Like so many Royals games of the last couple of months, this one was over early.
First Inning Struggles
The @Royals have now allowed an MLB-high 72 runs in the 1st inning. They allowed a total of 68 in 162 games last season.
— Dave Holtzman (@DHoltzy) July 26, 2016
That tells you everything you need to know, doesn’t it? This is a team that falls behind early and lacks offensive firepower to get back into the game. Which made Ian Kennedy’s opening frame all the more fatal. Single, walk (on four pitches), walk, single and the Royals were down two before the first out was recorded. That first out was a productive one for the Angels, as it was a sacrifice fly to plate the third run. A double and a single tacked on the insurance.
From there, Kennedy was okay. He scattered two more hits and another walk through his remaining four innings of work. But the rocky first elevated his pitch count and he never recorded a quick inning to get back on track. He exited following an error in the top of the sixth after 106 pitches. That’s 15 outs recorded. Not especially efficient.
Mayor Sal
The lone offensive bright spot for the Royals was the Salvador Perez home run that cut the Angels lead in half. First pitch swinging, Perez caught a slider that hung over the middle of the plate and crushed it into the Royals bullpen.
It was a lonely home run.
Playing Out The String
Trade deadline talk began in earnest following Sunday’s loss to the Rangers. This uninspiring display against the last place Angels should accelerate the discussion.
It’s not that this team is tired, or that they’re not trying, or that they don’t give a damn. It’s that this team simply isn’t good enough. Injuries have taken their toll for sure. While Cheslor Cuthbert looks like he belongs, Whit Merrifield has fallen back to Earth so fast after his hot start, he disintegrated upon re-entry into the atmosphere. Brett Eibner seems overmatched. Paulo Orlando has regressed which shouldn’t surprise anyone. Alex Gordon has never gotten on track. And Perez, home run heroics not withstanding, has hit his midsummer wall.
The excitement and buzz that inhabited The K for most of the last two seasons has been replaced with boredom. This team is capable of the occasional theatrical moment, but these games, especially post All-Star Break have been uninteresting. That’s the most damning criticism of all.
Up Next
The middle game of the three game set is at 7:15 Tuesday. Dillon Gee tries to make Kansas City forget about its trouble with the fifth starter.