Kansas City Royals OFFICIAL GAME NOTES Kansas City Royals (54-66) @ Tampa Bay Rays (67-54) Tropicana Field - Monday, August 20, 2012 - 6:10 p.m. (CDT) Game #121 - Road Game #62 Fox Sports Kansas City (HD) & KCSP Radio (610 Sports) UPCOMING PITCHING PROBABLES Tuesday, August 21 @ Tampa Bay Rays: RHP Luke Hochevar (7-11, 5.24) vs. LHP David Price (16-4, 2.39), 6:10 p.m. (CDT), FSKC (HD) & 610 Sports Wednesday, August 22 @ Tampa Bay Rays: RHP Luis Mendoza (7-8, 4.26) vs. RHP James Shields (11-7, 4.03), 12:10 p.m. (CDT), No TV & 610 Sports 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, 323) vs. TBA, 6:10 p.m. (CDT), FSKC (HD) & 610 Sports Sunday, August 26 @ Boston Red Sox: LHP Will Smith (4-4+ tonight) vs. TBA, 12:35 p.m. (CDT), FSKC (HD) & 610 Sports Monday, August 27 @ Boston Red Sox: RHP Luke Hochevar (7-11+ tomorrow) vs. TBA, 12:35 p.m. (CDT), FSKC (HD) & 610 Sports Tonight’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...tonight’s telecast is in High Definition on FOX Sports Kansas City with Steve Physioc and Rex Hudler...the pre and post-game show, Royals Live, is hosted by Joel Goldberg. Royals vs. Rays THRILLING WRAP TO TERRIFIC STAY--The Royals capped a 5-1 homestand on Sunday with a 5-2 The Royals swept the Rays during a visit to “The K” in June, victory over Chicago to complete a 3-game sweep of the first place White Sox and jump Kansas City into the first 3-game sweep by KC over Tampa Bay since May 15-17, third place in the A.L. Central...the day began with KC newcomer Jeremy Guthrie flirting with baseball 2001...in the June series, the Royals allowed only 4 earned runs in history, tossing 6.2 innings of no-hit ball before allowing what was called an infield hit to Paul Konerko, 27.0 innings for a 1.33 ERA...tonight Kansas City looks to break though the debate continues...leading 2-0 entering the eighth, Guthrie would allow two clean hits and a 5-game drought in “The Trop” last winning here in 2010...the both of those runners came across as unearned after his departure to tie the game...as was the case during Royals trail the all-time series by a 51-65 margin, including a 22- 39 deficit here. the entire homestand, the Royals rebounded immediately and plated three runs in the home half of the Date Site Score WP LP Att. eighth, with Salvador Perez delivering his third tie-breaking hit of the series...Perez had a 2-run double 6/25 KC W, 8-0 Hochevar (C) Cobb 20,200 in the sixth inning to open the scoring and on Friday snapped a 2-2 deadlock with a 2-run double in the 6/26 KC W, 8-2 Chen Archer 25,982 seventh...the sweep of the ChiSox was KC’s first since 2003 and the fourth for the Royals this year, each 6/27 KC W, 5-4 Crow Badenhop 19,228 8/20 @ TB at home (also Milwaukee, Tampa Bay and Cleveland). 8/21 @ TB TWO HOTTEST HOOKING UP--The top two winning percentages in the majors since August 7 are 8/22 @ TB getting together for this 3-game set here in Tropicana Field...the Royals have gone 9-3 in that span for a .750 winning pct., trailing only the 11-2 mark and .846 winning pct. of the Tampa Bay Rays...each club has done it with pitching, as the Rays have a 2.39 ERA in their 13-game stretch, while the Royals are next with a 2.55 ERA in the dozen games KC has played. JEREMY KEEPS JAMMIN’--A relative newbie to Kansas City, Jeremy Guthrie has made his presence felt since joining the club in a trade with Colorado on July 20...after dropping his first 3 starts in a KC uniform, the 33-year old veteran has allowed no earned runs in his last 3 trips to the hill, spanning 22.2 innings, the most recent gem taking place yesterday in Kauffman Stadium...he was not involved in the decision despite allowing 3 hits (maybe, review still coming) and 2 unearned runs with a walk and 4 K’s...in