Daily Clips

June 9, 2018

LOCALJunis yields 3 HRs as Royals drop 6th straightJune 9, 2018 By Eric He/MLB.comhttps://www.mlb.com/royals/news/jakob-junis-allows-3-homers-in-royals-loss/c-280346002

Soler day to day with bone bruise on big toeJune 9, 2018 By Eric He/MLB.comhttps://www.mlb.com/royals/news/jorge-soler-dealing-with-bone-bruise-on-toe/c-280346138

Orlando excited to be back, looks to fill Jay's voidJune 8, 2018 By Eric He/MLB.comhttps://www.mlb.com/royals/news/paulo-orlando-excited-to-be-back-in-majors/c-280346206

Moustakas' eighth-inning homer changed nothing as Royals' skid hits six in loss to A'sJune 9, 2018 By Maria Torres/KC Starhttp://www.kansascity.com/sports/mlb/kansas-city-royals/article212873679.html

Royals' groundskeepers shave their heads in support of coworker fighting cancerJune 8, 2018 By Pete Grathoff/KC Starhttp://www.kansascity.com/sports/spt-columns-blogs/for-petes-sake/article212827929.html

There's nothing like the cheers when Kansas City kids play for Chiefs, Royals, Sporting KCJune 8, 2018 By Blair Kerkhoff/KC Starhttp://www.kansascity.com/sports/article212530394.htm l

Can you imagine a 16-year-old playing in the majors? This Rockhurst grad did, for the KC AthleticsJune 8, 2018 By Blair Kerkhoff/KC Starhttp://www.kansascity.com/sports/mlb/article212804199.html

Remember hero MLB umpire Steve Palermo? Here's how he is still being honoredJune 8, 2018 By Blair Kerkhoff/KC Starhttp://www.kansascity.com/sports/mlb/kansas-city-royals/article212807679.html

'An amazing feeling.' What Royals draft picks are saying about joining KC

June 8, 2018 By Pete Grathoff/KC Starhttp://www.kansascity.com/sports/spt-columns-blogs/for-petes-sake/article212804394.html

Watch as a bird nearly hit Royals' Alex Gordon in the head during Thursday's gameJune 8, 2018 By Pete Grathoff/KC Starhttp://www.kansascity.com/sports/spt-columns-blogs/for-petes-sake/article212801909.html

The Royals’ pitching staff is on pace to be historically bad in one important areaJune 9, 2018 By Rustin Dodd/The Athletichttps://theathletic.com/386311/2018/06/09/the-royals-pitching-staff-is-on-pace-to-be-historically-bad-in-one-important-area/

MINORSMater Dei grad says rehabbed elbow, year at Kentucky prepped him to sign with RoyalsJune 8, 2018 By Todd Eschman/Belleville News-Democrathttp://www.bnd.com/sports/college/article212864814.html

Chasers Crush Isotopes 16-5June 9, 2018 By Andrew Green/Omaha Storm Chasershttps://www.milb.com/omaha/news/chasers-crush-isotopes-16-5/c-280477670

Naturals hold on to split series with CardinalsRHP Scott Blewett struck out five in 7.2 innings of work in the 7-6 win over SpringfieldJune 9, 2018 By NW Arkansas Naturalshttps://www.milb.com/northwest-arkansas/news/naturals-hold-on-to-split-series-with-cardinals/c-280469470

Keys Quiet Rocks' Bats and Win StreakFernandez and Vallot with RBI Doubles in LossJune 8, 2018 By Wilmington Blue Rockshttps://www.milb.com/wilmington/news/keys-quiet-rocks-bats-and-win-streak/c-280443554

NATIONALOhtani has UCL sprain, placed on DLAngels' two-way player will be evaluated in three weeksJune 8, 2018 By Maria Guardado/MLB.comhttps://www.mlb.com/angels/news/shohei-ohtani-has-ucl-sprain/c-280336150

Useless Info Dept., Mad Max editionJune 8, 2018 By Jayson Stark/The Athletichttps://theathletic.com/384424/2018/06/08/stark-useless-info-dept-mad-max-edition/

Torres accepts 100-game suspensionJune 8, 2018 By Deesha Thosar/MLB.comhttps://www.mlb.com/padres/news/jose-torres-suspended-by-mlb/c-280376318

MLB TRANSACTIONSJune 9, 2018 •.CBSSports.comhttp://www.cbssports.com/mlb/transactions

LOCALJunis yields 3 HRs as Royals drop 6th straightJune 9, 2018 By Eric He/MLB.comhttps://www.mlb.com/royals/news/jakob-junis-allows-3-homers-in-royals-loss/c-280346002

The offensive woes continued, Jakob Junis struggled and the losing streak reached six as the Royals fell, 7-2, to the A's on Friday at the Coliseum.

The Royals mustered seven hits, but they were a Mike Moustakas two-run homer in the eighth inning away from being shut out. Kansas City has dropped seven of eight overall, and it was held to two runs or fewer for the fifth time during that stretch. Prior to Moustakas' homer, only one man reached scoring position -- Alex Gordon with two outs in the second inning -- and Paulo Orlando grounded out to end the inning.

"We're not stringing hits together," manager Ned Yost said. "We're not striking out. We're not getting up there and, for the most part, swinging at pitches outside the zone. … We're having a hard time bunching some hits where we can score some runs."

Junis dropped his second consecutive start to the A's, and has lost a career-high three games in a row. He took the loss on Sunday when the A's were in the Kansas City, allowing three runs on six hits in 7 1/3 innings. He fared worse on Friday, tying a season high by giving up six runs on 10 hits -- including three home runs -- in 5 1/3 innings of work. Yost said Junis wasn't his normal sharp self, and the pitcher agreed.

"I wasn't very sharp," Junis said. "Left some stuff over the plate, too, with my offspeed and my fastball, and they took advantage of it."

Oakland designated hitter Khris Davis hit two solo home runs off Junis, one in the first and the other in the fourth. Davis' second homer came off an 82-mph slider that Junis left up.

"He was probably looking slider anyway, and if you leave it over the plate like that, you're going to get hurt," Junis said.

In between Davis' big flies, center fielder Dustin Fowler homered in the third. The three solo shots put the A's ahead, 3-0, in the fourth. Catcher Jonathan Lucroy knocked in the next three runs: an RBI single in the fourth and a double

down the left-field line in the sixth that drove home two more, ending Junis' night.

A's starter Frankie Montas quieted the Royals' bats for the second straight start. Montas, who pitched eight scoreless frames in Kansas City a week ago, allowed two runs in 7 2/3 innings on Friday, with Moustakas' eighth-inning homer his only blemish.

Yost thought Moustakas' home run and a subsequent double by Salvador Perez off A's reliever Emilio Pagan in the eighth could start a rally, but Lou Trivino came in and recorded the final four outs for Oakland.

"We just couldn't get muster anything else," Yost said.

SOUND SMARTHunter Dozier singled in the second, extending his road hitting streak to eight games. His batting average is .407 (11-for-27) during that stretch.

YOU GOTTA SEE THISMoustakas made a diving play in the sixth to rob A's left fielder Nick Martini of a hit, ranging to his left and throwing out Martini with plenty of time to spare.

HE SAID IT"You've got to bunch some hits together. You've got to single, bunch some hits, put together two or three or maybe even four hits in an inning to score some runs." -- Yost, on the Royals' struggles offensively

UP NEXTThe Royals will send Danny Duffy to the mound in the third game of their series vs, the A's on Saturday. Duffy struggled in his last start against the Angels on Monday, allowing four runs on seven hits and recording no strikeouts. The A's were originally slated to start Trevor Cahill, but he has a minor Achilles injury and will be replaced by Chris Bassitt. First pitch will be at 3:05 pm C.T. at the Coliseum.

Soler day to day with bone bruise on big toeJune 9, 2018 By Eric He/MLB.comhttps://www.mlb.com/royals/news/jorge-soler-dealing-with-bone-bruise-on-toe/c-280346138

Royals right fielder Jorge Soler departed Friday's 7-2 loss to the A's in the second inning with a bone bruise on his left great big toe after fouling a pitch off his foot.

Manager Ned Yost said after the game that it was a bruise and Soler was just sore. X-rays were negative, though Soler will likely not play Saturday.

"I'll probably give him the day off, see how he feels," Yost said. "I may give him the day tomorrow and see where we are on Sunday."

Soler fouled a 96.7-mph fastball from A's starter Frankie Montas off his left foot and was in pain as he went down on home plate. Soler finished the at-bat by striking out on the next pitch, but he did not come out to the field in the bottom of the second, as Abraham Almonte replaced him in right.

Soler is hitting .268 with nine home runs and 28 RBIs in 57 games this season.

