Royals Notch First Win, 17-9 vs Cubs
The Royals' season hadn't been going according to plan, and a few innings into this one, it looked like another bad day for the boys in royal blue. Then the offense FINALLY showed up (led by 2 veterans and a rookie), and a remarkable pitching effort by another rookie would put the Royals in the win column.
Greg Falk would start for the Royals, but after being sick for the entire week, he had little left on the mound. A run in the first, followed by 6 in the second would spot the Cubs a comfortable 7-0 lead. But just like last week when the Royals rallied from a big deficit against the Aquasox (albeit ultimately in a losing effort), their bats would take a few innings before coming to life today as well.
With 2 outs in the 3rd, long-time Royal (and current season fill-in) Richard Lizarraga would BLAST a 380+ foot home run - so far that the umpires couldn't agree if it cleared the fence or not, and finally had to rely on a classy gesture by the Cubs centerfielder who let everyone know the ball EASILY cleared the fence - got the Royals on the board.
In the 4th, Daniel Reyes would lead off with a triple, and 1 out later, Jason Bolding would single him home. With 2 outs, Greg Falk would single, and Jeremy Hartman would reach on an error to cut the lead to 7-3.
Meanwhile, Charlie Rosado had come in to relieve Falk on the mound. Rosado would make things interesting, walking 10 and hitting 3 batters over the next 5.1 innings, but would limit the Cubs to only 2 runs while striking out 6.
Back to the offense - the Royals would really come to life in the 5th. Mike Miller and Ryan Elliott would lead off with back-to-back singles. With 1 out, Charlie Rosado and Jason Bolding would each walk, plating 1. New Royal Nick Green would get his first hit as a Royal - and boy was it a big one! An rbi-triple to right center would plate 3, and with 2 outs, Jeremy Hartman would walk. Richard Lizarraga would single home 1, giving the Royals their first lead of the day, and Mike Miller would single for the second time in the inning, putting the Royals up 9-7.
With the score 9-8 heading into the bottom of the 7th, the Royals would have their biggest inning of the season. Nick Green, Greg Falk and Jeremy Hartman would lead off with back-to-back-to-back singles, loading the bases for Richard Lizarraga, who would promptly hit a sac fly to score 1. Mike Miller would double to the left-center gap to plate another (his 4th hit of the day), and Ryan Elliott would line the first pitch he saw out of left for a 3-run home run - his first home run as a Royal (in over 80 games and nearly 300 at bats - he was due!) Danny Reyes and Charlie Rosado would each single, and Jason Bolding would knock in both runners with a triple. He would score 3 pitches later on a Nick Green single - his second hit of the inning. All in all, the Royals would plate 8 in the 7th to take a 17-8 lead.
Heading into the top of the 8th with time running out, Rosado would find himself in a little trouble. But Nick Green would come in and shut things down, getting the final two outs in his Royal debut and securing their first victory of the season.
Congrats to the classy Culver City Cubs (how 'bout THAT alliteration) on a great game - they're a fun team to play, and hopefully a great adversary for years to come! And finally, congrats to Nick Green, who got his first hit, run and rbi as a Royal, Charlie Rosado, who stepped up big time and got his first win as a Royal, and Ryan Elliott, who finally got that big fly added to his baseball resume! Great job guys!
Pitching
Greg Falk - 2IP, 2ER, 6H, 2K, BB, HBP
Charles Rosado - 5.1IP, 2ER, 3H, 6K, 10BB, 3HBP
Nick Green - .2IP, 0ER, 0H, HBP
Batting
Mike Miller - 4-5, 2B, 2R, 2RBI
Ryan Elliott - 3-5, HR, 2R, 3RBI
Nick Green - 3-5, 3B, 2R, 4RBI
Jason Bolding - 2-3, 3B, 3R, 4RBI, 2BB
Richard Lizarraga - 2-4, HR, R, 3RBI, SACF
Daniel Reyes - 2-5, 3B, 2R
Greg Falk - 2-6, R
Jeremy Hartman - 1-4, 2R, BB
Charles Rosado - 1-4, 2R, BB
Dennis King III - 0-0
AquaSox Rally Past Royal 10-7
The Royals spotted the AquaSox a 7-1 lead, before coming back to tie things up in the 6th. But a late 3-run rally by the Sox would keep the Royals winless.
The Royals would get on the board early. Greg Falk would single and take 2 bases on a throwing error by the catcher. Rick Valdez would hit a sac fly to bring him home, giving the Royals a short-lived 1-0 lead.
Lefty Michael Rothman would take the hill, and the Sox would greet him with 1 in the first. After a few quiet innings on both sides, the Sox would plate 6 more (only 2 of them earned) in the 3rd to take a 7-1 lead. Dennis King III would come in and relieve, striking out 6 in 2.1 innings of work.
