Welcome back, Franmil. Fatherhood definitely agrees with you. Two doubles, a two-run single and a walk.
Welcome, Harold Ramirez. AFAIC, you can play right field every day with Luplow in center, Naylor at first, and Gimenez at short. I'm tired of waiting for Amed to get going and I don't want his glove at shortstop.
Before the game they noted that Indians' leadoff hitters this year are hitting .149 with an OBP of .259. Right on cue, Cesar Hernandez gets three walks and a single.
Shaw came in to get Merrifield out with the bases loaded and two out in a 3-3 game. Great job. But the next inning the Indians scored five runs and Shaw spent a long time in the dugout, then had to warm up a second time. He immediately walked Santana on four pitches but managed to get two out before Tito brought in Karinchak to face Hunter Pence. Next time I'll bet Karinchak starts him off with a curve.
High drama in the 9th after the bloop single with Pence vs. Clase. Emmanual very intelligently threw him three sliders to get ahead 1-2 then painted the outside corner with a 99 to finish him off. Very impressive.
It looks like some of those hard hit balls are starting to find holes. Oh, and people are going to have to stop saying Naylor doesn't have enough power.
Too bad Luplow is hurt - we could use him in this series but his injury gives Harold Ramirez a chance to make an impression.
Eddie Rosario hit his first home run since April 12 - over three weeks. What a time for it!
It feels like Chang and Bauers are watching their professional careers blow away day by day. And Roberto Perez simply cannot put the bat on the ball. So far he's struck out 28 times in 61 at-bats. Maybe he should get his eyes checked. Or maybe that fractured finger is bothering his swing more than they're letting on.
Great win, now let's see what Hentges can do in his first major league start tomorrow. Lynch wasn't bad, but his bullpen let him down.
The Royals bullpen threw 101 pitches tonight. Tomorrow's starter, Mike Minor, is averaging five innings per start. Let's get him out of there in five and make the pen throw 100 more and put them in a bind the last two games.