Game #123 @ Tampa
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Kansas City Royals OFFICIAL GAME NOTES Kansas City Royals (55-67) @ Tampa Bay Rays (68-55) Tropicana Field - Wednesday, August 22, 2012 - 12:10 p.m. (CDT) Game #123 - Road Game #64 KCSP Radio (610 Sports) UPCOMING PITCHING PROBABLES Thursday, August 23: Off day in Boston Friday, August 24 @ Boston Red Sox: LHP Bruce Chen (9-10, 5.45) vs. TBA, 6:10 p.m. (CDT), FSKC (HD) & 610 Sports Saturday, August 25 @ Boston Red Sox: RHP Jeremy Guthrie (2-3, 3.23) vs. TBA, 6:10 p.m. (CDT), FSKC (HD) & 610 Sports Sunday, August 26 @ Boston Red Sox: LHP Will Smith (4-5, 5.40) vs. TBA, 12:35 p.m. (CDT), FSKC (HD) & 610 Sports Monday, August 27 @ Boston Red Sox: RHP Luke Hochevar (7-11, 4.95) vs. TBA, 12:35 p.m. (CDT), FSKC (HD) & 610 Sports Tuesday, August 28 vs. Detroit Tigers: TBA vs. RHP Luis Mendoza (7-8+ today), 7:10 p.m., FSKC (HD) & 610 Sports Wednesday, August 29 vs. Detroit Tigers: TBA vs. LHP Bruce Chen (9-10+ Friday), 7:10 p.m., FSKC (HD) & 610 Sports Thursday, August 30 vs. Detroit Tigers: TBA vs. RHP Jeremy Guthrie (2-3+ Saturday), 7:10 p.m., FSKC (HD) & 610 Sports Today’s game is being broadcast in Kansas City on KCSP Radio (610 Sports) and the Royals Radio Network with Ryan Levebvre, Bob Davis and Steve Stewart, while Don Free controls the dials as the producer/engineer...the next telecast in High Definition on FOX Sports Kansas City will be on Friday in Boston with Steve Physioc and Rex Hudler describing the action...the pre and post-game show, Royals Live, is hosted by Joel Goldberg. Royals vs. Rays TRIPLE-H STIFLES RAYS--It took a trio of hurlers whose names can be found consecutively on the Last night’s nailbiter iced the season series for KC for the first 2012 roster to halt the red hot Rays and even this series at a win apiece...Luke Hochevar and David Price, time since going 4-3 in 2007...a win today would give KC its most the first overall picks in the 2006 and 2007 first year drafts, respectively, did their part by matching zero for wins vs. the Rays since going 5-5 in 2000...last night also halted zero over their eight innings of action each...in the end it came down to the bullpens and each performed a 6-game slide in Tropicana Field...the Royals trail the all-time well, though the Royals wound up prevailing, 1-0 in 10 innings..the lone run was of the unearned variety series by a 52-66 margin, including a 23-40 deficit here. when Eric Hosmer drove in Jeff Francoeur, who had reached on an infield hit and advanced into scoring Date Site Score WP LP Att. 6/25 KC W, 8-0 Hochevar (C) Cobb 20,200 position on a throwing error...meanwhile, the other “H’s”, Kelvin Herrera and Greg Holland closed the 6/26 KC W, 8-2 Chen Archer 25,982 door for Kansas City, with each firing a scoreless frame to get Herrera his first big league win and Holland 6/27 KC W, 5-4 Crow Badenhop 19,228 his sixth save since taking over the closer role...the victory gave KC a 10-4 mark in its last 14 games and 8/20 @ TB L, 1-5 Hellickson Smith 9,913 over a longer haul, a 14-7 ledger since July 31. 8/21 @ TB W, 1-0 (10) Herrera Peralta 10,877 ELIAS SEZ...--The Elias Sports Bureau weighed in on last night’s impressive work by starting pitchers Luke Hochevar and David Price, as they are only the second duo since 1900 to each work at least 8.0 innings, allow no runs, 3 hits or fewer and strike out at least 8...the only other game that has occurred since the turn of the 20th century was on August 26, 1968, in the second game of a doubleheader between the Minnesota Twins and Washington Senators, when Jim Perry went 9.0 scoreless innings for the Twins, allowing 2 hits and fanning 9, while the Senators’ Frank Bertaina went 11.0 innings allowing 2 hits and no runs with 9 strikeouts...the contest went 14 innings with the Senators prevailing by a 1-0 count...speaking of 1-0, last night was the 14th