LOS ANGELES DODGERS NOTES:
TODAY’S STARTER at ROYALS: LHP JULIO URĺAS (5-4, 4.39 ERA in 10 GS)
2023 NOTES:
- Makes his first start back since going on the IL May 20 with a left hamstring strain
- Over 10 starts, the southpaw owns a 5-4 record with a 4.39 ERA (27 ER/55.1 IP) with 53 strikeouts and 11 walks…has given up 14 homers and has produced a 1.16 WHIP
- Pitched a season-high seven innings, striking out a season-best 10 batters on May 2 against the Phillies
- He is 4-1 with a 1.99 ERA (7 ER/31.2 IP) and 32 strikeouts in five starts at home this season
- In his start against the Rockies on April 4, he hurled six innings of shut-out baseball, tabbing his 600TH career strikeout against Kris Bryant
- Tossed six innings on Opening Day against the Diamondbacks, giving up four hits and two earned runs while sitting down six…was his first Opening Day nod of his career
- Key participant in the World Baseball Classic for Team Mexico, firing 9.0 innings in two starts against Colombia and Puerto Rico…struck out nine batters and walked three while allowing just one earned run on two hits
VS. ROYALS
- He will face Kansas City for the first time in his career
KANSAS CITY ROYALS NOTES:
ABOUT LAST NIGHT: The Royals suffered a 9-3 loss to the Dodgers last night at Kauffman Stadium, falling to a season-high-tying 36 games under .500 (23-59) and 1-3 on this 6-game homestand…they trailed from the 5th pitch on, as Mookie Betts hit a leadoff HR to welcome Alec Marsh into his Major League debut…Betts reached six times—including 4 hits—and went 3-for-3 with 2 HR vs. Marsh, although the rest of the Dodgers lineup went just 3-for-15 vs. him…the Royals manufactured single tallies in the 3rd, 4th and 6th, but fell short of matching a Dodgers offense that scored in 6 of 9 innings…Maikel Garcia snapped an 0-for-15 skid with a team-high 3 hits and had 2 steals, improving to 13-for-13 in steals attempts…that marks the 2nd-most steals without being caught to begin a career in Royals history, trailing Terrance Gore, who started his career 17-for-17 (Elias).
ROSTER MOVE: The Royals announced today that right-handed pitcher Brooks Kriske has been optioned to Triple-A Omaha…in a corresponding move, right hander Collin Snider has been recalled from Omaha…Snider, who made the Opening Day roster last season, has spent all of this season at Triple-A Omaha, where he’s gone 4-1 with 2 saves and a 6.35 ERA (20 ER in 28.1 IP)…over his last 9 appearances since June 3, Snider has pitched to a 3.00 ERA (3 ER in 9.0 IP) with 2 wins, 2 saves and 8 strikeouts.
JUNE SWOON: The Royals finished the month of June with a Major League-worst 6-20 (.231) record, in which they were outscored 154-83 (-71)…this marked their second 20-loss month this season, following their 7-21 April, and the 20 losses fell 1 shy of the franchise record for any month, done five times previously.
Today begins a new month, and one they had some success in last season, as their 13 wins in July last year tied for their most in any month…the Royals are scheduled to play 25 games in July—including 12 at home and 13 on the road—with a four-day break coming mid-month for the 2023 All-Star festivities.
ON DECK: As the Royals eagerly flip the calendar to July and put the month of June behind them, there’s plenty of excitement waiting for Royals fans in the coming weeks…the 2023 First-Year Player Draft begins one week from tomorrow, and the Royals hold the 8th overall pick and four of the first 75 picks, including a Competitive Balance Round B selection (66th overall)…the Royals also figure to be busy as we approach the Trade Deadline, which is one month from today…they made the first big move of the season yesterday, when they acquired left-handed pitcher Cole Ragans and minor league outfielder Roni Cabrera from the Rangers for Aroldis Chapman…Ragans, who made the Rangers Opening Day roster, was optioned to Triple-A Omaha.