Orlando excited to be back, looks to fill Jay's voidJune 8, 2018 By Eric He/MLB.comhttps://www.mlb.com/royals/news/paulo-orlando-excited-to-be-back-in-majors/c-280346206

Paulo Orlando started the season with the Royals, though he lasted less than a month after hitting .191 in 13 games.

But after center fielder Jon Jay was dealt to the D-backs earlier this week, Orlando has another chance to stick in the big leagues. The 32-year-old outfielder was recalled from Triple-A Omaha on Thursday and started in center field against the A's on Friday.

"I'm happy to be back," said Orlando, who was batting eighth and playing center field. "I know [the Royals] made a lot of moves. I'm happy to be back, to come here, try to help the team."

It is hardly Orlando's first transition. After a breakthrough 2016 campaign when he hit .302 in 128 games, Orlando split last season between Omaha and Kansas City, hitting .198 in the Majors.

Orlando is hopeful this time up will be different. Orlando said he has made adjustments with his swing, trying to be more selective at the plate than in the beginning of the season. In his first 47 at-bats, he struck out 12 times while walking just twice.

It paid off in Omaha, where Orlando hit .300 with five homers in 35 games, and was on an 11-game hit streak before getting the call up.

Orlando's big league return got off to an inauspicious start Thursday. He went 0-for-4 on Thursday with two strikeouts and lost a fly ball hit by Matt Chapman in the lights in the sixth inning that led to a run in the team's 4-1 loss to the A's. But Orlando's here to help fill the void left by Jay's departure, and he wants to start in center every day.

"That's my goal," Orlando said. "You never know what happens. Try to do my best, give 100 percent and help the team."

For now, the Royals will use a platoon in center, said manager Ned Yost. Orlando will get starts, but so will Abraham Almonte and Whit Merrifield, who is primarily the starting second baseman but has spent time in the outfield.

"We don't have a set role yet for who will play out there," Yost said. "Paulo will get in. We'll mix it up out there."

Orlando is just happy for another opportunity.

"Looking forward to being back, finishing strong," Orlando said. "Not like the start."

Moustakas' eighth-inning homer changed nothing as Royals' skid hits six in loss to A'sJune 9, 2018 By Maria Torres/KC Starhttp://www.kansascity.com/sports/mlb/kansas-city-royals/article212873679.html

Stymied again by right-hander Frankie Montas — the same Oakland starting pitcher who a week ago was the beneficiary of a 16-run outpouring at Kauffman Stadium — the Royals lost to the A’s 7-2 at Oakland Coliseum on Friday.

Mike Moustakas in the eighth inning shattered Montas' illusions of throwing a second-straight scoreless outing. Served a 94 mph fastball belt-high, Moustakas stroked the seventh pitch of his eighth at-bat against Montas — Moustakas went 0 for 4 against the 25-year-old last week — just over the right-field wall for a two-run homer.

Montas, who allowed six hits in 7 2/3 innings, immediately departed the game.

A’s reliever Emilio Pagan allowed two more Royals to reach base — but they were left stranded.

During this six-game skid, the Royals have languished at the plate: Three times they’ve been limited to one or fewer runs; and they’ve batted just .181 (35 for 193) as a group.

"Very seldom am I frustrated with the at-bat. I think our at-bats are OK," Royals manager Ned Yost said before the game. "We just can’t get any elevation on the balls. We can’t get balls in the air, we keep balls on the ground."

The theme came up again after the Royals, who were unable to string together more than two hits at a time on Friday night, left seven runners on base.

"We’re not getting up there and for the most part swinging at pitches outside the zone," Yost said. "We’re hitting the ball on the ground a lot. It’s hard to sneak the ball through the infield."

The A's didn't have that problem against Royals starting pitcher Jakob Junis, who pitched 5 1/3 innings and allowed six runs for the second time this season. Khris Davis, who entered the game ranked ninth in the American League with 15 home runs, hit solo homers in consecutive at-bats against Junis. Dustin Fowler clubbed his own one-run shot.

The A’s then padded their lead on Marcus Semien’s RBI single in the fourth and Jonathan Lucroy's two-run double in the sixth.

"I just couldn’t put guys away tonight," Junis said. "My slider wasn’t sharp. The one to Fowler was a heater that was supposed to be up and in. Just left it over the plate a little too much, and he took advantage of it."

A foul ball: Royals outfielder Jorge Soler is day to day with a bruise on his left big toe. He was removed from Friday's game in the second inning.

In the middle of his first at-bat, Soler fouled a ball off his front foot and dropped to the dirt, grimacing as he stretched out on his belly. Soler eventually completed his at-bat and didn’t appear to struggle as he returned to the bench.

But when the Royals went into the field, Soler retreated into the dugout and left the game with trainer Nick Kenney.

In the minor leagues: Seuly Matias, ranked the third best prospect in the Royals’ organization by Baseball America, clubbed a home run for the 19th time this season. In his last 10 games, Matias has collected six home runs and eight RBIs for the low-Class A Lexington Legends. He’s still struggling to tamp down his eagerness at the plate — he’s struck out 71

times in 46 games — but he leads all of minor league baseball with 19 homers.

Matias and teammates Nick Pratto, MJ Melendez and Sebastian Rivero were all selected to the South Atlantic Division all-star team this week.

Up next: The Royals, who dropped to 21-43, send Danny Duffy to start Saturday’s 3 p.m. game against the A's.

Royals' groundskeepers shave their heads in support of coworker fighting cancerJune 8, 2018 By Pete Grathoff/KC Starhttp://www.kansascity.com/sports/spt-columns-blogs/for-petes-sake/article212827929.html

The Royals' groundskeepers had someone else do the cutting on Friday.

Oh, this had nothing to do with keeping the field at Kauffman Stadium looking good. Instead, each member had his head shaved in support of a colleague who is fighting cancer.

Evan Fowler, the manager of grounds at Kauffman Stadium, shared a message for coworker Pete Williams

"Today as a crew we're gonna shave our heads and prove to him that losing your hair isn't that big of a deal," Fowler said.

Take a look at the video, which the Royals shared:

Click the link to watch the video.

There's nothing like the cheers when Kansas City kids play for Chiefs, Royals, Sporting KCJune 8, 2018 By Blair Kerkhoff/KC Starhttp://www.kansascity.com/sports/article212530394.htm l

On a goodwill trip to the Kansas City Police Department Special Operations Division last month, Chiefs defensive lineman Xavier Williams was stopped in the parking lot. A friend from his youth in south Kansas City, now a policeman, recognized him and they chatted for several minutes before exchanging phone numbers.

“Things like that didn’t happen in Arizona,” said Williams, who until this offseason played for the Arizona Cardinals of the NFL.

Since Williams, who played at Grandview High, signed with the Chiefs, he has run into and heard from too many friends to count. That is among the happy developments he shares with fellow athletes from Kansas City who suit up for the teams for which they cheered as youths.

Right now, the stars are aligned to connect each of Kansas City's professional sports team with local products.

Royals reliever Jason Adam attended Blue Valley Northwest High. He and Williams join Sporting KC veterans Matt Besler, who attended Blue Valley West, and Seth Sinovic, from Rockhurst High, as local athletes who represent their hometown teams. Another current Sporting KC player, Daniel Salloi, attended Blue Valley Northwest as an exchange student from Hungary.

A former area high school standout doesn’t often land in his hometown. Based on research by the Chiefs and Royals and The Star, fewer than 20 who attended a Kansas City-area high school have suited up for local teams. Sporting KC hits for a better average, with a dozen players from Kansas City-area high schools over the past two decades. Until relocating last year to Salt Lake City, the FC Kansas City women's pro soccer team also had a couple of homegrown products on its roster.

“It’s hard to find a lot of people from here who’ve made it in professional sports,” said Williams, the new Chiefs defensive lineman. “It’s not like Miami, or California or Texas, where there are more people. You've got a million guys from Georgia or Florida on pro teams.”

The population base here is one explanation. Weather is another,with warmer year-round climates typically producing more outdoor-sport athletes.

So when a KC kid makes it to the highest level — and gets to play in Kansas City — it’s a double cheer: Let’s go see one of our own play for the hometown team.

Adam was like so many who attended Royals games with his youth team in uniform. He remembers participating in a pregame parade around the Kauffman Stadium field.

“We thought that was the coolest thing in the world, walking around the warning track,” Adam said.

Same with backyard baseball.

“I was always dreaming as a kid, picturing myself in the bottom of the ninth, bases loaded, all that stuff,” Adam said. “I was doing it with the Royals.”

The Royals selected Adam in the fifth round of the 2010 baseball draft but traded him to the Twins in 2014 for outfielder Josh Willingham. Willingham helped the Royals down the stretch of the their postseason quest, recording a key ninth-inning single in the 2014 American League Wild-Card game.

