LOS ANGELES DODGERS NOTES:
TODAY’S STARTER at ROYALS: RHP TONY GONSOLIN (4-2, 3.30 ERA in 11 GS)
2023 SEASON NOTES:
- Got his fourth win of the season in his start against the White Sox on June 13, tossing six scoreless innings of on two hits, two walks while punching out six
- 2022 All-Star tossed his first win of the season on May 14th against San Diego after firing five scoreless innings and giving up two hits, one walk, and tying a season-high six strikeouts
- In his rehab start with Triple-A Oklahoma City on April 20th, he hurled three innings, allowing one hit, two earned runs, two walks while sitting down seven
- Made one Spring Training start, tossing 2.1 innings, allowing no runs on three hits, while walking two and striking out two
- Gonsolin is 30-8 in his career and is tied for the second fewest decisions all-time among pitchers to reach 30 victories. In addition, his 27-6 (.818) record as a starter is the best in the modern era through 60 games started.
VS. ROYALS:
- This will be his second start against Kansas City…last faced the club on August 12, 2022 tossing 6.2 innings giving up two hits, one run and three walks while striking out three en route to a win
KANSAS CITY ROYALS NOTES:
FIRST THINGS FIRST: Fueled by a 5-run 1st inning, the Royals beat the Dodgers by a 6-4 score last night at Kauffman Stadium following a 1-hour, 25-minute rain delay…Kansas City recorded 4 hits, 2 sacrifice flies, 1 hit batter and a 12-pitch walk by Nick Pratto in Julio Urías’s 36-pitch 1st frame, which ultimately was enough to knock off the Dodgers in front of a national audience on FOX…the offense recorded just 1 hit after the 2nd inning, but the bullpen combined for 4.0 innings of 1-run ball in relief of Daniel Lynch, who yielded 3 runs in the 2nd but retired seven of his last eight batters and completed 5.0 innings on a career-high 108 pitches… Carlos Hernández cruised through the 6th inning and stranded a leadoff double by Mookie Betts in the 7th to record 2.0 scoreless innings…Scott Barlow escaped a bases-loaded jam in relief of Taylor Clarke in the 8th and went 1-2-3 in the 9th to record his 10th save of the season and 14th career save of at least 4 outs.
The Royals, who are now undefeated in July, won a game in which they scored in the 1st inning for the first time since May 10 vs. the White Sox, snapping an 11-game losing streak when scoring in the 1st.
HBD, PARKER!: Royals Bullpen Catcher/Strategist Parker Morin is celebrating his 32nd birthday today and shares this date of birth with Toronto’s Daulton Varsho (27), 2012 World Series champion Ángel Pagán (42), former Royals pitcher Tim Spehr (57) and 1988 American League MVP—among other things—José Canseco (59).
Morin is in his fourth year in his current role after playing as a catcher in the organization from 2012- 18…his seven-year career as a player included being named the Mike Sweeney Award winner in 2015.
SERIES SPEAKING: After splitting the 1st 2 games of this series, the Royals are playing their 8th rubber game of the season today vs. the Dodgers…the Royals are 1-6 in their previous 7 series-deciding games, the only win being on May 17 in San Diego…that also marked Kansas City’s last series win of any kind, and with a win today, the Royals would snap a run of 12 consecutive winless series—in which they’ve lost 10 and split two—which is tied for the 2nd-longest streak of winless series within a single season in Royals history, according to Elias… the only longer streak came from April 15-June 9, 2019, when they went winless over 16 consecutive series.
The Royals are 0-2 in series-deciding games vs. the Dodgers, with the losses coming in 2003 and 2014… they are seeking their first series win vs. the Dodgers since a 3-game sweep here from June 13-16, 2005.
