Kansas City Royals OFFICIAL GAME NOTES Colorado Rockies (23-17) @ Kansas City Royals (18-19) Kauffman Stadium - Tuesday, May 13, 2014 Game #38 - Home Game #16 Fox Sports Kansas City (HD) & KCSP Radio (610 Sports) UPCOMING PITCHING PROBABLES Wednesday, May 14 vs. Colorado Rockies: RHP Jhoulys Chacin (0-1, 4.91) vs. LHP Jason Vargas (3-1, 3.04), 1:10 p.m., FSKC (HD) & 610 Sports Thursday, May 15 vs. Baltimore Orioles: RHP Miguel Gonzalez (1-3, 4.78) vs. RHP Yordano Ventura (2-2, 2.34), 7:10 p.m., FSKC (HD) & 610 Sports 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+ tonight) vs. RHP James Shields (4-3+ tonight), 1:10 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, Steve Physioc 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 Ryan Lefebvre 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. Rockies BOOKEND BLASTS MAKE FOR HAPPY FLIGHT--The Royals return home for their longest stay The Royals and Rox meet for the first time since 2011 when to date riding the wave of a 4-3 road trip to the west coast, capped by a 9-7 victory in Seattle on Sunday Kansas City was 1-2 in a visit to Coors Field...this is the first of afternoon...the keystone combination of Alcides Escobar and Johnny Giavotella were the unlikely two games here and then KC will make the trek to Colorado for a pair on August 19-20...the Royals have split the 18 games con- power heroes in the contest, with Escobar staking Kansas City to a 4-0 lead in the second inning with tested between these franchises since first meeting back in 2003, his first career grand slam and then Gio capping the scoring with a 3-run blast in the seventh to turn with Kansas City holding a 4-2 advantage in Kauffman Stadium. a 7-6 deficit into a 9-7 advantage and eventual final score...Jeremy Guthrie had a rough go in Safeco, Date Site Score WP LP Att. 5/13 KC allowing 7 runs on 8 hits over 4.2 innings, including a trio of home runs to up his big league leading total 5/14 KC to 11...fortunately, the bullpen was back to its stingy 2013 self, with a quintet of relievers combining for 8/19 @ Den 4.1 innings of 3-hit scoreless relief, capped by Greg Holland tossing a 1-2-3 ninth for his ninth save... 8/20 @ Den Alex Gordon had his second 3-hit game of the series and Eric Hosmer added a pair of doubles. AIN’T LIFE GRAND???--Alcides Escobar took full advantage of the pink bat he was allowed to use in honor of Mother’s Day and Breast Cancer Awareness on Sunday, picking up a pair of hits, included the first grand slam of his career...it was Kansas City’s first slam since Justin Maxwell hit the memorable walk- off, 10th inning shot last September 22 to closeout the home portion of the schedule with a 4-0 win...Sunday’s blast by Escobar was the 115th slam in franchise history, first by a KC shortstop since Yuniesky Betancourt hit three in 2010. SOLID TRIP ON THE HILL--Kansas City’s just completed 4-3 excursion through San Diego and Seattle witnessed an overall staff ERA of 2.48, which jumped from 1.76 entering Sunday in which KC was solved for seven runs...the starters finished the journey with a 3.00 mark, allowing 15 earned runs over 45.0 innings, holding the opposition to a .212 batting average...the bullpen gave up only four runs on the trip, three coming in the series opening loss in San Diego on May 5, but still possessed a 1.33 ERA allowing the three earned runs in 20.1 innings...the relief corps, which was the best in the American League last year, didn’t allow an earned run in its last 15.0 innings on the trip. QUICK INTERLEAGUE INTERLUDE--Tonight kicks off a 2-game set with Colorado, Kansas City’s second Interleague series of the year after going 2-1 in San Diego last week...the Royals are looking to turn their fortunes against the Senior Circuit around in 2014, going 9-11 vs. the N.L. last