The Royals didn’t forget about Adam. They brought him back after he spent nearly three years recovering from arm troubles. He made his major-league debut this season, and it took several appearances before he didn’t have to fulfill a ticket request.

“But I’d rather be here leaving tickets than somewhere in the minor leagues not worrying about it,” Adam said.

Williams, who spent his first three NFL seasons with the Cardinals before signing in Kansas City as a restricted free agent this winter, expects to be leaving plenty of tickets this season.

“The phone didn’t stop ringing for three straight weeks straight (when he signed with the Chiefs),” Williams said. “Everybody, friends, my mom, family going crazy. I was still processing it.”

Can you imagine a 16-year-old playing in the majors? This Rockhurst grad did, for the KC AthleticsJune 8, 2018 By Blair Kerkhoff/KC Star

http://www.kansascity.com/sports/mlb/article212804199.html

Almost before he knew what was happening, Alex George became the epitome of a local-athlete-makes-good story.

He graduated from Rockhurst High in 1955 and played shortstop in the Ban Johnson League that summer. Like many 16-year-old boys, he dreamed of one day playing baseball in the major leagues.

That dream came much sooner than expected.

Enrolled at Kansas, with his first classes two days away, George received a telephone call from his father. The Kansas City Athletics wanted to sign him.

“When?”

Today.

“The next day I went down to the front office and we signed a contract,” George recalled.

On Sept. 16, with his father, A’s manager Lou Boudreau and business manager Ray Kennedy looking on, George, five years away from legal drinking age in Missouri, became a member of the Athletics in their first year in Kansas City after relocating from Philadelphia.

The deal: $10,000 spread over two seasons, with three years of spring training guaranteed.

“It’s all a strange circumstance,” George, now 79, said. “Everything was spur of the moment.”

The Athletics' minor-league seasons were over for 1955, so no stepping stone for George. Straight to the majors he went, a fresh-faced youngster in the clubhouse. Later, George picked up on some chatter from some of the team's curious veterans.

“One said, 'I think he’s the new batboy,' ” George said. “The other guy said he didn’t think so because the batboy we have in here looked two or three years older, and he didn’t know they’d bring in somebody younger.”

No, this was recent Rockhurst grad George, complete with a uniform — No. 2 — and a locker next to starting shortstop Joe DeMaestri, who became an All-Star with the A’s.

“He was a nice guy who treated me well,” George said.

So did White Sox catcher Sherm Lollar. He was behind the plate at now torn-down Municipal Stadium when George made his debut, pinch-hitting for DeMaestri in the eighth inning during a game the A’s led comfortably.

“I get into the batter’s box, and I've got to tell you, my knees are shaking so hard, maybe he felt sorry for me,” George said.

Whatever the reason, Lollar provided George with a tip. Knuckleballer Al Papai was on the mound for what would be the final inning of his career.

You ever hit a knuckleball?

“No,” George responded.

You ever see a knuckleball?

“No”

That’s all this guy throws. So now you know what’s coming.

Even the most skilled hitters can struggle against the dancing knuckleball. After fouling off a few pitches, George’s first plate appearance ended in a swing-and-miss strikeout.

The game had a happier ending for George. He took his position at shortstop, and the White Sox had runners at second and third with two outs. Jim Rivera hit a line drive that seemed destined for a base hit. Instead, the ball landed in George’s webbing for the game’s final out.

George started jogging off the field. Gliding past first baseman Vic Power, he flipped him the ball. Power gave it right back. George doesn’t know what happened to the ball from his debut, but he’ll never forget the exchange.

Three days later, the Athletics were off to Detroit, and first-base coach Harry Craft asked George if he’d seen the lineup card.

Leading off and playing shortstop: Alex George ... he was to be the game’s first batter.

“I was always pretty quick,” George said. “I dropped down a drag bunt and beat it out.”

George’s first major-league hit would be his only one in 10 at-bats over five games. He didn’t know it at the time, but at the conclusion of the 1955 season his major-league career would be over.

George spent the next nine years in the minor leagues: eight in the Athletics’ organization and his final one in 1964 with the Washington Senators, a team that had given him a tryout as a 16-year-old. Surgery on his right shoulder had sapped his throwing strength by then, and George had started a family. It was time to retire.

“It wasn’t too difficult to walk away,” he said.

In major-league history, just six players since 1900 have became big-leaguers at age 16 or younger, according to baseball-reference.com. Three of them, including the youngest — 15-year-old Joe Nuxhall of the Cincinnati Reds — made their debuts during World War II, when baseball drew on teenagers to fill rosters vacated by men who went into the service.

It didn’t hurt the Athletics from a publicity standpoint to sign a young Kansas City product whose father was a something of a sports entrepreneur in town, and later would become a founding father of the Kansas City Sports Commission.

But George wonders how his path might have been altered with a later start in the majors.

“When I think back on it, if I had come in two or three years older, it might have made a big difference,” George said. “I was a 16-year-old kid who didn’t look like he was 18 or 19. I was just a 16-year-old, moving along.”

He remains amazed that his major-league career, however brief, isn’t forgotten. Occasionally, the mail will bring an autograph request, including one recently from a man who

said he originally asked 32 years ago and never received a response.

George has been recognized at his job at Sprouts grocery in Johnson County. People love talking baseball. Some younger fans don’t know there was a major-league in Kansas City before the Royals. Yes, the Athletics played here before migrating to Oakland in 1968.

George engages anyone who wants to chat, but he has never considered his life defined by baseball and the final week of the 1955 season.

“I had a pretty good career in sales and sales management in local radio and television, and generally when people ask what I did for living, that’s where I start,” George said.

But ask him about baseball, and he has a terrific story to tell.

Remember hero MLB umpire Steve Palermo? Here's how he is still being honoredJune 8, 2018 By Blair Kerkhoff/KC Starhttp://www.kansascity.com/sports/mlb/kansas-city-royals/article212807679.html

A stretch of road in Steve Palmero’s hometown of Oxford, Mass., was dedicated to the former major-league umpire who died of cancer in 2017.

Palermo, who made his home in Kansas City, had his umpiring career cut short in 1991 when he was shot in the back while coming to the aid of robbery victims outside a Dallas restaurant.

Doctors told Palermo he wouldn’t walk again. His umpiring career was over, but Palermo recovered, walking with the use of a cane.

He was hired by Major League Baseball as a special assistant to the chairman of the Major League Executive Council and became an umpire supervisor MLB, serving as a liaison between the umpires and the commissioner.

Palermo spent many evenings attending games at Kauffman Stadium. He often would sit quietly in the second of two rows among media members, observing the game.

Tuesday was designated Steve Palmero Day in Oxford, and the ceremony was attended by his mother and three of his five siblings.

The Palmero Drive sign sports the MLB logo.

'An amazing feeling.' What Royals draft picks are saying about joining KCJune 8, 2018 By Pete Grathoff/KC Starhttp://www.kansascity.com/sports/spt-columns-blogs/for-petes-sake/article212804394.html

All told, the Royals picked 43 players in this week's first-year draft.

There is no guarantee that each of them will sign with the Royals, but many are clearly happy to be joining the team. Some took to social media to share their thoughts, while

others were interviewed by newspapers in their hometowns or where they are playing college ball.

This is a sample of what those players have said about being picked by the Royals.

"The fact that the Royals went out of their way to invite me into their organization, it's amazing," second-round pick Jonathan Bowlan, a pitcher from Memphis, told WMCA News 5.

"I was speechless. I was just filled with excitement. I didn't know what to do honestly; it was so surreal," Bowlan added.

Kris Bubic, a left-hander from Stanford, was the 40th overall pick. He tweeted: "The last 24 hours have been unbelievable! Extremely blessed to be selected by the@Royals. I’m grateful for everyone who has supported me on this journey...now can’t wait to get to work!"

Kris Bubic@KrisBubic The last 24 hours have been unbelievable! Extremely blessed to be selected by the @Royals. I’m grateful for everyone who has supported me on this journey...now can’t wait to get to work!

Kyle Hinton, a right-hander from Delaware, was chosen in the 16th round. He tweeted: "A huge thank you to the @Royals for taking me in the #MLBdraft couldn't be happier. Time to go to work #KC"

Kyle Hinton@KHint1 A huge thank you to the @Royals for taking me in the #MLBdraft couldn't be happier. Time to go to work #KC

Tyler Gray, a right-hander from Central Arkansas, was taken in the seventh round.

"It's been a long journey coming, so I was happy for it, and I was really happy to go with that organization,” Gray told the Central Arkansas website. “That was who I thought was going to take me. But recently, the last few days, a bunch of other teams starting talking to me as well.

