Kansas City Royals OFFICIAL GAME NOTES Kansas City Royals (0-0) @ Detroit Tigers (0-0) Comerica Park - Monday, March 31, 2014 Game #1 - Road Game #1 Fox Sports Kansas City (HD) and KCSP Radio (610 Sports) UPCOMING PITCHING PROBABLES Tuesday, April 1: Off day in Detroit Wednesday, April 2 @ Detroit Tigers: LHP Jason Vargas vs. RHP Max Scherzer, 12:10 p.m. (CDT), FSKC (HD) & 610 Sports Thursday, April 3 @ Detroit Tigers: RHP Yordano Ventura vs. RHP Anibal Sanchez, 12:10 p.m. (CDT), FSKC (HD) & 610 Sports Friday, April 4 vs. Chicago White Sox: RHP Erik Johnson vs. RHP Jeremy Guthrie, 3:10 p.m., FSKC (HD) & 610 Sports Saturday, April 5 vs. Chicago White Sox: LHP John Danks vs. LHP Bruce Chen, 1:10 p.m., FSKC (HD) & 610 Sports Sunday, April 6 vs. Chicago White Sox: LHP Chris Sale vs. RHP James Shields, 1:10 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 Denny Matthews, Steve Physioc and Steve Stewart, while Don Free controls the dials as the producer/engineer...today’s game is being televised in High Definition by Fox Sports Kansas City with Ryan Lefebvre and Rex Hudler...the pre and postgame show on FSKC, Royals Live, is hosted by Joel Goldberg, who is joined by Jeff Montgomery. Royals vs. Tigers TIME TO PLAY--The Kansas City Royals jumpstart their 46th season today with the club primed to ride Today kicks off the 19-game season series between these the momentum of its strongest finish in years, recording their highest win total since 1989 by posting A.L. Central rivals...10 of the 19 games will be contested in an 86-76 mark...Kansas City was 44-37 at home and 42-39 on the road, their most home victories since Kauffman Stadium, the first occurring on May 2...KC edged out 1992 (44) and most road wins since 2003 (43)...KC’s 43 wins after the All-Star break were the most in Detroit in 2013 by a 10-9 margin, but went 4-6 here in Comerica the American League and second in the Majors to the Dodgers’ 45...dating all the way back to June 1 of Park...the Royals possess a slim 305-302 advantage in the all- time work, but trail in Motown by a 145-161 mark, including last season, the Royals matched the victory total of four playoff squads (Boston, Detroit, Oakland and 58-69 here in Comerica. Atlanta) with 64 triumphs, second most in that span to the Dodgers (69)...only an 8-20 month of May Date Site Score WP LP Att. derailed what could have been a spectacular season for KC. 3/31 @ Det 4/2 @ Det OUT TO SNAP OPENING DAY SLIDE--The Royals are opening on the road for a third straight year 4/3 @ Det and look to break a 5-game Opening Day losing streak...KC’s last season-opening victory took place 5/2 KC 5/3 KC here in Comerica Park on March 31, 2008, when KC prevailed 5-4 in 11 innings...Kansas City is 15-30 in 5/4 KC season openers with today the 23rd time that Kansas City has opened on the road, posting a 5-17 mark... 6/16 @ Det this marks the seventh time that KC has started its season against the Tigers, going 2-4 in the previous 6/17 @ Det six, including a 2-1 mark in Motown. 6/18 @ Det 7/10 KC FINAL ROSTER--The Royals finalized their 2014 Opening Day roster by reassigning infielder Jason 7/11 KC Donald to minor league camp, releasing catcher Ramon Hernandez and placing righthanded pitchers 7/12 KC 7/13 KC Louis Coleman (right middle finger contusion) and Luke Hochevar (Tommy John surgery) on the 15-day 9/8 @ Det disabled list...the final 25 features 11 pitchers (lefthanders Francisley Bueno, Bruce Chen, Tim Collins 9/9 @ Det and Jason Vargas, and righties Aaron Crow, Wade Davis, Jeremy Guthrie, Kelvin Herrera, Greg Holland, 9/10 @ Det James Shields and Yordano Ventura); two catchers (Brett Hayes and Salvador Perez); seven infielders 9/19 KC 9/20 KC (Billy Butler, Pedro Ciriaco, Alcides Escobar, Eric Hosmer, Omar Infante, Mike Moustakas and Danny 9/21 KC Valencia); five outfielders (Nori Aoki, Lorenzo Cain, Jarrod Dyson, Alex Gordon and Justin Maxwell). NEW FACES IN 2014--The Royals will have nine players introduced on the line today that weren’t on last year’s Opening Day roster in Chicago...newcomers to KC’s roster since the 2013 opener include Francisley Bueno, Jason Vargas, Yordano Ventura, Brett Hayes, Pedro