalled from Northwest Arkansas (AA) for two days in April and was also recalled in September...appeared in nine games, collecting three steals and a run scored...spent a majority of the year with the Naturals, batting .284 with four, doubles, a triple and 39 steals in 85 games. Eric Hosmer This Series: 0-for-4 Postseason: 0-for-4 = Hoz had a tough night at the plate, going 0-for-4 last night...he hit .351 (20-for-57) with three doubles, a triple and two homers in last year’s postseason...also collected a team-record 12 RBI in the 2014 postseason...hit the go-ahead homer in the 11th inning of Game #2 of the 2014 ALDS in Anaheim. = Enjoyed another stellar regular season in 2015, batting .297 with 33 doubles, 18 homers and 93 RBI...set career highs in runs scored (98), triples (five), RBI and walks (61)...tied for eighth in the league in hits (178) and tied for 12th in RBI...he also tied with Seattle’s Robinson Cano for seventh in the league with 51 multi-hit games. = Eric hit .311 (89-for-286) at Kauffman Stadium with a .510 slugging percentage here...in 2014, he hit .219 at home with a .347 slugging percentage. = Ranked fourth in the A.L. with 28 go-ahead RBI, while 37 of his 93 RBI either tied the game or gave KC the lead...had an RBI in 10-straight games from August 7-16, which was the third-longest in club history and the longest in the Majors this season...he’s a career .391 hitter off Houston starter Scott Kazmir. Kendrys Morales This Series: 2-for-4, 2 runs, 2 HR, 2 RBI Postseason: 2-for-4, 2 runs, 2 HR, 2 RBI = Kendrys hit a pair of solo homers last night, accounting for both KC runs...he became the fifth Royal to record a multi-homer game in a postseason game and first since George Brett did it in Game #3 of the 1985 ALCS vs. Toronto...Kendrys has hit four postseason homers in his 17 games. = He had a rebound year in his first season in Kansas City, batting .290 with 41 doubles, 22 homers and 106 RBI...tied for fourth in the A.L. in doubles and was sixth in RBI...became the first Royal to drive in 100+ runs since Billy Butler had 107 in 2012...he also ranked ninth in the league, batting .335 with runners in scoring position. = Morales led the A.L. and ranked second in the Majors with 53 two-out RBI...his total was the highest ever by a Royal, passing Joe Randa, who had the previous club record with 46 two-out RBI in 2000...hit 11 of his 22 home runs with two outs, while his .337 batting average (68-for-202) with two down ranked fifth in the A.L. = Named the Royals Majestic Player of the Month for September/October, batting .323 with six doubles, a triple, seven homers and 16 RBI during the period...his totals included a career day in Detroit where he tied a team record with three homers and set a Royals club record with 15 total bases...first three-homer game by a Royal since 1991. Mike Moustakas This Series: 0-for-3, HBP Postseason: 0-for-3, HBP = Mike reached base in the ninth inning via a hit by pitch, but was left stranded...he’s participating in his second-straight postseason, starting all 15 games last year...hit the go-ahead solo shot in the 11th inning in Game #1 of the 2014 ALDS in Anaheim...clubbed five homers in last year’s postseason. = Moose was selected to his first All-Star Game in 2015, becoming the first Royal to be selected through the Final Fan Vote...he received 19.3 million votes. = He also had a bounce-back campaign, setting career highs in batting average (.284), doubles (34), homers (22), runs scored (73) and RBI (82)...he recorded 43 multi-hit games in 2015 after collecting 45 of them combined in 2013 and 2014...ranked eighth in the American League, recording 51 RBI after the All-Star break. = Had a career day in Baltimore, collecting a team record nine RBI, which included a three-run homer and a grand slam...it was his second career slam. Paulo Orlando This Series: Has not played Postseason: Has not played = Paulo will be participating in his first postseason...spent nine seasons in the minor leagues before making his Major League debut onApril 9 this year. = Collected five triples in his first seven Major League games this year, becoming the first player to do this...his six triples tied for sixth among MLB rookies. = Had some big hits, connecting for the fifth walk-off grand slam in franchise history, beating the Rays on July 7...recorded 14 of his 27 RBI in the seventh or later. Salvador Perez This Series: 0-for-4 Postseason: 0-for-4 = Salvy went hitless last night, making his 16th career postseason start...hit .333 with double and a homer in the 2014 World Series. = Selected to his third All-Star Game, starting behind the plate for the A.L. in consecutive games...set a franchise record with 21 home runs as a catcher...led A.L. backstops in hits (137), doubles (25), while he ranked third in homers (21) and RBI (73). = Collected 38 two-out RBI, which ranked ninth in the league...hit .371 (26-for-70) with runners in scoring position and two outs, good for third in the A.L. = A two-time Rawlings Gold Glove winner, he threw out 24 would-be base stealers in 2015...his 70 caught stealing since 2013 are second-most in the Majors. Alex Rios This Series: 0-for-2, BB Postseason: 0-for-2, BB = Alex participated in his first playoff game last night, after 11 seasons and 1,691 regular season games without a trip to the playoffs...went 0-for-2 with a walk. = Struggled at the plate in the first half, but hit .267 with 17 doubles, three homers and 19 RBI after the All-Star break...missed 40 games after suffering a fractured left hand on April 14 in Minnesota when he was hit by a pitch...also missed eight games after contracting the chicken pox in August...batted .321 in his first seven games. Ben Zobrist This Series: 2-for-4 Postseason: 2-for-4 = Ben collected a pair of singles last night, recording his third multi-hit game in postseason play and first since Game #4 of the 2010ALDS vs. Texas. = He batted .284 with 16 doubles, a triple, seven homers and 37 runs scored after joining KC...tied for 10th in the A.L. with 36 doubles, while his 62 walks were tied for 15th in the league...he hit .329 against left-handed pitching this season with a .926 OPS against southpaws. = Zobrist batted .324 (33-for-102) at Kauffman Stadium with six doubles, a triple and three homers here...hit .302 with 15 doubles and three homers vs. A.L. West foes.