"I had actually just gotten off the phone with the Royals scout who had been talking to me and he said they were going to take me in the seventh round. And I told him I was good with that, let's do it. And then the Marlins called me as soon as I got off the phone. But I wanted to be a man of my word to the organization that I felt had put more time and interest into me than any other one, and that was the Royals."

Gage Hughes, a shortstop from Greenup County High School in Kentucky, was picked in the 24th round.

Hughes tweeted: "What an amazing feeling this is! Without God none of this would be possible. I want to say thank you to my family, friends, coaches, and anybody that has helped me along the way. I couldn't be more excited to a part of the Kansas City Royals organization #RaisedRoyal"

Gage Hughes@DatDudeGH13 What an amazing feeling this is! Without God none of this would be possible. I want to say thank you to my family, friends, coaches, and anybody that has helped me along the

way. I couldn't be more excited to a part of the Kansas City Royals organization #RaisedRoyal

Kyle Kasser, a shortstop from Oregon, was selected in the 30th round. He wrote in an Instagram post: "I’m so thankful for the opportunity that the @kcroyals have given me to pursue my dream as a professional baseball player. Thank you to everyone who has helped me along the way and I can’t wait to begin this new journey! #RaisedRoyal"

Andres Nunez, a right-hander from Florida Atlantic, was a 29th-round pick. He tweeted: "First and foremost I’d like to thank the @Royals for giving me the opportunity to continue to chase my dreams! Id also like to thank all my coaches from little league to college for preparing me and teaching me how to play the game the right way.

"And most importantly my family and friends! For being the best support group to me and being there for me through the tough and good times. I love you guys and cant thank you enough!"

Watch as a bird nearly hit Royals' Alex Gordon in the head during Thursday's gameJune 8, 2018 By Pete Grathoff/KC Starhttp://www.kansascity.com/sports/spt-columns-blogs/for-petes-sake/article212801909.html If you have that secret fear that Alfred Hitchcock's "The Birds" could some day become a reality, you might not want to watch this video.

Because it sure looked like this bird was aiming for the head of Royals left fielder Alex Gordon.

The Royals had a few outfield adventures during a 4-1 loss to the A's on Thursday night in Oakland. In the sixth inning, Gordon lost a ball in the lights and while he was trying to locate it, a bird came really close to his head.

Paulo Orlando made the catch and the bird missed Gordon's noggin, so everything turned out fine.

Take a look at the play thanks to Fox Sports Kansas City's slow-motion replay:

Click the link to view the video.

The Royals’ pitching staff is on pace to be historically bad in one important areaJune 9, 2018 By Rustin Dodd/The Athletichttps://theathletic.com/386311/2018/06/09/the-royals-pitching-staff-is-on-pace-to-be-historically-bad-in-one-important-area/

On May 24, a group of scientists assembled by Major League Baseball issued a report suggesting that a change in the aerodynamic nature of baseballs was responsible for the large spike in home runs the last two seasons.

In specific, the group found that baseballs used in 2016 and 2017 had lower drag coefficients than those used in previous seasons, causing the projectiles to carry farther and soar out of stadiums at a record rate.

Nobody has found why, of course, though theories abound. Maybe the seams are thicker. Maybe the ball is juiced. Maybe there is some undetectable difference that no one can spot.

Whatever the case, it is likely that the debate over drag coefficients will not make the Royals feel any better about this 2018 season. The team’s pitching staff is on pace to allow the most homers in the history of the American League. The unit is being battered by the day. The horrendous numbers piled up again in a 7-2 loss to the A’s on Friday night.

“If you make mistakes,” Royals manager Ned Yost said, “big-league hitters are going to hit the ball out of the ballpark.”

In the latest instance, Royals starter Jakob Junis surrendered three homers and six runs in 5 1/3 innings, matching his worst performance of the season. As a losing streak hit six games, including all five so far on their seven-game West Coast swing, the carnage reached a historic pace.

In 64 games, the Kansas City staff has served up a major-league high 96 home runs. They are on pace to allow 243. If they main the same rate for the next four months, they will break the franchise record for homers allowed and join some rare company across the sport.

With the fences in at Kauffman Stadium and the sport embroiled in the Steroid Era, the 2000 Royals surrendered 239 homers on their way to a 77-85 record. At the time, the mark represented the second most long balls allowed in major-league history, trailing only the 1996 Detroit Tigers. When baseball implemented testing for performance-enhancing drugs during the next decade, it seemed like those cartoonish power numbers were a relic of the era, like Pogs or Beanie Babies.

But then something strange happened in the middle of the 2015 season. As the Royals sprinted to their first World Series championship in 30 years, baseballs again started flying out of parks at a record pace. The 2016 Cincinnati Reds allowed a record 258 homers. The rest of the sport was not much better. The assault would not relent for the next two seasons.

It crested last season, when teams crushed an MLB-record 6,105 homers, turning the sport into a daily slugfest. Three teams — the Reds (248), Orioles (242) and White Sox (242) — all served up more than 240 long balls, representing the second, third and fourth most of all time. One year later, the Royals could join the party.

It is amazing, of course, because the Royals play in a home ballpark that is supposed to suppress homers. Kauffman Stadium is no place for cheap blasts. Until last season, no Kansas City hitter had ever hit more than 36.

And yet, the pitching staff has been consistent and resourceful. Danny Duffy, the club’s opening day starter, is tied for third in baseball with 16 homers allowed. Junis (15) and Ian Kennedy (12) are close behind.

“It’s not (that) every pitch that’s hit out of the ballpark is a mistake,” Yost said. “(But) the majority of the pitches that are getting hit out of the ballpark aren’t pitches that were located where we wanted to locate them.”

Consider Friday: Junis served up a solo homer to Oakland’s Khris Davis in the first, pumping a sinker that caught too much plate. He followed by allowing two homers on two-strike counts.

He threw a 1-2 fastball to Dustin Fowler that was supposed to be up. He spun a 1-2 slider to Davis that was supposed to be down. Both crossed the plate near the middle of the strike zone. Both were deposited over the fence at the Oakland Coliseum.

“I just couldn’t put guys away tonight,” Junis said. “My slider wasn’t sharp. Then the one to Fowler … that was a heater, that was supposed to be up-and-in. And he took advantage of it.”

As Junis spoke, he stood near his locker in a quiet visitors clubhouse. The Royals’ losing streak had reached six; the 100-loss pace remained; the light at the end of the tunnel seemed faint. There are so many reasons a team loses 100 games, of course. The offense must struggle to score. The bullpen must implode. The roster must lose in multiple ways.

“We’re hitting the ball on the ground a lot,” Yost said, assessing his feeble offensive unit. “It’s hard to sneak the ball through the infield. And we’re having a hard time bunching together some hits where we can score some runs.”

The sentiment was honest, and so is this. If the Royals’ pitching staff does not improve, they will allow more than 240 homers for the first time in club history. They will chase the Reds and lose a lot and the staff ERA will suffer.

240 homers.

Just five teams have done it, including four in the last two seasons. Maybe it is indeed the seams.

MINORSMater Dei grad says rehabbed elbow, year at Kentucky prepped him to sign with RoyalsJune 8, 2018 By Todd Eschman/Belleville News-Democrathttp://www.bnd.com/sports/college/article212864814.html

Zach Haake, a right-handed pitcher and graduate of Mater Dei High School, said a flexor strain in his elbow contributed to an inconsistent season at the University of Kentucky this spring.

He struck out 36 batters in 34 innings for the Wildcats, but also walked 22 and allowed opponents to hit .290 against him.

But all's well that ends well, he said.

The Kansas City Royals selected him in the sixth round of the Major League Baseball draft Tuesday and, with a rehabilitated elbow, he's ready to sign.

"It was a very up-and-down year to say the least, but the coaching staff stayed with me and I felt like the entire team was behind me when I pitched," said Haake. "Now I'm ready to take the next step to the big leagues, which is everybody's goal at this level.

"I'm excited to get it going."

Haake met with Royals team officials in Arizona Thursday to negotiate his contract and take a physical. He anticipates assignment to short-season rookie league team in Idaho.

The flexor strain shouldn't be an issue, he said. Kentucky kept him inactive the final three weeks of the college season as he worked with physical therapists to strengthen the joint.

"I would have been ready for a (NCAA) regional, but obviously we didn't make it to one," Haake said. "It would have been nice to be healthy, though, and get at least one more chance in front of the scouts."

As a freshman at Arkansas State University, Haake was rated by as high as No. 49 on the Baseball America list of top 200 draft prospects, which would have made him a second-round pick with a significantly higher bonus pool value. After a year at John A. Logan Community College and another at Kentucky, he entered the 2018 draft as the 187th-best prospect.