POWER OUTAGE: The Royals have not homered in their last 6 games, since Edward Olivares’ home run in the 8th inning on July 24 off Tampa Bay’s Zack Littell…in the 6 homerless games since, the Royals offense is batting .176 (33-for-187) with 16 runs (2.7 runs/game) and only 7 extra-base hits (all doubles)… the 6-game home run drought is their longest in four years, since an 8-game drought from May 11-19, 2019.
The Royals are also homerless in their last 6 home games—and in 8 of their last 9 at home—since MJ Melendez homered off Griffin Canning in Kansas City’s 10-9 comeback win on June 17 vs. the Angels…this is the Royals longest homerless streak at Kauffman Stadium since a 7-game drought from Sept. 5-27, 2019.
SALVY SPLASHES: Salvador Perez snapped an 0-for-20 skid with a bloop RBI single in Kansas City’s 5-run 1st inning last night…he enters tonight with 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).
Perez is the Royals all-time leader in Interleague play in home runs (37) and RBI (114).
ON DECK: Following today’s game with the Dodgers, the Royals will fly to Minnesota to play a 3-game series with the Twins beginning tomorrow at 7:10 p.m. CT…first pitch was pushed back 30 minutes from the originally-scheduled time of 6:40, to allow the Twins to honor their long-time scout Mike Radcliff, who passed away in February…that series will continue with a 1:10 p.m. CT start on Tuesday—Independence Day—and will end with 6:40 start on Wednesday…the Royals will close out the 1st half with a 4-game set in Cleveland next weekend.
After today, the Royals will play their next 23 games vs. American League opponents before their next Interleague series from Aug. 1-3 vs. the Mets.
FINALE FORESHADOW?: The Royals have 4 walk-off wins this season—already matching their total from all of last year—and all 4 have come in day
games, including 3 series finale walk offs…the Royals stunned the White Sox with a walk-off bunt RBI by Freddy Fermin on May 11 to take 3 of 4 games
vs. Chicago…on May 28 vs. the Nationals, the Royals scored in the 7th, 8th and 9th innings—including a game-winning RBI single by Michael Massey
in the final frame—to salvage the final game of that series…on June 17 vs. the Angels, the Royals overcame a 6-run deficit, scoring 3 runs in the 7th
and 8th and 2 more in the 9th, capped by a walk-off single by Samad Taylor in his Major League debut…and last Thursday vs. Cleveland, Kansas City
scored 2 runs in the 8th to force extra innings, before Fermin’s 2-run double in the bottom of the 10th clinched his 2nd walk-off hit of his rookie season.
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 Friday night and went 1-for-4 while playing 7.0 innings at second base…Omaha was rained out last night…Massey was placed on the 10-day IL on June 18 (retro to June 15) with a left hand laceration he suffered on June 14 vs. the Reds.
Diego Hernandez had his rehab transferred to High-A Quad Cities last night and went 1-for-5 with a HR while playing all 9.0 innings in center…in 7 rehab games, including 6 in the Arizona Complex League, he’s 12-for-30 (.400) with 3 HR…he suffered a dislocated shoulder in Spring Training.
Brad Keller began his rehab 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 was scheduled to pitch in last night’s rained out game…he was placed on the IL on May 19 with a right shoulder impingement.
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.
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 two weeks ago to repair a torn labrum in his right shoulder, and is expected to miss the rest of the year.
TODAY’S STARTERS: RHP BRADY SINGER (4-7, 5.88)
BRADY SINGER is making his 17th start of the season and 80th of his career today vs. the Dodgers…it’s his 2nd start vs. the Dodgers and 1st since last August…Singer is in his fourth season in the Majors and was selected by Kansas City in the 1st round (18th overall) of the 2018 First-Year Player Draft out of the University of Florida.
THE LAST TIME: Singer did not factor into the decision of Kansas City’s 2-1 loss to Cleveland last Tuesday night at Kauffman Stadium, despite holding the Guardians scoreless on 4 hits and 2 walks over 6.0 innings, with 2 strikeouts…he stranded an infield single in the 1st and 2nd inning and pitched a 1-2-3 3rd, before stranding a leadoff walk in the 4th…Singer erased leadoff baserunners in the 5th and 6th on double plays, and escaped a two-on, 2-out jam in the 6th to hold the scoreless tie.