ARMS IN THE OUTFIELD: Edward Olivares threw out David Peralta at third base in the 7th inning last night to mark his 4th outfield assist, matching MJ Melendez for the team lead…it was also the Royals 19th outfield assist of the season—and 3rd in the last 2 games—extending their Major League lead over the Tigers and Padres (17).
Kansas City’s 19 outfield assists are 3 shy of its total from all of last season, when the Royals finished tied for 16th in the Majors with 22…the Royals last led the Majors in outfield assists in 2011 and 2012, when they had 51 in both seasons, which were the most by any Major League team since Cleveland had 51 in 1993.
POWER OUTAGE: The Royals have not homered in their last 5 games, since Salvador Perez’s game-tying, 2-run homer in the 3rd inning on July 23 off Tampa Bay’s Zach Eflin…in the 5 homerless games since, the Royals offense is batting .163 (26-for-160) with 10 runs (2.0 runs/game) and only 6 extra-base hits (all doubles)…the 5-game homer drought is their longest since May 4-10, 2022 (5 games), and they haven’t gone 6 games without a home run in four years, since an 8-game drought from May 11-19, 2019.
SALVY SPLASHES: Mired in an 0-for-20 slump, Salvador Perez is sitting on 499 career extra-base hits, which is tied with Royals Hall of Famer Mike Sweeney for 6th most in franchise history…with his next extra-base hit, Salvy will become one of six Royals to record 500, and will join Hall of Famer George Brett (1,119), Hal McRae (681), Frank White (625), Amos Otis (623) and Alex Gordon (573)…he’ll become one of 27 active players with 500 extra-base hits, a list that’s headed by Miguel Cabrera (1,141), who has 290 more than Nelson Cruz (851), the next closest player…Salvy’s 499 extra-base hits rank 21st all-time among primary catchers (min. 75% games played at the position), 5 shy of Jason Kendall (504) for 20th…that list is headed by Hall of Famer Iván Rodríguez (934).
Salvy is the Royals all-time leader in Interleague play in home runs (37) and RBI (113).
INTERLEAGUE INTERLUDE: The Royals welcome the Dodgers to Kauffman Stadium for a 3-game series this weekend, which marks the Dodgers fourth visit to Kansas City but second in as many seasons…the Royals lost 2 of 3 vs. the Dodgers here last season, but won the finale to snap their 7-game losing streak vs. the Dodgers and halt the Dodgers 12-game win streak overall, which was the 3rd longest win streak in the Majors last year.
The Royals are 6-10 in 16 all-time meetings with the Dodgers, which are 1 more than their 15 games vs. the Phillies for their fewest vs. any opponent…the Royals have lost four of their previous five series with the Dodgers, and their only series win came in a 3-game sweep here at Kauffman Stadium from June 14-16, 2005…in 10 games since, the Royals are 2-8 and have been outscored 54-29 (-25).
The Royals are a Majors-worst 8-22 in Interleague play this season, and this weekend’s series vs. the Dodgers is Kansas City’s only Interleague action during a current 39-game span that began on June 16 and extends through the end of next month…following this weekend, the Royals will play their next 23 games vs. American League opponents, before their next Interleague series from Aug. 1-3 vs. the New York Mets.
ROYALS ON THE MEND: The Royals have 11 players currently on the Injured List, five of whom were on the Opening Day roster…their 11 current injuries include seven pitchers—five of which have made at least 1 start this season—and two position players who were in the starting lineup on Opening Day.
Michael Massey began a rehab assignment with Triple-A Omaha last night and went 1-for-4 while playing 7.0 innings at second base…Massey was placed on the 10-day Injured List on June 18 (retroactive to June 15) with a left hand laceration he suffered on June 14 vs. Cincinnati.
Diego Hernandez had his rehab assignment transferred to Class-A Quad Cities yesterday, after going 11-for-25 with 6 RBI in 6 rehab games in the Arizona Complex League…Hernandez, who was added to the 40-man roster last offseason, suffered a dislocated right shoulder in Spring Training.