Still, Haake said he benefited from a year pitching in the Southeastern Conference. He said he's worked on improving his slider and changeup as his fastball gained velocity to 94 to 96 mph, occasionally touching 97.

"It was a dream to pitch in the SEC and I'm coming away from it a better pitcher and a better person," he said. "The competition was so good and all three of my pitches are better, really. It was the best thing for me in the long run."

Haake reported to the Royals the same day fellow Mater Dei graduate Trevor Richards made a start for the Miami Marlins in Busch Stadium against the Cardinals.

Richards was signed away from the independent league Gateway Grizzlies as an undrafted free agent and made his major league debut less than two years later.

Haake says he's been watching Richards' career closely.

"It's awesome what Trevor has been able to do," he said. "To think a kid can make it to the big leagues out of Clinton County is inspiring. It shows you it's not where you start that matters, but where you finish."

Chasers Crush Isotopes 16-5June 9, 2018 By Andrew Green/Omaha Storm Chasershttps://www.milb.com/omaha/news/chasers-crush-isotopes-16-5/c-280477670

Omaha plated 11 runs in their final three innings at bat, with shortstop Humberto Arteaga , designated hitter Frank Schwindel and first baseman Ryan O'Hearn combining to drive in ten runs, as the Storm Chasers scored a season-high 16 tallies in a 16-5 rout of the Albuquerque Isotopes on Friday night at Werner Park.

Schwindel got Omaha's scoring started with his RBI single in the opening frame, following by his two-run blast in the third that was part of a four-run frame to extend the Storm Chasers' advantage to 5-0. After the two teams traded two tallies in the sixth, Albuquerque plated a pair of scores in the seventh before Omaha countered with a five-run bottom half, led by run-scoring doubles by Arteaga and 3B Corey Toups .

Arteaga capped the outburst with a three-run blast in the eighth, his second of the season. The 16 runs were the most scored by the Storm Chasers this season, and the most by the club overall since a 16-9 win at Colorado Springs on August 7, 2014.

Schwindel (3-4, 3 R, HR, 3 RBI, BB) paced the Omaha offense with three hits, with Toups (2-3, 3 R, 2B, 2 RBI, BB) and Arteaga (2-4, R, 2B, HR, 4 RBI) each collected two knocks as well. Isotopes SS Garrett Hampson (3-4, 2 R, BB) and DH Josh Fuentes (3-5, R, 2 2B, RBI) posted a trio of hits apiece to pace their side. Schwindel's longball was his 11th of the year, while his three RBI upped his total to 46 runs driven in this season, which ranks tied for second in the Pacific Coast League.

Omaha reliever Mike Broadway (1.1 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, K) earned the victory, while Albuquerque starter David Holman (2.1 IP, 3 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 4 BB, K) suffered the defeat. Storm Chasers starter Josh Staumont (4.2 IP, 5 H, - R, BB, 5 K) did not factor in the final decisions.

The two teams continue their four-game set on Saturday evening, with first pitch scheduled for 7:05 p.m. CT. The Storm Chasers are anticipated to give the nod to LHP Jake Kalish (1-1, 4.50), while the Isotopes are slated to send RHP Yency Almonte (1-3, 7.71) to the hill.

Naturals hold on to split series with CardinalsRHP Scott Blewett struck out five in 7.2 innings of work in the 7-6 win over SpringfieldJune 9, 2018 By NW Arkansas Naturalshttps://www.milb.com/northwest-arkansas/news/naturals-hold-on-to-split-series-with-cardinals/c-280469470

Naturals' starter Scott Blewett (W, 3-4) had his second really good outing in a row as Northwest Arkansas (29-31) was able to hold on to an important 7-6 victory to split this series with the division-leading Springfield Cardinals (30-30).

Coming off his best start of the season where he gave up one run in 7.0 innings of work in Midland, the Northwest Arkansas starter began Friday night's contest on shaky ground as Springfield jumped him for two runs in the first. The big righty would settle down and limit the Cardinals' high-powered attack to just two more runs over the course of the next 6.2 innings pitched. On the night, Blewett went a season-high 7.2 innings pitched with five strikeouts and no walks to earn his third win of the year.

The Naturals were holding on to a 7-5 lead after Springfield scored two runs in the eighth when Northwest Arkansas' skipper Mike Rojas summoned closer Jake Newberry (S, 10) from his bullpen to record a four-out save. The Texas League leader in saves did just that as Newberry worked around a run in the ninth to seal the big victory and record his 10th save of the season.

The Cardinals opened the scoring with a RBI double by Lane Thomas and a Victor Roache run-scoring single in the first.

The game would remain 2-0 until the fifth when the Naturals would plate their first run on a RBI single by Nicky Lopez .

Springfield would stretch their lead back out to two runs with another tally in the sixth before the Naturals would take their

first lead of the game in the home half of the frame when the offense exploded for five runs on five hits. Jecksson Flores started the scoring with a RBI double and Nick Dini followed with a RBI single to tie the game at 3-3. The next batter, John Brontsema , connected on a 1-2 pitch and drove it deep over the wall in left for a towering two-run homer. The home run was the second of the season for Brontsema. Donnie Dewees then tripled before Lopez completed the scoring with his second RBI single.

Leading 6-3, the Naturals recorded what would be the game-winning run on a Luis Villegas solo home run to begin the seventh. The run proved to be the insurance needed as the Cardinals plated three more runs in the final two innings of the game.

The Cardinals out-hit the Naturals, 15-to-14. Dewees and Flores led the way for Northwest Arkansas with three hit games while Erick Mejia , Lopez and Dini all enjoyed multi-hit nights. Elier Hernandez went 0-for-5, which ends his hitting streak at 16 games.

Tonight's game concluded the Naturals homestand. Northwest Arkansas will now hit the road for eight (8) games against a couple of Texas League North Division rivals as the Naturals will take on the Arkansas Travelers (Double-A Mariners) in North Little Rock for four (4) games beginning tomorrow night - Saturday, June 9 - through June 12 before traveling to Eastern Oklahoma to face the Tulsa Drillers (Double-A Dodgers) for the final four (4) games of the trip from June 13 through June 16.

Keys Quiet Rocks' Bats and Win StreakFernandez and Vallot with RBI Doubles in LossJune 8, 2018 By Wilmington Blue Rockshttps://www.milb.com/wilmington/news/keys-quiet-rocks-bats-and-win-streak/c-280443554

Ofreidy Gomez battled his way on the mound, going seven full innings, tying a career-high, giving up nine hits, three runs, and three walks. Gomez also had three strikeouts on the night.

Frederick's offense first struck in the top of the first. The Keys loaded the bases for Collin Woody who hit a shallow fly ball to Wilmington's Khalil Lee . Colby Rasmus tagged up from third while Lee's throw hit the side of the mound, making it easy for Rasmus to come home and put the Keys on top 1-0. Rasmus caused more damage in the top of the third. With Ryan McKenna on first, Rasmus hit a fly ball into the gap in left-center to leg out an RBI triple to extend the lead to 2-0. Preston Palmeiro added an RBI single in the inning to widen the gap to 3-0.

Wilmington's bats were silent against Keys' starter Zach Lowther. The right-hander went six scoreless innings giving up only three hits and one walk while amassing eight strikeouts. However, once reliever Matt Trowbridge came in to the game, the Blue Rocks let loose in the bottom of the seventh. Xavier Fernandez got the Rocks on the board with an RBI double that bounced off the wall in left field to bring Kort Peterson home and make it a 3-1 game. The next pitch was clobbered into right-center by Chase Vallot for another RBI double to close the gap to 3-2. The comeback effort was shut down by Tyler Erwin who earned the two inning save for Frederick.

The Blue Rocks will try to bounce back on Saturday, June 9 at Frawley Stadium with first pitch scheduled for 6:05 p.m. On the mound for Wilmington will be right-hander Gerson Garabito (2-5, 4.08 ERA). He will be opposed by Keys' righty Cristian Alvarado (5-4, 3.30 ERA). If you can't make it to the game, Matt Janus and Cory Nidoh will have the call for you on 89.7 WGLS-FM.

PEBBLES OF KNOWLEDGE:

The Rocks season-high win streak ended at six games with the setback in the series opener against the Keys. It was the first time the Blue Rocks won six in a row since June 13-18 of last season. During the six-game winning streak they outscored opponents 38-23 and had a 3.24 ERA during the stretch. Wilmington also hit five home runs during the six games.

Blue Rocks' starter Ofreidy Gomez turned in a solid start and battled his way through seven innings of work, which tied a career-high. He allowed three runs through the first three innings, then settled in and tossed his final four innings in scoreless fashion. The last time Gomez lasted seven innings was back on August 18, 2017 against the Asheville Tourists. His previous season-high with the Rocks was six innings which he did twice.