But the Royals would come back in the 6th. Greg Falk, Sean Spires and Rick Valdez would lead the inning off with back-to-back-back singles, bringing home 2. Mike Miller would walk to load the bases, and Ryan Elliott would double home a pair. Charles Rosado would double home another pair, and Jason Bolding would single home another, tying the game at 7.
After a long inning, King wouldn't be able to continue throwing, so Falk would come in to relieve. After a quiet bottom of the 6th, the Sox would plate 3 in the bottom of the 7th, and their bullpen would shut out the Royals the rest of the way. Final score - AquaSox 10, Royals 7.
Pitching
Michael Rothman - 2.2IP, 2ER, 6H, BB
Dennis King III - 2.1IP, 0ER, 6K, 2BB, HBP
Greg Falk - 2IP, 3ER, 4H, 2K, 2BB
Batting
Greg Falk - 2-4, 2R
Sean Spires - 2-4, 2B, R
Rick Valdez - 2-3, 3B, R, 2RBI, SACF
Ryan Elliott - 1-4, 2B, R, 2RBI
Charles Rosado - 1-4, 2B, R, 2RBI
Daniel Reyes - 1-3, BB
Jason Bolding - 1-4, RBI
Mike Miller - 0-2, R, 2BB, SB
Michael Rothman - 0-3
Dennis King III - 0-1
The Royals were saddened to learn of the retirement of Jay Wasserman. While most notably a member of the Blue Jays, playing one game a week was never enough for Jay Bird. He joined the Royals in the Fall of 2010 and retires ranked 16th on the all-time list for games played as a Royal. He was a member of 3 Royal squads that went to championship games, and finished with a 3-3 record as a pitcher, and as a batter, a .318 average with 41 runs scored and 50 rbis in 65 games. His best season as a Royal came in the summer of 2014, when he knocked in 23 runs and hit .342. We wish nothing but the best for Jay in his post-baseball life, and if he ever decides to dust off the spikes again, there'll always be a spot in our lineup for him. You'll be a tough out to replace in our lineup, and an even tougher guy to replace in the dugout. Thanks for the memories Jay!
Mudhens Outslug Royals 22-13
The Royals offense is starting to show signs of life, but they couldn't hang with the Mudhens power bats. The two squads combined for 38 hits and 35 runs in a game that the Mudhens had an answer for every rally the Royals put together.
The Mudhens would put 5 on the board in the first against lefty Michael Rothman, though most of those were aided by poor Royal defense.
The Royals would respond immediately in the bottom of the first. Greg Falk would lead off with a single, and one out later, Jeremy Hartman would single, and Mike Miller would single to bring home one. With 2 outs, Ryan Elliott would get hit by a pitch to load the bags, and Charles Rosado would single home a pair. Dominic Archey would triple home a pair, and after 1, the score would be all tied up 5-5.
In the bottom of the 3rd, the Royals would take the lead. Sean Spires would single and swipe 2 bags. Hartman and Miller would each walk to load the bases, and Jay Wasserman (in his swan song game) would bring one home with a double-play ground out. Ryan Elliott would single home another and swipe second, and Charlie Rosado would single home Elliott, putting the Royals up 8-5.
But the Mudhens would score 4 in the 4th to take the lead, notably on an inside-the-park home run that would temporarily knock Dominic Archey out of the game. In a scary moment, Archey nearly caught the ball but landed HARD on his back and was down for several minutes before being helped to his feet and leaving the field under his own power.
Dennis King III would come in for the 5th, but the Mudhens would greet him with 6 runs over the next 2 innings.
In the bottom of the 6th, the Royals would heat up again. Ryan Elliott would get hit by another pitch, and Charlie Rosado and Dominic Archey would each single, knocking in 1. Daniel Reyes would single to load the bases, and Blake Burtchaell would hit a sac fly to bring home another, making it a 15-10 game.
But the Hens wouldn't let up, scoring 3 in the next inning. Jay Wasserman would come in for the 8th, but the Hens put up 4 against him, making it 22-10 heading into the bottom of the 8th.
After Mike Miller lined out to former Royal Stephan Ohayon, Wasserman would walk, Elliott would single and Rosado would walk to load the bases. Archey would single home 2, and Reyes would ground out to plate another, but that's all the Royals had in the tank, as the final score would be 22-13 in favor of the Mudhens.
Congrats go to the Hens on another great game!
