Kansas City Royals OFFICIAL GAME NOTES Baltimore Orioles (21-18) @ Kansas City Royals (20-20) Kauffman Stadium - Friday, May 16, 2014 Game #41 - Home Game #19 Fox Sports Kansas City (HD) & KCSP Radio (610 Sports) UPCOMING PITCHING PROBABLES Saturday, May 17 vs. Baltimore Orioles: RHP Bud Norris (2-3, 3.98) vs. LHP Danny Duffy (1-3, 1.96), 6:10 p.m., FSKC (HD) & 610 Sports Sunday, May 18 vs. Baltimore Orioles: RHP Ubaldo Jimenez (2-4, 4.02) vs. RHP James Shields (5-3, 2.54), 1:10 p.m., FSKC (HD) & 610 Sports Monday, May 19 vs. Chicago White Sox: RHP Scott Carroll (1-3, 5.24) vs. LHP Jason Vargas (4-1, 3.00), 7:10 p.m., FSKC (HD) & 610 Sports Tuesday, May 20 vs. Chicago White Sox: RHP Andre Rienzo (3-0, 4.20) vs. RHP Yordano Ventura (2-3, 2.40), 7:10 p.m., FSKC (HD) & 610 Sports Wednesday, May 21 vs. Chicago White Sox: LHP Jose Quintana (1-3+ tonight) vs. RHP Jeremy Guthrie (2-2+ tonight), 7:10 p.m., FSKC (HD) & 610 Sports Thursday, May 22: Travel day to Anaheim Tonight’s game is being broadcast in Kansas City on KCSP Radio (610 Sports) and the Royals Radio Network with Denny Matthews, Ryan Lefebvre and Steve Stew- art, while Brian Williams subs for Don Free and controls the dials as the producer/engineer...tonight’s game is being televised in High Definition on FSKC with Steve Physioc and Rex Hudler describing the action...the pre and postgame show on FSKC, Royals Live, is hosted by Joel Goldberg, who is joined by Jeff Montgomery. Royals vs. Orioles HOMER HAUNTS ‘ACE’ AGAIN--Rookie righthander Yordano Ventura threw 104 pitches last night, As hard as it might be to believe this series concludes regular but only one he wishes he could get back as Nelson Cruz clubbed a 2-run homer in the fourth inning season play between these clubs for 2014 with three-quarters of to account for all of Baltimore’s scoring in a 2-1 series opening decision...it was the third straight start the year remaining...Baltimore evened the season set a 2-2 with last night’s decision...KC trails 200-259 all-time, including a for Ventura where the long ball played a huge role in the outcome, as he surrendered a pair of shots last 110-120 deficit in Kansas City and a 103-103 split in “The K.” Saturday in Safeco Field that led to all of Seattle’s scoring in a 3-1 contest and the only runs he allowed Date Site Score WP LP Att. on May 5 in a no decision in San Diego came via a 3-run homer...other than the Cruz blast, Ventura was 4/25 @ Balt W, 5-0 Ventura Jimenez 22,478 4/26 @ Balt L, 2-3 (10) Britton Duffy 34,941 lights out, fanning nine, including six in a row at one juncture, while scattering seven hits and a walk... 4/27 @ Balt W, 9-3 Shields Gonzalez 38,368 after the home run, Yordano retired 10 consecutive Orioles, seven via the strikeout...the pen once again 5/15 KC L, 1-2 Chen Ventura 12,455 held the opposition at bay for the final 2.1 innings, but KC couldn’t overcome the deficit...the lone 5/16 KC 5/17 KC Royal run came on a fourth inning Danny Valencia bases loaded sacrifice fly...the loss snapped KC’s 5/18 KC 3-game win streak, was just the third loss in the last nine games and evened the season mark at 20-20. ROSTER MOVE--The Royals today selected the contract of righthanded pitcher Casey Coleman from Omaha (AAA) and designated outfielder Justin Maxwell for assignment...the 26-year old hurler was released by the Chicago Cubs on April 14 and signed the next day by the Royals’ organization, appearing seven times for the Storm Chasers, going 1-0 with a 1.50 ERA allowing two earned runs on seven hits in 12.0 innings with five walks and nine strikeouts...he is the son of former Major League pitcher Joe Coleman, who won 142 games from 1965-79, pitching predominantly with the Washington Senators and Detroit Tigers...Casey Coleman’s grandfather, also Joe Coleman, won 52 big league games pitching mainly for the Philadelphia A’s in a career that spanned 1942-55... Maxwell has gone just 4-for-29 (.138) at the plate in limited action this year...he was acquired last July 31 from Houston for righthanded pitcher Kyle Smith. GORDO GUNS ANOTHER ONE--Three-time Rawlings Gold Glove winning