Deeper into the void
Lather, rinse, repeat...
Like the Royals, I am at a loss.
In the just-completed three-game series against the Tampa Bay Rays, the Royals managed a grand total of 12 hits. They scored one run. One run! In three games! That one run scored with two outs in the ninth inning. That’s how close they came to being shutout for the entire series.
Thursday’s game was like Wednesday’s game and Wednesday’s game very much held the same vibes as Tuesday’s. It’s the baseball version of Groundhog Day. In that spirit, I almost cut and pasted yesterday’s entry for today. You know, give the same kind of effort we’re seeing from the Royals bats.
On Thursday, the Royals were shutout for the fifth time in their last 10 home games. Overall, it was their 10th shutout loss of the season. That means 23.3 percent of their 43 total losses have come with the team scoring nary a run. God, that’s grim.
I believe we’ve reached the point where the Royals need to sacrifice someone. This is not me advocating for change because I truly feel that firing a hitting coach or an assistant hitting coach or an assistant to the hitting coach is more akin to rearranging the deck chairs. The players are who they are. The outfield collective cannot hit. Full stop.
Will the Royals do that? Maybe. If that comes to pass, I predict much celebration among the fanbase, followed by a shift back to anger once it’s obvious that didn’t change much, if anything. Still, appearances matter. If we aren’t there today, a similar showing against the Dodgers this weekend will probably seal the deal.
If it wasn’t obvious last week (or last month), this is a deeply flawed team on the offensive side. We knew there would be issues going in as those flaws went unaddressed this past winter. We hoped that, like in 2024, those flaws could be covered by some of the more potent bats. It turns out that’s a losing strategy.
It’s not surprising, but it still stings.
Jonathan India led off the Royals bottom of the first with a double to left. He pumped his fists when he rolled into second and let out a roar. It was an obvious message. LET’S F’N GO! Maybe today would be the day the bats came alive. India set the table the way we all hoped he would when the Royals made the deal to bring him to Kansas City. Now it was time for the heavy hitters in this lineup to bring him home. One run. A lead. Was that too much to ask?
It turns out the answer to that question was “yes.”
Bobby Witt Jr. lofted a fly ball to shallow center for the first out. Too shallow to advance. Vinnie Pasquantino offered at a curve low and inside to strike out for the second out. Maikel Garcia flew out to end the inning.
India never touched third base.
It turns out that was their best chance of the day.
After that India double, Tampa starter Shane Baz retired the next 19 Royals who had the audacity to step into the batter’s box. Why, exactly, are they there? What is the purpose of that lumber they hold?
Baz entered the game with a 4.79 ERA over 15 starts. Opponents hit .244/.328/.421 against him.
On Wednesday, the Royals had three hits and one walk against Baz.
You probably just did some math in your head…Baz gave up a double to start the game, then retired 19 in a row, but the Royals did get two more hits off of him. And a walk. They must have put together a late-inning rally of some sort!
Oh, you poor, misguided soul.
Yes, the Royals did manage a couple of hits deep into the game against Baz. Pasquantino broke that consecutive-out string with an infield single in the seventh. Not the kind of hit that strikes fear in pitchers’ hearts, but we’ll take whatever the Royals can give. That single was followed by…get to your fainting couch…another single! Garcia doinked a liner to right. That put runners on first and second with one out.
This is good! According to the 2025 Run Expectancy Matrix, the typical team will score 0.9 runs in an inning where they have runners on first and second and one out. It’s not quite a full run, but let’s not be greedy.
And then Nick Loftin rolled into a 6-4-3 double play.
The Royals had the same situation cooking in the ninth. India led off with a single. After Witt flew out for the first out, Pasquantino laid down a beauty of a bunt to the third base side against the mini shift. Any means necessary, right?
And then Garcia rolled into a 6-4-3 double play.
(I know both double play balls were generally hard-hit. Loftin’s was 102 mph off the bat, but right at the shortstop. Garcia’s was a little lighter on the exit velocity, but required a nifty pick at short.)
Meanwhile, Michael Lorenzen was battling. It takes a special kind of individual to take the baseball knowing he has to be perfect. Is that the plan of attack for the Royals at the moment? Pray for a 0-0 game to go to extras so they get a free baserunner? Insanity. They can’t bring home a runner from second when they have one out, but they can do it when there are no outs? Come on.
Anyway, Lorenzen was good, but not great. He hiccuped in the fourth, surrendering a double, a triple and a single. All with two outs. Two runs. Yeah, that was the ballgame right there.
Two innings later, Tampa went yard back-to-back to lead off the frame. Four runs. That was just pouring it on at that point. Excessive. Although at least they didn’t bunt to score runs like the night before. Losing by the home run is a much more dignified way to go.