With the loss, Wilmington has dropped six straight games to the Keys after winning four of the first five between the pair of Northern Division foes. All six losses have been at Frawley Stadium and the Rocks have been outscored 30-19 during the skid. The last time the Blue Crew won a against Frederick was back on May 4 in an 8-5 win.

NATIONALOhtani has UCL sprain, placed on DLAngels' two-way player will be evaluated in three weeksJune 8, 2018 By Maria Guardado/MLB.comhttps://www.mlb.com/angels/news/shohei-ohtani-has-ucl-sprain/c-280336150

Turns out that the Angels have more to worry about than Shohei Ohtani's blister.

Two days after Ohtani departed his start against the Royals on Wednesday after four innings with a blister on his right middle finger, the Angels announced that they had placed Ohtani on the disabled list with a Grade 2 sprain of the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow. Ohtani, who received both platelet-rich plasma and stem-cell injections Thursday in Los Angeles, will be evaluated in three weeks.

General manager Billy Eppler said Ohtani complained of stiffness in his elbow after he got his blister drained Wednesday, prompting the Angels to order an MRI exam that revealed the sprain. Yahoo! Sports reported in December that Ohtani had received a PRP injection in October to heal a Grade 1 sprain, which is considered the least severe of UCL injuries. The procedure was disclosed in the medical report that was distributed to all 30 MLB clubs prior to the courtship of the two-way phenom.

The latest announcement of a Grade 2 sprain for Ohtani would seem to indicate the tear has gotten worse, but Eppler

said the Angels remain optimistic that he'll be able to avoid Tommy John surgery.

"We're hopeful that he can," Eppler said Friday during a conference call with reporters. "This is completely treatable with the biologic prescription that the doctors recommended."

Eppler said Ohtani made no mention of elbow discomfort before Wednesday. Garrett Richards, Andrew Heaney and JC Ramirez also received stem-cell injections in an attempt to repair damaged UCLs in their throwing elbows, though all but Richards eventually succumbed to Tommy John surgery.

Losing Ohtani for an extended period of time is a significant blow for the Angels, as the 23-year-old rookie had been enjoying virtually unprecedented success as a two-way player this season. He has gone 4-1 with a 3.10 ERA and 61 strikeouts over 49 1/3 innings as a right-handed pitcher and batted .289 with a .907 OPS and six home runs over 129 plate appearances as a left-handed hitter.

"Naturally, it's a disappointment, but you keep going," manager Mike Scioscia said. "Just like we're losing Andrelton [Simmons] for a little bit, you keep going. The schedule doesn't stop, and you can't take a timeout. We know that he was doing a lot of special things for us, but we've got to absorb it and move on."

Eppler said Ohtani would have "probably" been able to play through the UCL injury if he were exclusively a designated hitter, but the Angels didn't want to put him at further risk by having him continue to bat as he recovers.

"I think if he was only a designated hitter and that's all he was, probably," Eppler said. "But that's not his circumstance, and that's not how we want to utilize him as a player and realize the impact of the player. It was determined that any unique swing or variability could impose some small percentage increase in risk, so that's why we're going to give it the three weeks' time period right now to further assess and then make a determination at that time."

The Angels had often used a six-man rotation to accommodate Ohtani's once-a-week pitching schedule this season, but the need for an extra starter will be reduced now that Ohtani is on the DL. The Angels will likely call up rookie Jaime Barria on Tuesday in Seattle to join Richards, Heaney, Tyler Skaggs and Nick Tropeano in the rotation.

"There's going to be some stretches where we can definitely be five men," Scioscia said. "I think just like we did with Shohei in there, we went kind of week to week and saw how things are going. We'll continue to do that. We'll get Jaime Barria up here at some point and see where our rotation takes us."

Scioscia added that the Angels will rotate players at the DH spot, though Albert Pujols will likely figure prominently at that position. Pujols, Luis Valbuena and Jefry Marte could see time at first base, along with Jose Miguel Fernandez, who was called up from Triple-A Salt Lake on Friday and started at first against the Twins in his MLB debut.

Fernandez, a 30-year-old Cuban infielder who signed a Minor League deal with the Angels over the offseason, endured a long, winding road to the big leagues. He starred for Matanzas in the Serie Nacional for eight seasons, hitting .319 with an .822 OPS as a left-handed hitter, before attempting to defect from Cuba in 2014. Things did not go as

planned, however, and he wasn't allowed to play baseball until he was permitted to leave the island legally in 2015.

Fernandez signed with the Dodgers for $200,000 in January 2017, but he was released at the end of the season and later latched on with the Angels. He was batting .345 with a .973 OPS, 10 home runs and 39 RBIs in 53 games with Triple-A Salt Lake this season. Fernandez said he cried when he was told that he was being promoted to the Majors on Thursday.

"It's a dream come true to be here in the big leagues," Fernandez said in Spanish. "I called my family in Cuba and told my father, all my family over there. I wanted to share the joy that I had with him."

The Angels also placed utility man Kaleb Cowart on the 10-day disabled list with a left ankle sprain and recalled infielder Nolan Fontana from Triple-A Salt Lake. Scioscia said Cowart hurt himself while stepping off the team bus on Thursday morning in Minneapolis. It's the second time in the last week that an Angel has been injured by stairs, as Simmons also suffered an ankle sprain after slipping on the dugout steps during pregame warmups Tuesday.

"I think you know you're under a rain cloud when guys are getting hurt not in baseball activities," Scioscia said. "He was coming off the bus yesterday morning. He just missed a step and twisted his ankle. Freak injury."

Useless Info Dept., Mad Max editionJune 8, 2018 By Jayson Stark/The Athletichttps://theathletic.com/384424/2018/06/08/stark-useless-info-dept-mad-max-edition/

An extra-inning pinch hit by, wait, who? … Another dramatic long ball by Mr. Walkoff? … Zero strikes = three home runs?

We’ve seen it all this week, friends. So join us now for another edition of the Useless Information Department.

ALL MAXED OUT

Max Scherzer just spun off an “immaculate inning” — but it wasn’t even his most historic feat of the week! And that, of course, is what makes him the distinguished American he is.

But more important, for those of us who write columns entitled “The Useless Information Department,” it’s what keeps us in business. So for that, we’re deeply indebted. Which is why we’re rounding up all the astounding Max Scherzer nuggets we can find this week. And here they come…

MAXIE MOTA – Last Saturday in Atlanta, the Nationals found themselves in a tie game in the 14th inning — and with no position players left to hit. So what happened next? The only thing that could possibly happen next. They sent Scherzer up to hit. And he took care of everything.

Pinch single. Sprinted home from first to score the winning run on a Wilmer Difo triple. Drive home safely.

So perhaps you’re wondering: How often do you see a Cy Young winner pinch-hit in extra innings, get a hit and then come around to score the winning run? Hahaha. You don’t ever see that, naturally. We know because we checked. And the Elias Sports Bureau confirmed it. First. Time. Ever. But we’re talking Max Scherzer here. So what’s the big surprise?

“I knew he’d do that,” the dulcet color man for the Nationals, F.P. Santangelo, told Useless Info. “I mean, did I really know? No. But I know Max. And he just wills stuff to happen….

“I even said on TV the inning before, ‘You know Max Scherzer is bugging his manager to let him hit.’ Then our producer got in my ear and said, ‘We can’t find him in the dugout.’ I said, ‘That’s because he’s hitting in the cage.’ I know the guy. I knew he wanted to win that game. And sure enough — next inning, he walks out in the on-deck circle….That’s just Max being Max.”

MAX HORNSBY – Once he’d finished circling the bases that day, the coolest entry in the box score wasn’t even Scherzer’s spectacular 1-1-1-0 batting line. It was his batting average — for the season — at the end of that line.

Which stood at a spectacular .310!

Alas, an 0-for-3 in his next start has since dropped it to .280. But perhaps you’re wondering again: How many starting pitchers in history have ever hit .300 and won a Cy Young in the same season?

Gee, thanks for asking. Exactly one, as a matter of fact! And that would be the great Bob Gibson — nearly half a century ago.

In 1970, Gibson went 23-7 in his day job — and hit .303 in his spare time. And now Mad Max has him directly in his sights.

Asked if just hearing he has a shot at Gibson might rev Scherzer’s engines, Santangelo laughed.

“He’ll definitely want to do it now,” Santangelo said. “And do I think he can? We’re talking about Max Scherzer. He pretty much makes things happen. So hitting .300 – I think that’s actually the harder part than winning the Cy Young.”

Right. Good point. He wins that every year. Nevertheless, he’s well on his way, because…

MAX SMOLTZ – The National League Pitcher of the Month in April was a fellow named Max Scherzer. The National League Pitcher of the Month in May was also a fellow named Max Scherzer. Well, you don’t see that much!

