Kansas City Royals OFFICIAL GAME NOTES Kansas City Royals (3-12) @ Toronto Blue Jays (11-5) Rogers Centre - Wednesday, April 18, 2018 Game #16 - Road Game #8 Facebook Live and KCSP Radio (610 Sports) UPCOMING PITCHING PROBABLES Thursday, April 19: Off day in Birmingham, MI Friday, April 20 @ Detroit Tigers - Game #1: RHP Jakob Junis (2-1, 1.93) vs. RHP Michael Fulmer (1-2, 3.86), 12:10 p.m. (CDT), FSKC (HD) & 610 Sports Friday, April 20 @ Detroit Tigers - Game #2: RHP Jason Hammel (0-1, 3.86) vs. LHP Daniel Norris (0-1, 7.11), 6:10 p.m. (CDT), FSKC (HD) & 610 Sports Saturday, April 21 @ Detroit Tigers: TBA vs. RHP Mike Fiers (1-1, 3.86), 12:10 p.m. (CDT), FSKC (HD) & 610 Sports Sunday, April 22 @ Detroit Tigers: TBA vs. LHP Francisco Liriano (2-1, 2.55), 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 Steve Physioc and Steve Stewart...today is Kansas City’s first venture into the exclusive on Facebook Live with MLB Network’s Scott Braun, Cliff Floyd and former Royal, Jeremy Guthrie describing the action on- line...the weekend Detroit series will return to 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. Blue Jays DOUBLE-DIP DROP TAKES DROUGHT TO SEVEN--The Royals returned to work after consecutive Today is the finale of this 3-game visit after the Royals off days due to weather, but the result remained the same as the losing streak hit seven in a row with dropped both ends of a double-dip yesterday...these clubs will meet up again in a 4-game set in Kauffman Stadium on August losses by the counts of 11-3 and 5-4 in 10 innings...the toughest part of the day continued to be something 13-16...KC trails the all-time regular season body of work by a that has haunted since the outset as the Royals held a lead in each game, upping that mark to leads in 11 of 191-202 margin, including an 88-111 deficit in Toronto, 53-74 in 15, but still have just three shutout wins to show for it...in the opener, Eric Skoglund was solved for five Rogers Centre. runs on eight hits in 5.0 innings while setting a career best with six strikeouts...the Royals held a 3-2 lead Date Site Score WP LP Att. 4/16 @ Tor Postponed -- Roof until Toronto plated three in the fifth off Skoglund and then blew the contest open with a 6-run sixth...the 4/17 @ Tor L, 3-11 Garcia Skoglund nightcap saw an outstanding 6.0 innings by starter Danny Duffy go by the wayside when the Jays scored @ Tor L, 4-5 (10) Clippard Flynn 18,645 four times in the seventh on three inning-opening walks by Justin Grimm, followed by three hits allowed 4/18 @ Tor by Brad Keller...KC tied the contest at 4-4 in the eighth when Alcides Escobar clubbed his first home run of the year, a no-doubter to left, but Toronto loaded the bases against Brian Flynn in the 10th and won the game on Luke Maile’s single...the Royals had a rugged day under the dome with runners in scoring position, going a combined 4-for-23, including just 1-for-12 in the one-run second game defeat. ROUGH START IN RISP’S--Kansas City’s seven-game slide has seen the squad struggle with runners in scoring position, capped by a 1-for-12 finish to yesterday in a 5-4, 10-inning loss in the nightcap...the one hit actually didn’t deliver a run, as it occurred in the first inning to load the bases prior to Lucas Duda getting plunked for an RBI...during this seven-game slide, KC has hit .197 (13-for-66) in RISP situations. A FULL DAY OF BALL ON TUESDAY--Last night was just the seventh time in the first 20 days of the 2018 Major League season that every scheduled game for that date was played...things got so bad that a game slated for under a roof here in Toronto was postponed on Monday due to a tear in the lid...there have been 24 games banged in the first 20 days of the regular season...while the Royals have been victimized on four occasions (April 1, April 4, Sunday and here on Monday night), the Detroit Tigers are leading the pack with five games in need of make-up over the remainder of the season. FACEBOOK ONLY TODAY--Today’s series finale from Toronto is exclusive viewing on Facebook Live with the MLB Network providing the feed and the announcers...Scott