LOS ANGELES DODGERS NOTES:
TONIGHT’S STARTER at ROYALS: RHP BOBBY MILLER (3-1, 4.13 ERA in 6 GS)
2023 SEASON NOTES:
- The big right-hander picked up his third win of the year on June 9 against the Phillies, firing six shutout innings, giving up three hits and three walks while sitting down seven
- Had the longest scoreless innings streak for the club this season with 20 consecutive innings (May 29-June 17)…it was snapped on the 17th against the Giants
- Became the first Dodger pitcher since at least 1901 with a 6.0+ IP scoreless start allowing one hit or fewer within his first three appearances (ESPN Stats)
- First Dodgers rookie starting pitcher to earn the win in his first two career starts since Jose De Leon (9/04/16 vs. SD and 9/12/16 at NYY)
- Illinois native picked up the win in his Major League debut against Atlanta May 23 after spinning five innings and giving up four hits, one run and one walk while striking out five
- Owns a 1-1 record across four starts with Triple-A Oklahoma City with a 5.65 ERA (9 ER/14.1 IP) with 12 strikeouts and just 6 issued walks…has limited the opposition to a .212/.295/.385 slashline
- Was a non-roster invitee to Spring Training…did not appear
VS. ROYALS:
- Will face Kansas City for the first time in his career
KANSAS CITY ROYALS NOTES:
EXTRA WILD WALK OFF: The Royals scored 2 runs in the 10th inning yesterday to earn a 4-3 comeback win over the Guardians, their 4th walk-off victory of the season…Shane Bieber held the Royals scoreless on 2 hits through the 6th inning and the Royals trailed 2-0 into the 8th, when they tied the game on a 2-out RBI single by Nick Pratto…after the teams traded zeros in the 9th, Cleveland’s Automatic Runner, José Ramírez advanced to third on a groundout to begin the 10th, and stole home off left hander Aroldis Chapman to score the goahead run…but Kansas City mounted another comeback in the bottom half, when Nicky Lopez singled to begin the frame—which set up runners at the corners—and with 1 out, Freddy Fermin delivered a walk-off, 2-run double off Emmanuel Clase to spoil Cleveland’s bid for a sweep and snap Kansas City’s 3-game losing streak.
The Royals won in extra innings yesterday for the first time since last Oct. 3 in Cleveland, and won their 1st extra-innings game at Kauffman Stadium since April 9, 2022 vs. Cleveland, snapping a 4-game skid.
The Royals won despite being out-hit 13-6 (-7), their largest negative margin in a win since April 12, 2021 vs. the Angels, a 3-2 victory in which the final out was a 2-5 putout after the Royals were out-hit 12-5 (-7).
COMEBACK KIDS: The Royals erased a deficit twice in the late innings yesterday, overcoming a 2-0 deficit in the 8th and a 3-2 deficit in the 10th…it was their 10th comeback win of the season, which are still the fewest in the Majors, but 4 of those comeback wins have come in the last 12 games…during this two-week stretch, the Royals have won games in which they’ve trailed in the 9th inning (June 17 vs. the Angels), after the 7th inning (June 22 at Rays) and in the 10th inning (yesterday vs. the Guardians)…the Royals have now won 6 games this season in which they’ve trailed at the end of the 7th inning, matching their win total from all of last season…their 6 such wins are tied for the most in the American League and are 1 shy of the Reds and Giants for the most in the Majors.
Freddy Fermin, who had a walk-off bunt single on May 11 vs. the White Sox, and won yesterday’s game with a 2-run double, is the first Royals rookie with multiple walk-off RBI since Eric Hosmer had 3 in 2011.
ROSTER MOVE: The Royals announced today that Alec Marsh (No. 67) has been recalled and will start tonight’s game in his Major League debut…he’ll be the fourth Royals player to debut this season and he’ll be the first Royals pitcher to start in his debut since Angel Zerpa on Sept. 30, 2021…the last Royal to start and win his Majors debut was Eric Skoglund, who threw 6.1 scoreless innings in a 1-0 victory on May 30, 2017 vs. Detroit.