In the 40 seasons since baseball started handing out Pitcher of the Month awards in both leagues, only four other pitchers have won that award in both April and May. Scherzer will like where this is heading:

1996 John Smoltz – started ASG, won Cy Young1999 Pedro Martínez – started ASG, won Cy Young2010 Ubaldo Jiménez – started ASG, 3rd in Cy Young2015 Dallas Keuchel – started ASG, won Cy Young

Scherzer has now won five Pitcher of the Month awards just in the last 19 months. “He probably takes those and throws them in the back seat of his car,” Santangelo quipped. “But starting the All-Star Game in his home park? That would be amazing. He really feeds off the crowd’s energy. So for him to stand on that mound in his home park would be one of his greatest moments. He’ll probably want to go throw a CG and strike out 15!”

MAX THE STRIKE MACHINE – And now for one of Scherzer’s most incredible feats of all. In his start Tuesday against the Rays, this man threw 99 pitches — 81 of which were strikes. If you’re subtracting along at home, you know that means he threw just 18 pitches all night, in eight innings, that weren’t strikes. That isn’t quite impossible. But it’s still pretty awe-inspiring. Here’s why:

— We have three decades worth of pitch-count data we can sift through at times like this. Want to guess how many other pitchers have thrown that many strikes (81) in an outing of fewer than 100 pitches? Right you are. That would be none.

— Or let’s put this another way. How many pitchers have thrown 99 pitches or more in a start and finished their day with fewer than 20 that failed to hit the strike zone? That would be exactly two: Roy Halladay (19 of 105) on Aug. 25, 2012, and David Wells (19 of 100) on April 19, 2001.

— Finally, let’s turn this thing totally upside-down. Did you know Dellin Betances once threw 20 balls in two-thirds of an inning (and just 27 pitches) on Sept. 22, 2011? Or that Mitch Williams once threw 22 balls in one-third of an inning (and 29 pitches) on May 6, 1988? But Max Scherzer threw just 18 balls out of 99 pitches Tuesday night. That is absolutely crazy.

MAX KEARNS GOODWIN – But of course that’s still not all – because Max Scherzer is a human history museum. So here’s even more that caught our eye:

— His immaculate inning Tuesday (3 up, 3 down, 3 strikeouts, 3 pitches each) was the second of his career. You should know there are no accurate records that list everyone who has done that. But here are the only four pitchers known to have done it twice: Randy Johnson, Nolan Ryan, Sandy Koufax, Lefty Grove … and Max Scherzer. Whew. Can we just chisel this guy’s plaque in Cooperstown right now?

— Or how about his season so far, coming off two straight Cy Youngs. He’s on pace for this mind-boggling collection of insane stats:

27-3, 1.95 ERA, 359 K and 146 H in 235 2/3 IP, plus 308 more K than BB!

Most of that will never happen, of course. But FYI, the only two pitchers since 1900 with 300 more whiffs than walks in any season are Sandy Koufax (1965) and Randy Johnson (2001). Can we put this past Max Scherzer? Not around here we can’t.

And to top it all off, in photo-op form, Scherzer and Ryan Zimmerman showed up at the Caps’ Stanley Cup game Monday in full uniform, complete with helmet and visor.

“For Zim, that’s so out of character,” Santangelo said. “But to see Max [in that get-up] didn’t surprise me at all. That’s Max. I’m pretty sure that’s how he wakes up in the morning and eats a bowl of cereal — in full uniform with his helmet on.”

Max Scherzer, ladies and gentlemen. If he doesn’t win the Cy Young award this year, we promise he’ll definitely win the Cy Useless Info award.

MEET MR. WALKOFF

Did you know that J.D. Martinez has never hit a walk-off home run? Neither has José Bautista. Neither has Troy Tulowitzki.

But Charlie Culberson, on the other hand? That’s about the only kind of home run he bothers with.

The trusty Braves utility wiz has hit two home runs this season. Yep, they’re both walk offs – one off Seth Lugo on May 28, the other off Tanner Roark last Sunday.

And over the last three seasons, Charlie Culberson has hit a total of three home runs. Naturally, every one is a walk off.

The last one he hit before this year? An extra-inning game-winner off Boone Logan on Sept. 25, 2016, which will go down as the very last play ever called by the great Vin Scully at Dodger Stadium. What else?

Of all the niches a guy could have in this sport, this one might be the coolest. So we did a little delving into Mr. Walkoff’s crazy numbers. Here’s what we uncovered:

THREE STRAIGHT WALKOFFS – So how many other players, in the history of baseball, have hit three consecutive home runs — over any period of time — that were all walk offs? Amazingly, that answer is zero, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. Wow.

HALF AND HALF – Over his six-year career, Culberson has hit a total of four walk-off homers. (He also hit one as a Rockie, off Kyle Farnsworth, on May 3, 2014. So his career home run breakdown looks like this:

Walk offs – 4All other kinds of HR – 4

Seriously? And how many other men in history have hit at least eight career homers — half of them walk offs? Right you are. That would also be none, Elias tells us.

STARS WHO WON’T WANT TO READ THIS PART – Just for our own amusement, we compiled a list of just some of the active players with fewer career regular-season walk-off homers than Charlie Culberson. We advise all of them to skip to the next section. But for the rest of you, here goes:

Mike Trout (3)Giancarlo Stanton (3)Chase Utley (3)Robinson Canó (1)Yoenis Céspedes (2)Adrián González (2)Carlos González (2)Adam Jones (2)

If we count the three Zero Heroes we mentioned earlier, that group has hit a combined 2,997 career homers. But not one of them has hit as many walkoffs as Charlie Culberson. Who has hit eight.

Baseball!

BARTOLO-MANIA OF THE WEEK

This week in Bartolo Colon-ization, we have more Bartolo history — via the victory (No. 243) that allowed him to tie Juan Marichal for the most wins ever by a pitcher born in the Dominican Republic. But there’s also this:

Albert Pujols hit a home run off Bartolo last weekend. And you know what makes that notable? Pujols also hit a home run off Bartolo in 2007! Which inspired us to compile this all-important list of men who went deep off Bartolo Colon 11 years apart (or more)!

17 years – Carlos Beltrán (2000-17)13 years – Raúl Ibañez (2001-14)13 years – Paul Konerko (1999-2012)11 years – Pujols (2007-18)11 years – A.J. Pierzynski (2001-12)

Any list that gives us an A.J. Pierzynski sighting is well worth unfurling. Don’t you think?

RUSH TO JUDGE-MENT

We can only assume Aaron Judge ate a bowl of Special K for breakfast Monday — because once he put on his uniform, the K’s just kept on coming.

He struck out three times in Game 1 of the Yankees’ doubleheader in Detroit. He whiffed five times in Game 2. And that made him the first man in history to punch out eight times in any doubleheader ever played. But that’s not all. There is also this on The Judge Beat:

CRAZY EIGHT DEPT. – Even if we leave the whole doubleheader thing out of this, Judge was only the fourth player in the live-ball era to strike out eight times over any stretch of back-to-back nine-inning games. But the amazing part of that note is this:

He’s actually the second member of his own team to do that just this year. The Yankees’ other Twin Tower, Giancarlo Stanton, did it back on April 3 and 4. So now think about what that means.

— Over the first 98 seasons of the live-ball era, just two men struck out eight times in back-to-back nine-inning games: Ruppert Jones (on July 16-17, 1982) and a pitcher, Wayne Twitchell (on May 16 and 22, 1973).

— And now it’s happened twice on the same team in the last nine weeks, because of course it has!

But hang on. There’s more.

WHO NEEDS FIELDERS – At his current rate, Judge is going to pile up an incredible 367 plate appearances this season in which the baseball never leaves the batter’s box! His pace: 235 K, 126 BB, 6 HBP.

But if you’ve been paying attention, you probably know that Judge already holds the record for that sort of thing, with 340. He set that one last year, pushing the great Adam Dunn (328, in 2012) out of the books. So how about this…

CAN HE HIT 400 – Now let’s add Judge’s home-run pace (47) to that mix. And if he keeps that up, he would make an unfathomable 414 trips to home plate this year in which the ball never lands on the field!

And yessiree, that would be a record, too. No one in history has ever had 400 plate appearances like that in the same season. The all-time leaderboard:

393 Mark McGwire 1998392 Aaron Judge 2017369 Adam Dunn 2012

358 Ryan Howard 2007

We are looking at the ultimate symbol of baseball in 2018. And every team would be thrilled to run him out there — no matter how irrelevant he renders a concept once known as “fielders.”

