Contenders or pretenders? That may be a related query when speaking in regards to the Kansas Metropolis Royals. If the reply had been primarily based on the final three video games towards the Yankees, that reply could be a convincing “pretenders.”
The Yankees have just about dismantled the Royals up to now on this sequence, outscoring them 25-8 over the past three video games. In recreation one, the Yankees did not even hassle to start out outfielder Aaron Decide, first baseman Anthony Rizzo or DH Giancarlo Stanton, and so they nonetheless received 4-2 towards early Cy Younger candidate Seth Lugo.
Throughout the next two video games, the Yankees have smoked the Royals like a pleasant brisket, scoring 21 runs. Within the course of, New York could have uncovered the Royals rotation and it is lack of depth.
The Yankees scored 4 runs on eight singles towards Lugo over seven innings. On the floor, it wasn’t that unhealthy of a efficiency by Lugo, however once more, a number of the large weapons for New York weren’t within the line-up. In recreation two, the Yanks pounded starter Brady Singer, scoring seven runs, six earned, in 5.2 innings.
With Michael Wacha on the injured record, Kansas Metropolis has been utilizing Daniel Lynch IV. The Royals did not belief him to start out towards New York, as an alternative turning to Dan Altavilla, who till Monday, hadn’t pitched within the majors since early 2021.
The Yankees teed off on Altavilla for 5 runs in a 3rd of an inning. The Royals introduced in Lynch, who held the Bronx Bombers at bay for just a few innings earlier than ultimately giving up six runs over 6.2 innings.
Lugo and Singer have each pitched nicely over everything of the season, and each are entitled to a nasty recreation, however the timing is suspect. Ok.C. clearly did not belief Lynch sufficient to start out this recreation, however he needed to are available within the first inning anyway, already in an enormous gap.
You possibly can’t dismiss the very fact the Royals are nonetheless 9 video games over .500 and in second place within the AL Central. They’re nonetheless going to be an element within the Central shifting ahead, however you may as well see them crumbling because the season progresses.
The Royals have another recreation towards the Yankees, then three in Los Angeles towards the Dodgers. If Kansas Metropolis cannot discover methods to play higher in these 4 video games than it did within the final three, it is going to be onerous to proceed to take the crew severely.
Kansas Metropolis’s rotation could be beginning to regress to a more-expected efficiency degree, and if it solely has 5 pitchers who can begin, that’s going to be a problem with greater than half the season left to go.
It’d simply be slightly crew hunch for the rotation, or the final three video games might be harbingers for issues to come back.