In a corresponding move, James McArthur—who debuted Wednesday—was optioned to Triple-A Omaha.
Marsh will become the 15th different pitcher to start a game for the Royals through 82 games this season, breaking a tie with the Rays for the most in the Majors…the 15 different starters are already tied for the 4th most in a single season in franchise history, trailing only 2006 (17), 1992 (16) and 1990 (16).
Marsh, 25, was Kansas City’s 2nd-round pick in 2019 out of Arizona State University, and was added to the 40-man roster last November…he began this season at Double-A Northwest Arkansas and was promoted to Triple-A on June 13…in 3 starts with Omaha, Marsh went 2-0 with a 2.40 ERA (4 ER in 15.0 IP), and over 62.1 innings this season, he’s 5-3 with 75 strikeouts for a 10.8 K/9.
ARMS IN THE OUTFIELD: The Royals recorded a pair of outfield assists in yesterday’s win, their 5th game this year with multiple outfield assists…the Royals lead the Majors with 18 outfield assists—1 ahead of the Tigers— and eight different Royals have recorded at least 1, including a team-high 4 outfield assists by MJ Melendez.
Kansas City’s 18 outfield assists are 4 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.
SALVY SPLASHES: Mired in an 0-for-16 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 tonight to begin this 3-game series, 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 6-9 in 15 all-time meetings with the Dodgers, which are tied with the Phillies for their fewest games 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 9 games since, the Royals are 2-7 and have been outscored 45-26 (-19).
The Royals are a Majors-worst 8-21 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.
SCORING CHANGES: Major League Baseball announced a pair of scoring changes yesterday that impacted the Royals…on June 17 vs. the Angels, Mickey Moniak reached in the 1st on what was originally ruled an error on shortstop Bobby Witt Jr…this has been changed to a hit off Mike Mayers…on June 20 in Detroit, Dairon Blanco reached in the 4th on what was ruled a single, but has been changed to an error on third baseman Jonathan Schoop.
ROYALS ON THE MEND: The Royals have 12 players currently on the Injured List, six of whom were on the Opening Day roster…their 12 current injuries include eight 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.
Ryan Yarbrough continued his rehab assignment last 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.
Michael Massey, who suffered a left hand laceration on June 14 vs. the Reds, will begin a rehab assignment tonight with Triple-A Omaha.
Diego Hernandez had his rehab assignment transferred to Class-A Quad Cities today, 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.
Left hander Angel Zerpa had his rehab assignment transfered 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.
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…he was placed on the 15-day IL on May 19 with a right shoulder impingement, and last pitched for the Royals on May 15.
Amir Garrett was the third Royals pitcher to appear on a rehab assignment Wednesday night with Triple-A Omaha…he was charged with 3 runs on 2 hits and 1 walk in the 7th inning in his 2nd rehab appearance…he has been on the Injured List since June 2 with left elbow valgus extension overload.
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.
TONIGHT’S STARTERS: RHP ALEC MARSH (MLB DEBUT)
ALEC MARSH was recalled from Triple-A Omaha today and will be making his Major League debut in his start tonight vs. the Los Angeles Dodgers…Alec was selected by the Royals in the 2nd round of the 2019 Draft out of Arizona State University.
WELCOME TO THE SHOW: Marsh is set to become the fourth Royal to make his Major League debut this year—and the second this homestand—following right-handed pitcher James McArthur, who debuted on Wednesday night vs. the Guardians, infielder/outfielder Samad Taylor, who made his debut on June 17 vs. the Angels and left hander Austin Cox, who debuted on May 4 vs. the Orioles.
He’ll become the 15th different starting pitcher the Royals have employed this season, which will break a tie with the Rays for the most starters used by a team this season…their 15 different starters are the most by any Royals team since the 2006 club used a franchise-record 17 different starters.