Ciriaco, Omar Infante, Danny Valencia, Nori Aoki and Justin Maxwell...Vargas, Infante, Valencia and Aoki are each wearing a Royals uniform for the first time in their career...the Royals are starting eight players from last year’s Opening Day lineup in “The Cell” (Billy Butler, Lorenzo Cain, Alcides Escobar, Alex Gordon, Eric Hosmer, Mike Moustakas, Salvador Perez and James Shields), while Infante and Aoki are newbies to the starting grid...also new in 2014 are three members of the coaching staff, bench coach Don Wakamatsu, third base coach Dale Sveum and coach Mike Jirschele. A NEW ERA IN BASEBALL BEGINS--Starting last night in San Diego and now a full-time part of Major League Baseball, Instant Replay will now be involved with the closest of calls...the “Cliff Notes” version is that each manager gets a challenge for the first six innings and if he challenges correctly, he’ll receive another... after the sixth inning, the umpires will initiate challenges...umpiring in the five experimental replay games for the Royals during the spring was almost flawless as manager Ned Yost made it through camp without issuing a challenge...in the five replay affairs involving the Royals, the umpires went 5-for-5 on calls. TODAY’S STARTING PITCHERS: James Shields (13-9, 3.15 in ‘13) vs. Justin Verlander (13-12, 3.46 in ‘13) 2013 2012 Career 2013 2012 Career James Shields vs. Tigers 1-2 1-1 6-3 Major League Record 13-9 (3.15 ERA) 15-10 100-82 Justin Verlander vs. Royals 1-3 2-0 16-5 Major League Record 13-12 (3.46 ERA) 17-8 137-77 JAMES SHIELDS is making his sixth career Opening Day start today and second as a Royal...this is his 252nd career start (253rd appearance) and 15th start against the Tigers...the 32-year old was acquired in a 7-player deal with the Tampa Bay Rays on December 9, 2012. LOOKING BACK AT ‘13--James settled in as the staff ace last year, going 13-9 James’ 2014 spring appearances with a 3.15 ERA while leading the A.L. in innings (228.2) and quality starts (27)...he DATE OPPONENT SCORE IP H R ER HR BB SO TP-K LEFT also ranked among the A.L’s best in strikeouts (196, 7th) and ERA (3.15, 8th), with the 2/28 at Texas W, 11-1 1.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 - - strikeout total tied as the sixth best season in franchise history. 3/5 at Arizona ND, 6-5 3.0 1 0 0 0 0 3 - - 3/10 at Seattle W, 8-2 4.2 5 2 1 0 0 5 - - SIXTH OPENING DAY HONOR--James will throw his club’s first pitch of the 3/15 Chicago-NL ND, 5-6 6.0 1 0 0 0 0 10 - - season for the sixth time in his career...he toed the slab for Tampa Bay openers from 3/21 at Cincinnati L, 3-9 6.0 6 5 5 3 0 6 - - 3/26 at San Diego L, 5-9 4.0 7 7 7 0 2 2 - - 2008-10 and again in 2012...Shields made his Royals debut last April 1 at U.S. Cellular 2014 Spring Totals 2-2, 4.74 24.2 20 14 13 3 2 26 Field, allowing a leadoff homer to Tyler Flowers in the fifth for the game’s only tally, dropping a 1-0 decision to Chris Sale...James is 1-2 with a pair of no decisions in openers with a 5.26 ERA (17 earned runs in 29.1 innings)...his only Opening Day win was 6 years ago today, when he opposed current teammate Jeremy Guthrie at Camden Yards...Shields held Baltimore to 2 runs on 5 hits over 7.0 innings in a 6-2 win. SPRING STATS--Shields was 2-2 with a 4.74 ERA over 6 spring starts (13 ER in 24.2 IP)...he held opponents to 2 runs (1 earned) over the first 4 outings (14.2 IP...he recorded 26 strikeouts, compared to just 2 walks, with both freebies on getaway day last Wednesday vs. San Diego. TURN OF THE CENTURY--James looks to build on 100 career wins after hitting the century mark in his 2013 finale last September 27 at Chicago...he earned his first career win on June 5, 2006 and his win total is tied for seventh in baseball since that date. WORKHORSE--James enters 2014 with 7 consecutive seasons of 200.0 or more innings pitched, tying with CC Sabathia and today’s mound opponent, Justin Verlander, for second in the Majors behind Mark Buehrle (13)...Shields has completed at least 6.0 innings in 90 of 100 starts since the beginning of 2011, second to Verlander (91)...James, Guthrie and Ervin Santana each threw over 200 innings for the Royals last season.