Ryan Yarbrough continued his rehab assignment Thursday night with Triple-A Omaha and allowed 2 runs on 2 hits and 1 walk in 4.2 innings, with 9 strikeouts, his 3rd rehab start and 2nd with Omaha…Yarbs is recovering from skull fractures suffered when he was hit by a comebacker on May 7.
Brad Keller began his rehab assignment Wednesday at Triple-A Omaha, where he allowed 2 runs on 4 walks and retired just one of the five batters he faced on 20 pitches, and is scheduled to pitch again tonight…he was placed on the IL on May 19 with a right shoulder impingement.
Left hander Angel Zerpa had his rehab assignment transferred to Triple-A Omaha on Wednesday and allowed 2 runs on 4 hits and 3 walks in 4.1 innings…Zerpa, who was placed on the 60-day IL on March 15 with left shoulder tendinopathy, has a 2.19 ERA (3 ER in 12.1 IP) in 4 rehab starts.
Josh Taylor, who has been out since May 28 with a shoulder impingement, had surgery Wednesday to repair a herniated disk in his lumbar spine.
Vinnie Pasquantino had successful surgery last week to repair a torn labrum in his right shoulder, and is expected to miss the rest of the year.
SERIES SPEAKING: The Royals are hoping for a win tonight to force what would be their 8th rubber game of 2023 tomorrow…but with a loss tonight, the Royals would clinch their 13th straight winless series since their last win, when they took 2 of 3 from May 15-17 in San Diego…in 12 completed sets since, they have suffered 10 losses and two splits, which trails only a streak of 16 winless series from April 15-June 9, 2019 for the longest drought in Royals history
TONIGHT’S STARTERS: LHP DANIEL LYNCH (1-3, 3.96)
DANIEL LYNCH is making his 7th start of the year and 49th of his career tonight vs. the Dodgers…it’s his 2nd career start vs. Los Angeles…Lynch, 26, was selected by the Royals in the 1st round of the 2018 First-Year Player Draft out of the University of Virginia.
Lynch was reinstated from the Injured List on May 28, after missing the first 53 games of the season due to a rotator cuff strain.
HITTING HIS STRIDE: Lynch did not factor into the decision of Kansas City’s 3-1 loss at Tropicana Field last Sunday vs. the Rays, in which he allowed just 1 run on 6 hits and 1 walk in 6.0 innings, with 2 strikeouts…Daniel was tasked with opposing Tyler Glasnow—who spun 5.0 innings of 1-run ball with 12 strikeouts himself—and he was able to dance into-and-out-of danger most of the afternoon…he stranded a leadoff single at third base in the 1st inning, a 2-out single in the 2nd, a pair of runners in the 3rd, a leadoff single in the 4th and another runner in the 5th before working a 1-2-3 6th, ending his day on a high-note…his lone blemish came in that 3rd inning when Jose Siri connected for a solo home run to lead off the frame, the only run he surrendered…the offense tied the game via a Maikel Garcia RBI single in the 4th, but Tampa Bay plated 2 runs off Taylor Clarke in the 8th to steal the victory.
Lynch became just the third pitcher this season to earn back-to-back quality starts while striking out two batters or fewer in each, joining Miles Mikolas (May 14-20) and Wade Miley (April 28-May 4), and the first Royal to turn the trick since Zack Greinke’s final 2 starts of last season (Sept. 27-Oct. 3).
The homer allowed to Siri snapped his homerless streak at 12.0 innings, dating back to June 14, which tied his career high from April 12-26 of last season.
GREAT LENGTHS: Lynch has recorded 6.0 innings in each of his last 4 starts for the first time in his career, joining Jordan Lyles who also has a 4-start streak of at least 6.0 innings dating back to June 7…they join San Diego’s Blake Snell (6), Joe Musgrove (4) and Houston’s J.P. France (6) and Lance McCullers Jr. (4) as the only three pairs of teammates with active streaks of 6.0 innings in 4 straight starts.