Braun will call the play-by-play, while former Royal, Jeremy Guthrie, is joined by Cliff Floyd for the analysis...the Royals have another Facebook exclusive contest on Wednesday, June 27, when they closeout a two-game stop in Milwaukee with a 1:10 first pitch. BUCHHOLZ TERRIFIC IN FIRST START--Clay Buchholz, an under-the-radar signing in spring training who had been working in extended spring in Surprise, AZ, made his debut start last night in San Antonio while wearing the uniform of Northwest Arkansas (AA)...the 33-year old winner of 81 games during his career with the Red Sox, fired 4.2 shutout innings last night allowing two hits and two walks with five strikeouts, finishing with 77 pitches...Buchholz’s catcher last night was All-Star receiver Salvador Perez, who made his third injury rehab start, second behind the plate, and went 1-for-4 while catching seven innings. WHIT MERRI-ALL-OVER-THE-FIELD--Though the season is but 15 games old, Whit Merrifield is displaying the versatility that got him to the big leagues two years ago...yesterday he started the opener at second base, then the nightcap in right...he has started at four different defensive positions so far, trailing only Scott Kingery, who has made starts at five different defensive positions…if you include Whit’s start at DH, he matches Kingery for the Major League lead…for the record, Merrifield has also started games at first base and in center field this year. TODAY’S STARTING PITCHERS: RHP Ian Kennedy (1-1, 1.00) vs. LHP J.A. Happ (2-1, 3.94) 2017 2016 Career 2018 2017 Career Ian Kennedy vs. Blue Jays 0-1 0-0 0-1 Major League Record 1-1 (1.00 ERA) 5-13 92-93 Aaron Sanchez vs. Royals 0-1 - 2-3 Major League Record 2-1 (3.94 ERA) 10-11 94-77 IAN KENNEDY makes his fourth start of the season, the 271st of his career (273rd appearance) in this series finale vs. Toronto…it’s his fourth career start vs. the Blue Jays…he’s in his third season with Kansas City, after signing a five-year deal on Jan. 29, 2016…he was originally selected by the Yankees in the first round of the 2006 First-Year Player Draft out of the University of Southern California. Ian’s 2018 Starts SCORE DOESN’T INDICATE SOLID WORK--Ian incurred his first loss of the DATE OPPONENT SCORE IP H R ER HR BB SO TP-K LEFT year last Thursday in Kauffman Stadium, a 7-1 setback to the Angels despite holding 3/31 vs. White Sox ND, 3-4 6.0 4 1 1 0 2 5 105-73 3-1 them down during his time on the mound...the lone tally he surrendered was a game- 4/7 at Cleveland W, 1-0 6.0 4 0 0 0 0 8 101-75 1-0 4/12 vs. Angels L, 1-7 6.0 7 1 1 1 2 3 100-63 0-1 opening home run to Ian Kinsler, then scattered six more hits and two walks (one 2018 Totals 1-1 1.00 18.0 15 2 2 1 4 16 306-211 69.0% intentional) in 6.0 innings, with three strikeouts…Kinsler’s leadoff homer snapped 2017 Totals 5-13 5.38 154.0 143 99 92 34 61 131 2641-1557 59.0% Kennedy’s streak of 11.0 consecutive scoreless innings dating back to his first start Career Totals 92-93 4.04 1602.1 1494 774 720 221 543 1471 - - on March 31 vs. the White Sox…he stranded the eight base runners, seven of which reached with two out…he exited trailing 1-0, before the Royals’ bullpen surrendered a five-spot in the seventh and a tack-on run in the eighth…Kennedy has three straight quality starts for the first time since July 3-16, 2017. EARLY-SEASON DOMINANCE--In 12 starts during March/April since joining the Royals in 2016, Kennedy is just 3-5 despite a 2.15 ERA (18 ER in 75.1 IP) and .195 opponents’ average (52-for-266)…his ERA during that stretch ranks third in the Majors (min. 10 starts), trailing Chris Sale (1.38) and Gio Gonzalez (1.79). STARTING SOMETHING--Despite a brief stint on the disabled list last season, Ian made at least 30 starts for the eighth consecutive season…it’s the third- longest active streak in the Majors, trailing only Jon Lester (10 straight) and Max Scherzer (nine straight)…since his first full season in the Majors (2010), his 259 starts (including today) are third to Scherzer (263) and Lester (260)…from 2010-15, he led the NL in starts (192) and ranked third in innings pitched (1175.0).