What do you get when you put a guy on the mound who is on pace to allow a record number of homers against a team that hits home runs in bunches in a park that is notorious for home runs? You get Tuesday night’s Royals vs. Blue Jays game, a game that featured four Blue Jays home runs against Chris Young that might be the end of the line (for now) for Young in the rotation. The final score was 8-3, but you could argue the game wasn’t even that close.
The game began with two veteran starters striking out the side in the first, but the difference was what was allowed outside of the strikeouts. R.A. Dickey gave up a bloop single to center while Young gave up a long home run to center. It was just the beginning.
After allowing a long fly ball out to light hitting Josh Thole, Young allowed back-to-back home runs to Ezequiel Carrera and Josh Donaldson. Two more hits followed and then the big bomb was hit by Troy Tulowitzki, a three-run homer to left that pushed the Blue Jays lead to 6-0. Young’s night was done, and in effect, so was the game for the Royals.
Chein-Ming Wang did come on and provided some quality relief, allowing just a single run on a bloop single. Then Brooks Pounders made his big league debut after getting the call earlier in the day with the news that Wade Davis was heading to the disabled list. Pounders showed good stuff, getting strikeouts in his first big league game. He did end up giving up a run, but looked like he might just belong.
The only bright spot for the Royals offensively was Cheslor Cuthbert. He hit atwo-run homer hit by in the top of the fourth after Salvador Perez reached on an error by Michael Saunders. Then in the ninth, he hit a double to right-center to score Eric Hosmer, who had two hits of his own, to bookend the scoring. Jarrod Dyson doubled and Alex Gordon drew two walks. Yes, it’s a stretch to find very many positives.
In all, it was a forgettable game for the Royals. It was a game that pushed them further out of first place than they’ve been at any point this season and the furthest they’ve trailed in the division since July 21, 2014. If you want to use that as an omen, I’ll allow it. I probably won’t join in, but I’ll allow it.
Hey Now, You’re an All-Star
In the first hour of the game, the All-Star teams were announced, and the Royals weren’t quite as well represented as they were last season. Perez made his fourth All-Star team and was the highest vote getter of any player on any team, which is pretty cool. Eric Hosmer was elected to the game and will make his first appearance.
On the pitching side, Wade Davis was named to his second consecutive team on the day it was announced he’d be placed on the 15-day DL with a forearm strain, so he won’t pitch in the game. Kelvin Herrera was also named to Ned Yost’s squad for the second consecutive year. And no, Whit Merrifield was not included on the final vote as I thought he might be. I guess it didn’t help him that he fell off his early pace by so much.
History in the Making
With the four home runs allowed by Chris Young in the game, he’s now allowed 26 home runs in just 60 innings this season. That’s currently the highest home runs per nine innings allowed by any pitcher in big league history with at least 60 innings thrown. The Royals record for home runs allowed in a season is 38 by Darrell May. He did that in 186 innings. The 26 he’s allowed this year are tied for 27th most in Royals history. Of course, the others around him have given up those home runs in a minimum of 109.1 innings. Zack Greinke did allow 26 in 145 innings in 2004, so maybe Young will win the Cy Young in five years.
Up Next
The Royals will mercifully play just one more game in Toronto in the regular season this year as Ian Kennedy will face Marcus Stroman in the series finale on Wednesday night at 6:05 central time.