SOUTHPAW STORY: Lynch has faced 1,062 batters in his 48 career starts, but only 127 of them have been left-handed batters (12.0%), a group that he held in check through his first 33 starts, in which lefties were 11-for-61 (.180) with only 2 extra-base hits for a .246 slugging percentage…the tide has turned in his last 15 starts, during which left handers have gone 20-for-48 (.417) with 5 extra-base hits for a 1.024 OPS…however, he hasn’t faced a single left-handed hitter since June 9 (4 starts ago).
He hasn’t faced a left-handed batter in his last 3 starts, as he faced seven right handers and two switch-hitters vs. Tampa Bay, nine right handers June 20 in Detroit and eight right handers plus one switch hitter on June 14 vs. the Reds…he hasn’t faced a left-handed batter in 15 of 48 career starts (31.3%).
Per Elias, Lynch owns each of the last two instances in which a starting pitcher went at least 3 starts without facing a left-handed hitter (also July 11-Aug. 1, 2022)…prior to him, Chicago’s Justin Steele did so from Sept. 1-12, 2021.
Only 2 of the 36 home runs he’s allowed have been hit by lefties: Boston’s Alex Verdugo on Aug. 6, 2022 and Minnesota’s Nick Gordon on Sept. 15, 2022.
On the other hand, right handers are hitting .283 (237-for-836) with 35 HR in his career, including a .287 clip (135-for-470) and 19 HR last year…but through 6 starts this season, he’s held righties to a .214 average (27-for-126) with 6 HR.
STRIKEOUT STORY: Despite recording 2 strikeouts in his last start, Daniel reached the 200-strikeout threshold with his inning-ending K to Randy Arozarena in the 1st inning, making him the second left hander in Royals history to reach 200 strikeouts through 48 appearances or fewer, joining Bill Butler, who reached 200 strikeouts
in his 46th career appearance in 1970, and had 213 strikeouts through 48 games.
SEEKING SUPPORT: Lynch ended last season with 11 consecutive winless starts, in which he went 0-6 with a 5.73 ERA (35 ER in 55.0 IP) and received only 22 runs of support, for an average of 3.60 runs per 9.0 innings…although he won on June 20, snapping the streak of winless starts at 15, the poor run support trend has continued in 2023, in which he’s 1-3 in 6 starts with 9 runs of support in his 36.1 innings of work.
FIRST THING’S FIRST: He allowed 79 runs in 27 starts (131.2 IP) last year, and 19 of those runs came in the 1st inning (24.1%)…this trend was an improvement from 2021, when he allowed 20 1st-inning runs in 15 starts, accounting for 43.5% of the 46 runs he allowed for the season…his 1st-inning woes have showed up just once in his 6 starts this season, on June 9 in Baltimore, where he allowed a leadoff HR to Austin Hays…of the 143 runs he’s allowed in 48 career starts, 45 have come in the 1st, in which he has a 7.74 ERA (41 ER in 47.2 IP)…from the 2nd inning on, he owns a 4.47 ERA (93 ER in 187.1 IP).
LA LA LAND: Lynch is making his 2nd career start vs. the Dodgers, who he held scoreless on just 2 hits across 5.0 innings on Aug. 12, 2022 here in Kansas City…he did issue 4 walks with 3 strikeouts, but he did not factor into the decision of an 8-3 loss after the ‘pen allowed 8 runs in 4.0 innings.
HOME SKID: Daniel earned the win in his 2022 home opener on April 20 vs. the Twins with 5.0 scoreless inning…but he’s 0-7 with a 6.36 ERA (49 ER in 69.1 IP) in 14 home starts since, which marks the 2nd-most consecutive home starts without a win in Royals history, trailing only Ian Kennedy, who made 18 consecutive winless starts at home from Aug. 31, 2016-Sept. 8, 2017.