leftfielder Alex Gordon picked up his fourth outfield assist of the year last night, nabbing J.J. Hardy at the plate in the seventh inning...the assist ties him with Melky Cabrera and Michael Brantley for the A.L. lead, a view from the top that Gordo is used to...since the 2011 season when he became a full-time leftfielder, Gordon has amassed a Major League best 58 outfield assists, 19 more than the nearest active outfielder, Arizona’s Gerardo Parra (39)...Alex actually made the transition late in the 2010 season, picking up just one assist that year, but with 59 as a career outfielder, he has 11 more than his nearest competition, the O’s Adam Jones and Parra. 2-1 ON EXTENDED STAND--Last night’s 2-1 defeat to Baltimore dropped the Royals to 2-1 through the first one-third of this 9-game stand, the longest stay to date for Kansas City...the quick sweep of Colorado kicked it off and now Baltimore is here through the weekend and then the stand will conclude when A.L. Central foe Chicago pays its second visit of the year next Monday thru Wednesday...the Royals are now in a stretch in which they are playing 12 of 15 games in “The K”, the only interruption a 3-game trip to Anaheim next weekend...in fact until June 29, Kansas City will be at home for 29 of 45 games after opening the campaign with 22 of the first 37 away from home. TONIGHT’S STARTING PITCHERS: RHP Chris Tillman (3-2, 3.97) vs. RHP Jeremy Guthrie (2-2, 4.80) 2014 2013 Career 2014 2013 Career Chris Tillman vs. Royals - 1-0 1-2 Major League Record 3-2 (3.97 ERA) 16-7 35-27 Jeremy Guthrie vs. Orioles 0-0 2-0 2-0 Major League Record 2-2 (4.80 ERA) 15-12 72-91 JEREMY GUTHRIE is making his ninth start of the year, 252nd career appearance and 225th start...an Oriole from 2007 to 2011, he faces Baltimore for the fourth time, second this year...he is in the second of a 3-year deal and was originally acquired July 20, 2012 from Colorado for Jonathan Sanchez. ROYALS RALLY NETS NO DECISION --Jeremy’s starts on KC’s recent West Jeremy’s 2014 Starts Coast swing featured a pair of no decisions, though his teammates prevailed in each DATE OPPONENT SCORE IP H R ER HR BB SO TP-K LEFT contest...he tossed a season-high 8.0 innings on May 6 at San Diego, a 3-1 Kansas City 4/4 Chicago W, 7-5 5.2 7 4 4 0 4 3 111-68 7-2 4/9 Tampa Bay W, 7-3 7.0 4 1 1 1 1 4 109-70 7-1 win in 11 innings and followed that with season-low 4.2 frames on Sunday at Seattle, a 4/16 at Houston ND, 6-4 (11) 6.0 6 4 4 2 2 4 103-64 4-4 4/21 at Cleveland L, 3-4 6.1 10 4 4 2 0 3 98-69 3-4 9-7 Royals victory...Sunday’s contest saw Alcides Escobar stake KC to a 4-0 lead with 4/26 at Baltimore ND, 2-3 (10) 7.0 6 2 2 0 1 3 97-69 2-2 his first career grand slam, but the M’s used their own power surge hitting 3 home runs 5/1 Toronto L, 3-7 6.0 8 4 4 2 2 4 109-72 3-4 5/6 at San Diego ND, 3-1 (11) 8.0 4 1 1 1 1 2 107-70 1-1 and scoring 7 times off of Guthrie to end his day...Johnny Giavotella’s 3-run homer 5/11 at Seattle ND, 9-7 4.2 8 7 7 3 0 2 80-48 5-7 capped a 4-run seventh for KC, leading to a 9-7 win and a no decision for Jeremy. 2014 Totals 2-2 4.80 50.2 53 27 27 11 11 25 814-530 65% FEWER WALKS IN THE PARK--Jeremy has held opponents to 7 walks over Career Totals 72-91 4.26 1464.1 1508 746 693 209 424 863 - - his last 7 outings after issuing 4 in his April 4 season debut...his season ratio of 1.95 walks per 9.0 innings is the lowest of his career, besting his 2.15 in 2010 with Baltimore...he’s 12th among A.L. pitchers, just behind teammates Jason Vargas (1.69, 7th) and James Shields (1.79, 8th). VS. THE O’S--@TheRealJGuts (Twitter handle) has 3 quality starts in as many attempts against his former club, all since joining KC...he’s 2-0 with a 1.89 ERA over 19.0 innings (5 R, 4 ER), winning twice last year and taking a no decision earlier this year on April 26 at Camden Yards...he tossed 7.0 innings, allowing 2 runs, both in the first, along with 6 hits and walk while striking out 3, leaving a 2-2 game, with the O’s winning 3-2 in 10...he won 47 games for Baltimore from 2007-2011, served as the club’s Opening Day starter 3 times and was 1 of 7 A.L.