his last 3 outings, Guthrie has given up 11 hits over the 22.2 frames, with 20.0 of those innings scoreless to establish a Royals season- high, while fanning 18...he will get his next test on Saturday in Fenway Park vs. the Red Sox. QUALITY WORK ROLLS ON--Jeremy Guthrie’s 7.2-inning gem on Sunday was yet another in this stretch of quality outings by a Kansas City starter, the sixth in a row spanning the entire 5-1 homestand...Guthrie’s performance yesterday started the second lap through the rotation that has witnessed a 1.94 ERA in the last 6 games allowing 9 earned runs over 41.2 innings while holding the opposition to a collective .167 average (24-for-144)...the bullpen has also been impressive in this 6-game stretch, posting a 1.46 ERA allowing just 2 earned runs in 12.1 innings while striking out 23 and walking only one. ESKY ROLLING AGAIN--Shortstop Alcides Escobar upped his current hitting streak to 8 straight by going 1-for-4 yesterday on the heels of his 4-hit (all infield) performance on Saturday...he’s upped his average to .308 by hitting .424 (14-for-33) during this current hitting streak...his four infield hits on Saturday marked a big league first since Roberto Alomar did so on August 20, 2003, almost 9 years to the day, while playing for the White Sox vs. the Angels. TONIGHT’S STARTING PITCHERS: LHP Will Smith (4-4, 5.09) vs. RHP Jeremy Hellickson (7-8, 3.39) 2012 2011 Career 2012 2011 Career Will Smith vs. Rays First career appearance Major League Record 4-4 (5.09 ERA) - 4-4 Jeremy Hellickson vs. Royals - 0-0 0-0 Major League Record 7-8 (3.39 ERA) 13-10 24-18 WILL SMITH makes his 10th Major League start tonight, his seventh since his recall, and first of his career against the Rays...he was recalled from Omaha (AAA) for his second big league stint on July 19...Smith was acquired by the Royals on July 22, 2010 in exchange for infielderAlberto Callaspo. SIMILAR WINS GETS SMITTY TO .500--Will has had mirror-image appearances Will’s 2012 starts (w/ Kansas City) FINAL WHEN his last two times out, recording wins in each, the most recent a 3-2 triumph at home DATE OPPONENT SCORE IP H R ER HR BB SO TP-K LEFT over Oakland last Wednesday night to even his record at 4-4...he worked 7.0 innings 5/23 at New York L, 3-8 3.1 6 5 5 3 1 1 54-30 1-5 5/29 at Cleveland W, 8-2 6.0 4 2 2 0 2 5 96-64 8-2 allowing 2 runs on 5 hits with a walk and 5 strikeouts, giving up single tallies in the 6/4 Minnesota L, 7-10 4.2 8 7 7 3 2 3 80-52 4-7 second and fourth innings...trailing 2-1 in the seventh, KC plated a pair in that frame to 7/19 Seattle L, 1-6 6.1 8 4 4 1 2 5 90-59 1-4 7/24 at Los Angeles W, 4-1 7.0 2 1 1 0 4 4 102-59 4-1 stake Will to the win...just 6 days prior to the win vs. the A’s, Smith went 7.0 innings 7/29 at Seattle ND, 6-7 6.0 7 3 3 0 0 4 85-55 2-3 allowing 2 runs on 6 hits with 5 K’s to beat the Orioles in Camden Yards, 8-2....Will has 8/4 Texas L, 2-4 5.2 8 4 4 0 3 2 90-55 2-4 8/9 at Baltimore W, 8-2 7.0 6 2 2 1 3 5 99-59 8-2 returned from Omaha looking like a more confident pitcher, posting a 3-2 record with a 8/15 Oakland W, 3-2 7.0 5 2 2 1 1 5 97-62 3-2 3.69 ERA in 6 starts, allowing 16 earned runs over 39.0 innings with 4 quality starts. 2012 Totals 4-4, 5.09 53.0 54 30 30 9 18 34 793-495 62% Will’s 2012 starts (w/ Omaha-AAA) FIRST WIN IN CLEVELAND--Will became the 265th hurler and just the 74th WHEN lefthander to put his name in the win column as a Royal when he defeated the Tribe DATE OPPONENT SCORE IP H R ER HR BB SO TP-K LEFT 4/5 Albuquerque ND, 8-4 3.0 4 2 1 0 6 2 70-36 - on May 29, 8-2...he worked out of a first-inning jam after the first 4 Indians reached, 4/10 Round Rock ND, 9-8 (16) 4.1 8 6 6 1 1 4 81-55 - allowing 2 runs and then shut down Cleveland for his final 5.0 innings.