year, their fifth consecutive sub-.500 year...the last winning season against was 2007 when KC dominated with a 13-5 mark...Kansas City’s all-time Interleague mark is 139- 167, including a 69-81 ledger here in Kauffman Stadium...this year’s Interleague work is concentrated against the N.L. West including last week’s stop in San Diego followed later by visits to Arizona (3) and Colorado (2), while the Dodgers (3), Giants (3) and Rockies (2) visit “The K”...the Royals will also play four games in a home and home series against their cross-state rivals from St. Louis. FIRST EXTENDED STAY COMMENCES--Tonight opens the longest homestand to date for the Royals, a 9-gamer that features this 2-game quickie with Colorado, followed by a 4-game visit from Baltimore and will wrap-up when A.L. Central foe Chicago pays its second visit of the year next Monday thru Wednesday...this stay will jumpstart a stretch in which the Royals are playing 12 of 15 games in Kauffman Stadium, the only interruption a 3-game journey to Anaheim (May 23-25)...in fact, from tonight 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 “The K.” TONIGHT’S STARTING PITCHERS: LHP Franklin Morales (3-2, 5.18) vs. RHP James Shields (4-3, 2.70) 2014 2013 Career 2014 2013 Career Franklin Morales vs. Royals - - 0-0 Major League Record 3-2 (5.18 ERA) 2-2 16-20 James Shields vs. Rockies - - 0-1 Major League Record 4-3 (2.70 ERA) 13-9 104-85 JAMES SHIELDS makes his team-leading ninth start of the year, his 260th career start and 261st overall appearance...tonight is his second-straight start vs. a National League foe, facing Colorado for the second time in his career...he was acquired by Kansas City in a 7-player deal with Tampa Bay on December 9, 2012. SHIELDS CONTINUES ROAD DOMINANCE--James won his fourth James’ 2014 Starts consecutive road start last Wednesday afternoon, blanking the Padres for 7.0 innings DATE OPPONENT SCORE IP H R ER HR BB SO TP-K LEFT 3/31 at Detroit ND, 3-4 6.1 5 3 3 1 1 3 105-71 3-1 in an 8-0 Royals triumph at PETCO Park...Shields, who makes his offseason home 4/6 Chicago L, 1-5 7.0 5 1 1 0 0 6 102-65 0-1 4/12 at Minnesota L, 1-7 5.2 6 7 1 2 3 5 115-69 1-7 in nearby Rancho Santa Fe, scattered seven hits – all singles – and struck out four, 4/17 at Houston W, 5-1 8.0 4 1 1 0 2 12 107-64 5-1 improving to 4-1 in six starts away from Kauffman Stadium this season...he allowed 4/22 at Cleveland W, 8-2 6.0 6 2 1 0 1 9 106-65 6-2 4/27 at Baltimore W, 9-3 7.0 3 2 2 1 2 6 101-69 8-2 three hits in the second inning and two more in the fifth, but pitched out of trouble 5/2 Detroit L, 2-8 6.1 12 8 7 1 1 3 105-68 2-6 both times...Shields combined with Aaron Crow (1.0 IP) and Louis Coleman (1.0) 5/7 at San Diego W, 8-0 7.0 7 0 0 0 2 4 118-73 7-0 2014 Totals 4-3, 2.70 53.1 48 24 16 5 12 48 859-544 63% on his first combined shutout since last September 22, when he pitched the first 8.0 Career Totals 104-85 3.76 1736.2 1702 794 725 209 420 1494 - - innings of KC’s 4-0 10-inning triumph over Texas in the home finale...as for his work on the road, Shields is now an inexplicable 13-1 with a 1.76 ERA in his last 16 road starts, the best mark in the Majors since last June 28. NEARING STRIKEOUT MILESTONE--James enters tonight 6 strikeouts shy of 1,500 for his career...his total ranks seventh in the Majors since his May 31, 2006 debut, while his 48 strikeouts this year are tied for 12th in the A.L. QUALITY IN QUANTITY--With 7.0-shutout innings in San Diego, Shields recorded his 33rd quality start in 42 outings as a Royal...his total leads all Major League hurlers, just ahead of Adam Wainwright (32) and Max Scherzer (32) since the start of 2013...he’s also logged the most innings (282.0) in the American League in that time, having gone 6.0 innings or more in 37 of his 42 starts with KC.