The Royals broke the scoreless tie with a go-ahead run in the 8th, before Cleveland answered in the 9th with a go-ahead, 2-run double by Will Brennan.
I’M STILL STANDING: Following a breakout season in 2022, Brady has struggled through ups and downs this year, as he’s been charged with at least 4 earned runs in half of his 16 starts, something that happened in only 5 of his 24 starts last season… the Royals, predictably, are 1-7 in games that he allows at least 4 earned runs…but on the flip side, he’s held opponents to 2 earned runs or fewer in his other 8 starts, in which the Royals are 5-3…after going 2-4 with an 8.82 ERA (33 ER in 33.2 IP) and 7 HR allowed in his 1st 7 starts, he’s 2-3 with a 3.86 ERA (21 ER In 49.0 IP) with only 3 homers allowed in his last 9 starts…the Royals are 6-10 in his 16 starts overall.
WALK THIS WAY: Brady has recorded at least 5.0 innings without issuing a walk in 13 of his 40 starts since last season—including 4 such starts this year—matching Kevin Gausman, Aaron Nola, Jameson Taillon and George Kirby for the 2nd-most such starts in the Majors during that time, trailing only Corey Kluber (15)…but on the flip side, Singer has issued multiple walks in 11 of his 16 starts this season, 3 more than his total of multi-walk starts from all of last season, when he made 24 starts…he’s walked 31 batters in 82.2 innings this year for a 3.4 BB/9, up from his 2.1 BB/9 last season.
CALL ME MAYBE: In 40 starts since his recall on May 17 of last season, Brady has induced a called strike on 751 of 3,799 pitches (19.8%), 4th most in the Majors behind Logan Webb (794), Gerrit Cole (758) and Aaron Nola (754)…his rate of 19.8% called strikes since May 17, 2022 leads the Majors (min. 3,000 pitches), ahead of Sonny Gray (17.6%), and since his 2020 debut season, Singer’s called-strike rate of 20.6% ranks 2nd in the Majors (min. 5,000 pitches), trailing Adam Wainwright (20.8%).
CAN’T TOUCH THIS: Singer has recorded 412 strikeouts in 428.2 innings since his 2020 debut for an 8.7 K/9, which is the best rate in Royals history among pitchers who’ve started at least 70 games, ahead of Ian Kennedy (8.4), Jakob Junis (8.1) and Danny Duffy (8.1)…his 412 strikeouts are tied with the late Yordano Ventura for the most by a Royal through 82 career appearances…to keep his lead through 83 outings, he needs 3 strikeouts to pass Ventura and 7 to pass Steve Busby (418).
INTERLEAGUE INTERLUDE: In his only previous start vs. the Dodgers last Aug. 14 at Kauffman Stadium, Singer allowed 1 hit and 3 walks over 6.0 scoreless innings with 7 strikeouts in a 4-0 win…he’s 6-3 in 13 career Interleague starts with a 4.16 ERA (33 ER in 71.1 IP), and has held his opponents to 2 earned runs or fewer in 8 of those 13 starts…today marks Brady’s 7th Interleague start this year, which will break a tie with Mike Minor (2021), Brad Keller (2020), Yordano Ventura (2015) and James Shields (2014) for the most Interleague starts in a single season in Royals history.
WHO SAYS YOU CAN’T GO HOME: Singer is 2-4 with a 5.15 ERA (29 ER in 50.2 IP) in 10 starts at Kauffman Stadium this season…more recently, he’s 1-1 with a 1.64 ERA (4 ER in 22.0 IP) in his last 4 home starts, allowing no more than 2 runs in any start.
Since he debuted in 2020, Singer’s 15 wins at The K are the most on the team.