USELESS INFO HIGHLIGHTS OF THE WEEK

— What better way to celebrate draft week than to have one former No. 1 pick in the country (Dansby Swanson) homer off another former No. 1 (Stephen Strasburg) last weekend?

If Dansby is wondering — and if he’s not, why the heck isn’t he? — Elias reports that the record for most homers by one No. 1 overall pick off another is five, by Ken Griffey Jr. (off Andy Benes) and B.J. Surhoff (off Ben McDonald).

— Has there ever been a three-homer game quite like Eddie Rosario’s trifecta for the Twins last Sunday? One to left. One to center. One to right. A walk-off for the grand finale. And home runs bashed off three pitches that weren’t even in the strike zone!

We asked MLB’s pitch-tracking department to look into that part. And they couldn’t find any other games, in the eight seasons they’ve been tracking detailed pitch location, in which a player hit three home runs on pitches that weren’t strikes.

— The Orioles swept the Mets in New York this week. So somehow or other, the Orioles are now 4-1 in New York this season… and 4-22 in all the other cities they’ve visited!

— One more on the Orioles’ uplifting visit to Queens. They beat the Mets, 1-0, Wednesday. And kudos to our friend, Doug (Kernels) Kern for noticing that it was the Orioles’ first 1-0 win in an interleague game since … the fourth and final game of the 1966 World Series (Dave McNally over Don Drysdale) …Which was their first 1-0 interleague win since … the day before (Wally Bunker over Claude Osteen).

— The good news for Matt Joyce this month was he was one of three different guys named Matt (Chapman, Olson, Joyce) to homer for the A’s in the same game. They’ve done that three times now. And only one other team has ever had a game in which three Matts homered – the 2013 Cardinals (Holliday, Carpenter, Adams).

But the bad news was Joyce is now 1 for 42 this season when he hits a ground ball, according to Sports Info Solutions! And the hit was a squibber up the first-base line on Opening Day. Since then he’s 0-for-his-last-41 when he doesn’t get a ball airborne.

Memo to Players Association: No need to poll Matt Joyce on where he stands on banning the shift.

— We regret to report that the captain of our Useless Info All-Name Team, Seranthony Domínguez, finally gave up a run Wednesday. But the first 50 hitters faced by the Phillies’ secret bullpen weapon might find that hard to believe, because here’s how they fared:

50 batters, 2 hits, 1 walk, 1 HBP (and 16 strikeouts).

Our friends at Elias report that in the 50 seasons since the mound was lowered after 1968, Domínguez is just the second pitcher to allow a mere four (or fewer) of the first 50 hitters he faced in his career to reach base, via a hit, walk or HBP.

The only other? Would you believe Jeff Calhoun, a September call-up of the Astros in 1984 (50 BF, 4 hits, 0 BB, 0 HBP).

5 STRANGE BUT TRUE FEATS OF THE WEEK

— Eric Hosmer in nine weeks as a Padre: three four-strikeout games.

Eric Hosmer in seven years as a Royal: two four-strikeout games.

Must be the fish tacos.

— Box-score Déjà vu Department: How about Rick Porcello’s last two starts?

May 29 vs. Toronto: 6 2/3 5-3-2-2-5, 2 HBP, 1 HRJune 3 at Houston: 6 1/3 5-3-2-2-5, 2 HBP, 1 HR

Spooky.

— Another Strange But True Box Score Classic, from Phillies reliever Héctor Neris, last weekend in San Francisco:

3 outs, 3 hits, 3 strikeouts, 3 wild pitches

Ever seen a line like that before? Of course you haven’t! According to Baseball-Reference.com’s awesome Play Index, it’s the only 3-3-3-3 outing of the last 100 years.

— Who loves working overtime more than Javier Báez? As NBC Sports Chicago’s Christopher Kamka keeps updating us, Báez just hit the fifth home run of his career in the 12th inning or later – out of 61 career homers.

Hank Aaron hit one — out of 755 homers.

Barry Bonds hit none — out of 762 homers.

You can’t make this stuff up.

— Finally, poor Mitch Walding. He’s about to go down as the Moonlight Graham (kind of) of the 21st century.

He got called up by the Phillies last week after seven years in the minor leagues — but that feel-good story kind of went downhill from there.

In his debut, he became the first position player to put up a sombrero (0 for 4, 4 whiffs) in the first game of his big-league career since Ken Gerhart on Sept. 14, 1986.

But life never did get any better. Walding then struck out in two pinch-hit appearances and headed back to the minors Wednesday with this career batting line:

0-for-6, 6 strikeouts.

So how many other position players in history have had a career with that many at-bats — and strikeouts in every one of them? Yep. That would be none, according to Lee Sinins’ Complete Baseball Encyclopedia.

If Walding never makes it back, he’s a major motion picture waiting to happen. But at least he missed tying the record for this sort of thing if we include pitchers. Former Reds pitcher Logan Ondrusek had an 0-for-7, 7-punchout career. But after consulting with Stephen Spielberg, we can report that we will

not be casting the role of Logan Ondrusek in the Mitch Walding Story!

Torres accepts 100-game suspensionJune 8, 2018 By Deesha Thosar/MLB.comhttps://www.mlb.com/padres/news/jose-torres-suspended-by-mlb/c-280376318

Padres pitcher Jose Torres has accepted a suspension without pay for the remainder of the 2018 season for violating the Major League Baseball's Joint Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault and Child Abuse Policy, Commissioner Robert Manfred announced on Friday.

Torres has agreed not to appeal the discipline and will participate in a confidential and comprehensive evaluation and treatment program supervised by the Joint Policy Board.

Manfred announced the following statement:

"My office has completed its investigation into the allegation that Jose Torres violated Major League Baseball's Joint Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault and Child Abuse Policy. Having reviewed all of the available evidence, I have concluded that Mr. Torres violated the Policy and should be subject to discipline in the form of an unpaid suspension that will cover the balance of the season."

Torres was placed on MLB's restricted list at the start of Spring Training after he was arrested in December for a domestic violence dispute. In his rookie season in 2017, Torres posted a 4.21 ERA with 63 strikeouts in 68 1/3 innings. He completed the year with a 1.96 ERA in 17 outings over the last two months of the season.

The Padres issued the following statement regarding the discipline:

"We fully support the decision by the Commissioner's Office to suspend Jose Torres for violating the joint MLB-MLBPA domestic violence policy. We will continue to support the league's efforts to educate players and prevent instances like this from occurring in the future."

The unpaid suspension of Torres is retroactive to Tuesday and covers 100 games.

MLB TRANSACTIONSJune 9, 2018 •.CBSSports.comhttp://www.cbssports.com/mlb/transactions

T E A M P L A Y E R T R A N S A C T I O N

BOSJustin Haley Purchased From Minors

COLJeff Hoffman Called Up from Minors

T E A M P L A Y E R T R A N S A C T I O N

COLMike Dunn Placed on 10-Day DL

(Left rhomboid strain)

HOU

Tim Federowicz

Designated for Assignment

HOUBrian McCann

Removed From 10-Day DL (Right knee soreness)

LAA

Jose Miguel Fernandez Purchased From Minors

LAA

Shohei OhtaniPlaced on 10-Day DL (Sprained UCL, right elbow)

LAA

Kaleb Cowart Placed on 10-Day DL (Sprained left ankle)

LAA

Nolan Fontana Called Up from Minors

LAD

Adam Liberatore Called Up from Minors

LAD

Brock Stewart Sent to Minors

LAD

Dennis Santana

Placed on 10-Day DL (Strained right rotator cuff)

T E A M P L A Y E R T R A N S A C T I O N

LAD

Pat Venditte Called Up from Minors

NYM

Yoenis Cespedes

Sent to Minors For Rehabilitation

NYM

Buddy Baumann Outrighted to Minors

NYMPhillip Evans Outrighted to Minors

NYMJeurys Familia Placed on 10-Day DL

(Sore right shoulder)

NYMJacob Rhame Called Up from Minors

OAKRyan Dull Sent to Minors

OAK

Santiago Casilla

Removed From 10-Day DL (Right shoulder strain)

OAK

Santiago Casilla

Recalled From Minors Rehab Assignment

PIT

Dovydas Neverauskas Called Up from Minors

T E A M P L A Y E R T R A N S A C T I O N

PIT

Richard Rodriguez

Placed on 10-Day DL (Right shoulder discomfort)

SEA

Vogelbach, Daniel Called Up from Minors

SEAMike Morin Purchased From Minors

SEAJuan Nicasio Placed on 10-Day DL

(Right knee effusion)

SEADan Altavilla

Placed on 10-Day DL (Right elbow UCL sprain)

STLTyler Lyons Placed on 10-Day DL

(Sprained left elbow)

STLMike Mayers Called Up from Minors