extra-inning game in Royals’ history, with KC now 5-9 in those affairs...the last time the Royals were winners in a 1-0 game that went into overtime was on September 14, 1983, in Anaheim when Don Slaught singled home Hal McRae in the 14th inning...Paul Splittorff worked 8.0 scoreless in that affair, while Tommy John fired 13.0 innings in a no decision. HOCH HOT VS. RAYS--Luke Hochevar’s performance last night capped a year against the Tampa Bay Rays in which he did not allow a run in two outings, spanning 17.0 innings...he fired a complete game shutout of the Rays in Kansas City on June 25, scattering 7 hits, while fanning...last night he surrendered just a third inning double to Luke Scott over his 8.0 innings of work while fanning 10...dating back to August 8, 2011, when he worked 7.0 innings of one-run work, Hoch has allowed only the one tally spanning his last 24.0 innings against Tampa Bay with 25 strikeouts. PITCHING RULES VS. RAYS--The Royals enter today’s season finale against Tampa Bay with a collective team ERA of 1.80 over the first five contests, with KC posting a 4-1 ledger...all told, the Royals have allowed 9 earned runs in 45.0 innings vs. the Rays while fanning 45...Kansas City would need an exceptional performance today to set the club ERA vs. one club, a mark that was just established last week when KC finished up its 9-game set with Oakland by posting a 1.56 staff mark (14 earned runs in 80.2 innings). HERRERA JOINS TEAM WIN LIST--22-year old reliever Kelvin Herrera made the most out of his one inning of work last night as the KC offense plated the game’s only run immediately following that frame to make Herrera the 268th different hurler to record a big league win for the Royals...it was his 58th career outing. TODAY’S STARTING PITCHERS: RHP Luis Mendoza (7-8, 4.26) vs. RHP James Shields (11-7, 4.03) 2012 2011 Career 2012 2011 Career Luis Mendoza vs. Rays First career appearance Major League Record 7-8 (4.26 ERA) 2-0 13-17 James Shields vs. Royals - 1-0 6-2 Major League Record 11-7 (4.03 ERA) 16-12 83-70 LUIS MENDOZA makes his 23rd appearance and 18th start of 2012...today is his 61st career Major League appearance (34th start)...this is his first career start against the Rays...Mendoza, 28, was acquired in a trade with the Rangers on April 2, 2010. THIRD TIME IS THE CHARM VS. SALE--Luis won his second straight start and Luis’ 2012 appearances third in his last 4 by defeating the White Sox last Friday night in Kansas City, 4-2...after WHEN dropping tough 2-1 and 4-2 decisions to the Sox and All-Star Chris Sale in two meetings DATE OPPONENT SCORE IP H R ER HR BB SO TP-K LEFT 4/9 at Oakland L, 0-1 5.2 5 1 1 0 4 2 97-57 0-1 since the break, Mendy was able to get the better of the Sox southpaw...Luis allowed 4/15 Cleveland L, 7-13 4.0 9 9 5 2 4 1 89-51 4-7 single runs in the fourth and fifth, the first tally coming on a Paul Konerko solo homer...he 4/21 Toronto ND, 5-9 3.1 10 4 4 0 1 0 50-34 1-4 4/26 at Cleveland W, 4-2 5.0 4 2 2 0 2 3 70-42 4-1 completed 7.0 innings, surrendering just the 2 runs on 4 hits with a walk, a hit batter and 6 *5/6 New York ND, 4-10 4.2 3 2 2 0 5 3 77-40 3-7 K’s...it marked the third time in his last 4 starts that he has completed at least 7.0 frames. *5/13 at Chicago W, 9-1 5.2 7 1 1 0 2 4 81-49 2-1 5/18 Arizona ND, 4-6 5.2 5 4 4 0 3 4 93-55 3-4 KC’S BEST OF LATE--Mendoza has developed into a consistent weapon for the *5/23 at New York ND, 3-8 1.0 1 3 3 0 2 0 21-8 1-5 Kansas City rotation, compiling a 3.64 ERA (76.2 IP, 70 H, 31 ER) in 12 starts since *5/28 at Cleveland ND, 5-8 3.2 5 2 2 0 0 0 58-38 2-5 *6/6 Minnesota L, 2-4 5.0 5 2 2 0 2 2 71-41 0-0 rejoining the rotation on June 12, posting a 5-5 record over that span while KC has gone 6/12 Milwaukee ND, 2-1 6.0 1 1 1 0 2 4 74-46 1-0 7-5...included are 9 “quality” starts in that span and at least 7.0 innings pitched on 5 6/17 at St.