With no baseball on late Thursday and needing to flush the scenes of the afternoon at Kauffman from my brain, I rolled some dice and played some Strat. I went on a set buying spree a couple of years ago and am currently (and very slowly) playing through a tournament format with teams from the 1980 season. I play single elimination (I said I play slowly) and downloaded a bracket for 26 teams and ranked them all by winning percentage for seeding purposes. Thursday’s game was the 1980 Toronto Blue Jays against the 1980 Boston Red Sox. The Sox had a potent lineup with Jim Rice and Dwight Evans and Fred Lynn still in the outfield. I figured it would be a high-scoring affair.
The Sox did win, but it was by a score of just 1-0. The lone run came via a Carl Yastrzemski home run off Jim Clancy.
Maybe it’s me.
Up next will be the 1980 Seattle Mariners (a full roster of “Who are those guys?”) visiting the 1980 Montreal Expos. If that Expos team scores only one run…I’ll keep you posted.
We all need a diversion.
I appreciate the effort from Drew Waters, who, after obviously reading yesterday’s edition complaining that the 2025 team is boring, did his best to provide some entertainment while playing center field. He misplayed a liner off the bat of Chandler Simpson into a triple in the fifth inning. Waters broke in on the liner and had it sail over his head. He would’ve been better served just standing where he started.
The cool part was when, one pitch later, Freddy Fermin executed a beautiful back pick and nailed Simpson wandering off third. I like watching Freddy Fermin play.
There are individual moments like Fermin’s in every single game. Nice reminders about why we watch. And reminders that, even though it may not seem like it, these guys do compete.
They just need to figure out a way to win.
Central Issues
There were ten ballgames on Thursday. In nine of them, the losing team scored one run or fewer.
Athletics 0, Tigers 8
Dietrich Enns, making his first major league start since August 10, 2017, allowed just one hit over five innings. He combined with four Tigers relievers on the shutout. Spencer Torkelson hit his 17th home run of the season to open the scoring for Detroit in the second. Gleyber Torres hit a two-run home run and Zach McKinstry added a two-run triple. Detroit is now 20 games over .500.
Blue Jays 6, Guardians 0
Frontier justice was the theme of the day. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. was hit by a pitch in the third inning and ultimately exited the game. An inning later, José Ramírez was plunked and he, too, left early. Both players were diagnosed with right forearm contusions. When the two teams actually played baseball, the Guardians were more in the mood for soccer, apparently…they booted four balls on the afternoon. Nathan Lukes hit a two-run single and Alejandro Kirk had a bases-clearing single thanks to a throwing error from Steven Kwan. Kevin Gausman held the Guardians to two hits over eight innings.
Mariners 1, Twins 10
Minnesota exploded for eight runs in the sixth. I’d like to focus on the fact that Seattle scored their lone run with two outs in the ninth when Kody Clemens couldn’t field a ground ball cleanly. We were this close to every AL Central team participating in a shutout. Thanks for nothing, Minnesota.
Up next
God, do we have to? Are there still games we have to pay attention to? Wait…the Dodgers are coming to town? Gah. I fully expect the Royals to sweep.
June 27 - RHP Dustin May (4-5, 4.46) vs. LHP Noah Cameron (2-3, 2.08) at 7:10 p.m. June 28 - RHP Shohei Ohtani (0-0, 4.50) vs. RHP Seth Lugo (4-5, 2.93) at 3:10 p.m.
June 29 - TBA vs. LHP Kris Bubic (6-5, 2.18) at 1:10 p.m.
Ohtani has made two starts this month, going an inning each time. So, make sure you arrive at The K early and are in your seats when the game starts.
Completely agree with the rearranging the deck chairs analogy; also completely agree that SOMEthing has to happen or the fan base will rebel. Wait, no, the fan base will not rebel because it has fallen into a coma from the lack of offensive action.
Boy, I thought the offensive collapse last September was bad, but then at least it could largely be blamed on Vinnie's absence from the lineup. Also, BWJ became fatigued and faded.
More and more, we have to appreciate just how magical a season 2024 was.
I thought Freddy's brilliant play would provide momentum, but no. At least the fans appreciated it.
It has become so predictable that a currently struggling opposing pitcher, or at least one with a porky ERA, will dominate this pathetic lineup that bettors should be lining up to wager.
PS, always dig "Full Stop" when making a point.
I can't even bring myself to go watch Ohtani pitch. I've seen him in person twice, both DHing, including the game in LA last year where he hit two home runs against us. That was the one where a relief pitcher no one had or ever had heard of injured Mookie Betts.