Kansas City Royals OFFICIAL GAME NOTES Baltimore Orioles (20-18) @ Kansas City Royals (20-19) Kauffman Stadium - Thursday, May 15, 2014 Game #40 - Home Game #18 Fox Sports Kansas City (HD) & KCSP Radio (610 Sports) UPCOMING PITCHING PROBABLES Friday, May 16 vs. Baltimore Orioles: RHP Chris Tillman (3-2, 3.97) vs. RHP Jeremy Guthrie (2-2, 4.80), 7:10 p.m., FSKC (HD) & 610 Sports 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 (2-2+ tonight), 7:10 p.m., FSKC (HD) & 610 Sports Wednesday, May 21 vs. Chicago White Sox: LHP Jose Quintana (1-3+ tomorrow) vs. RHP Jeremy Guthrie (2-2+ tomorrow), 7:10 p.m., FSKC (HD) & 610 Sports 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 Stewart, while Don Free 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 VARGY & MOOSE LEAD TO SWEEP OF ROX--An outstanding mound effort by Jason Vargas and Tonight opens an extended 4-game set in “The K”, with the the KC bullpen and a clutch bases clearing double by Mike Moustakas was the perfect recipe for the Royals holding a 2-1 edge in the season series after a stop at Royals to sweep a quick 2-game Interleague series over the Colorado Rockies...Vargas worked 6.2 Camden Yards in late-April...KC trails 200-258 in the all-time series, including a 110-119 deficit in Kansas City, but holds a scoreless innings against the highest scoring team in the Majors before allowing a 2-run homer to Drew slim 103-102 advantage in Kauffman Stadium. Stubbs on his 103rd and final pitch of the game...the pen combined for 2.1 scoreless frames capped by Date Site Score WP LP Att. Greg Holland’s 10th save to preserve the win...Moustakas delivered the key blow in the second inning, 4/25 @ Balt W, 5-0 Ventura Jimenez 22,478 4/26 @ Balt L, 2-3 (10) Britton Duffy 34,941 driving home a trio of teammates with a double into the rightfield corner...he also teamed with catcher 4/27 @ Balt W, 9-3 Shields Gonzalez 38,368 Sal Perez in the sixth inning to pick a runner off third base and end a Colorado threat...Moose wound 5/15 KC up with a pair of doubles and Perez delivered two hits as well to give the Royals their third straight win, 5/16 KC 5/17 KC sixth in the last eight games and return to a game over .500 at 20-19. 5/18 KC SERIESLY SPEAKING--The sweep of the Rockies gave Kansas City a 4-1 record with a split in its last six series played...this stretch started with a 2-1 stop in Baltimore against tonight’s opponent, followed by a 2-1 mark here vs. the Jays...the Detroit Tigers came to “The K” and delivered the lone series loss in this stretch by taking all three games, but the Royals rebounded to go 2-1 in San Diego, gain a 2-2 split in Seattle and then sweep Colorado to open this homestand...overall, KC is 8-4-1 in 13 sets played. STAFF STYMIES MLB’S BEST OFFENSE--Kansas City’s pitching staff just completed a strong two-game performance against the hottest hitting team in the majors, allowing just three runs to the Colorado Rockies, who entered the visit leading the big leagues in hitting (.301), runs scored (230), home runs (57) and slugging pct. (.505)...KC hurlers combined to hold the Rox to a .175 visit to town (11-for-63) and never trailed in the abbreviated series...in going 6-2 in the last eight games, Kansas City has assembled a 1.88 ERA, allowing 15 earned runs in 72.0 innings...the bullpen has returned to its stingy 2013 roots when it possessed the best ERA in the American League, allowing no earned runs in the last eight games, totaling 19.1 innings while fanning 20 and holding the opposition to a .161 average (10-for-62)...the starters have compiled a 2.56 mark in the last eight contests, allowing 15 earned runs in 52.2 frames, holding opponents to a .211 average...yesterday’s effort by Jason Vargas was his seventh quality start in nine assignments and the 24th for the Royals tying Detroit for third most in the A.L. ZUBAZPALOOZA DAY AT “THE K”--The Royals will host their inaugural Zubazpalooza Day at “The K” tomorrow as fans can purchase a special ticket package that includes a ticket to the game and a pair of Royals-themed Zubaz pants...the pants can be picked up from the Zubaz bus that will be located between Lot H and Lot M...this is not a gate giveaway item to fans, but a special Zubazpalooza ticket is the only way to procure the Zubaz pants. SALVY PICKS HIS SPOTS--Rawlings Gold Glove receiver Salvador Perez nabbed his first pickoff of the year on Wednesday, catching Charlie Culberson a little too far from third base on a timing play with Mike Moustakas...it was Salvy’s 10th career pickoff, five of which took place over the 2012 season. TONIGHT’S STARTING PITCHERS: LHP Wei-Yin Chen (4-2, 3.95) vs. RHP Yordano Ventura (2-2, 2.34) 2014 2013 Career 2014 2013 Career Wei-Yin Chen vs. Royals 0-0 0-0 0-1 Major League Record 4-2 (3.95 ERA) 7-7 23-20 Yordano Ventura vs. Orioles 1-0 - 1-0 Major League Record 2-2 (2.34 ERA) 0-1 2-3 YORDANO VENTURA is making his eighth start of the year, 11th of his brief big league career and second against Baltimore...he is 2-2 with a 2.34 ERA, seventh-lowest in the American League...the 22-year-old rookie from the Dominican Republic signed with KC as a non-drafted free agent on October 8, 2008. PAIR OF HOMERS PIVOTAL IN DEFEAT--Yordano turned in his fifth quality Yordano’s 2014 starts start in seven starts on Saturday in Seattle, however, two swings made the difference in WHEN DATE OPPONENT SCORE IP H R ER HR BB SO TP-K LEFT a 3-1 loss...Justin Smoak’s 2-run shot gave the M’s a 2-1 lead in the fourth, and then 4/8 Tampa Bay ND, 0-1 6.0 2 0 0 0 0 6 95-62 0-0 Dustin Ackley’s sixth inning solo shot capped the scoring...Ventura fanned a season-low 4/15 at Houston W, 4-2 7.0 4 2 1 1 3 7 101-66 4-2 4/20 Minnesota L, 3-8 4.0 6 4 4 0 4 6 94-56 0-4 3 batters over 6.1 innings while walking 4, his total over 3 prior outings...the Royals 4/25 at Baltimore W, 5-0 8.0 7 0 0 0 2 8 113-75 5-0 were held to a run and 3 hits over 8.0 innings by Chris Young. 4/30 Toronto ND, 4-2 5.0 2 0 0 0 2 4 92-57 2-0 5/5 at San Diego ND, 5-6 (12) 6.0 5 3 3 1 0 10 101-72 4-3 FILING A 10-K--Yordano opened the last road trip with a career-high 10 5/10 at Seattle L, 1-3 6.1 6 3 3 2 4 3 96-54 1-3 2014 Totals 2-2 2.34 42.1 32 12 11 4 15 44 692-442 64% strikeouts on May 5 at San Diego...the total marked the most by a KC rookie since Kevin Career Totals 2-3 2.65 57.2 45 18 17 7 21 55 - - Appier fanned 10 on July 20, 1990 vs. Boston, with Ventura becoming the fifth Royals’ freshman to post double digits without walking a batter and first since Tom Gordon on July 17, 1989 vs. Milwaukee. STRIKEOUT RATE AMONG KC’S BEST--Ventura is averaging 9.35 strikeouts per 9.0 innings, tied for eighth in the A.L. and second among Major League rookies as the Yankees’ Masahiro Tanaka is averaging 10.2 per 9.0 innings...the highest full-season ratio by a Royals’ starter is 9.50, set by Zack Greinke in 2009, with Bob Johnson’s 8.66 in 1970 the top mark by a KC rookie. BEST APRIL BY A ROYAL ROOKIE--Yordano’s 1.50 ERA marked the lowest April ERA by a rookie in club history, besting Bill Butler’s 1.99 in 1969 (minimum 25.0 innings)...it’s the third-best for a KC freshman in a calendar month, behind club Hall of Famers Steve Busby (1.32 in September, 1972) and Paul Splittorff (1.35 in August, 1971)...Ventura’s 31 strikeouts also set a Royals rookie record for April, topping Tom “Flash” Gordon’s 28 in 1989.