Pitching
Michael Rothman - 4IP, 5ER, 7H, 3K, 4BB
Dennis King III - 3IP, 9ER, 10H, 7K, 5BB
Jay Wasserman - IP, 3ER, 4H, K, BB
Batting
Charles Rosado - 3-3, 3RBI, 3R, BB
Dominic Archey - 3-4, 3B, 4RBI
Greg Falk - 3-4, R, SB
Ryan Elliottt - 2-2, 4R, RBI, 2HBP, SB
Mike Miller - 2-3, R, RBI, BB
Daniel Reyes - 2-4, RBI
Jeremy Hartman - 1-3, 2R, BB, SB
Sean Spires - 1-4, R, 3SB
Jay Wasserman - 0-3, R, BB
Blake Burtchaell - 0-3, RBI, SACF
Steve Apperson - 0-3
Royals Tie Arsenal With Late-Inning Rally
Looking to avoid starting the season with 4 straight losses, the Royals rallied twice against the Arsenal, putting up 2 runs in the 8th inning to force a tie against a team 30% comprised of former Royals.
After a humiliating 10-error game against the Pirates, the Royal defense was much better on Sunday. And the pitchers definitely needed it, as all 3 Royal hurlers were pitching hurt.
Dennis King went 3 innings before coming out with a sore elbow, giving up 3 unearned runs. Entering with very few warm-up pitches, Mike Miller allowed 2 earned, but mostly at his own hand, as he only allowed 1 hit over 1 1/3 innings, but left with a torn ligament in his shoulder. Closer Greg Falk came in and worked the remaining 3 2/3 innings with a dead arm, but held on just enough to break the losing streak.
Offensively, this was the best game of the season for the Royals. My favorite stat of the day is that of the 3-4-5 hitters Jeremy Hartman, Mike Miller and Dominic Archey - they combined to go 0-7, walking 6 times, getting hit by 2 pitches, scoring 5 runs and bringing home an rbi. That's an oddly effective middle of the order. Most of that was because of the bottom of the lineup hitting of Charlie Rosado and Jason Bolding. Each had 3 hits as the Royals put up a season-high 12 hits and 10 walks.
Rosado led off the 2nd with a double, scoring a few batters later on a Greg Falk fielder's choice.
In the 5th inning with the Royals down 6-1, the boys in blue had their best inning of the year. Sean Spires would walk, but be thrown out stealing (a true rarity, and much props to the Arsenal catcher.) Jeremy Hartman would walk, and Mike Miller and Dominic Archey would each get hit by pitches to load the bases. Rosado would single home 1, and Steve Apperson would knock in another on an error. Jason Bolding would single home another, and Falk would single home 2 more. Spires would single, and Hartman would walk to load the bags. Miller would walk to bring home 1, and Archey would reach on an error to bring home another, giving the Royals a 9-6 lead.
With the score 11-8 and the Royals in their final at bat, Miller, Archey and Rosado would start the inning with back-to-back-to-back walks. One out later, Steve Apperson and Jason Bolding would hit back-to-back rbi-singles to tie the game.
Congrats to the Arsenal for playing a full 3 hours (and 20 minutes of extra baseball.) Can't wait until we face each other again - in the last game of the regular season. Hopefully there will be playoff implications on the line for both clubs!
Pitching
Dennis King III - 3IP, 0ER, 5H, 5K, 2BB
Mike Miller - 1.1IP, 2ER, H, 3BB, HBP
Greg Falk - T, 3.2IP, 4ER, 8H, 4K, HBP
Batting
Charlie Rosado - 3-4, 2B, 2R, RBI, BB
Jason Bolding - 3-5, R, 2RBI
Greg Falk - 2-5, R, 3RBI, BB, SB
Sean Spires - 2-5, R, BB
Steve Apperson - 1-5, RBI, R
Blake Burtchaell - 1-4, BB
Mike Miller - 0-2, 2R, RBI, 2BB, HBP
Jeremy Hartman - 0-2, R, 3BB
Dominic Archey - 0-3, 2R, BB, HBP
Nelson Bautista - 0-2
Dennis King III - 0-0
Pirates Exact Revenge on Royals
After the Royals shocked the Pirates last summer with a first-round upset in the playoffs, the Bucs got their revenge on Sunday, embarassing the Royals with a 26-7 runaway victory. The Royals defense, after allowing only 1 error in the first 2 games of the season, would be shockingly absent, allowing 10 errors. Their baserunners weren't much better, with 3 runners thrown out on the bases in a single inning! Talk about a rally killer...
New Royal Michael Rothman would take the hill, but the Pirates were waiting for him. 8 runs (6 earned) over the first 2 innings would put the Royals on the ropes. Chris Powell would take over, and while effective, it was nowhere near his 3-hit complete game of last August. The Pirates would score 5 earned (12 total runs) against Powell, and Dennis King III would come in for an inning of work (aka batting practice) in the 9th, allowing 6 runs (though 0 earned.)
Offensively, the Royals had a few stand-out performances. Greg Falk went 4-5, and Sean Spires went 3-5. Catcher Rick Valdez blasted a long home run in the 9th and had 4 rbis on the day, and Dominic Archey had 2 triples in his first game of the season. Mike Miller and Ryan Elliott both hit the ball hard a few times, but only had 1 hit each to show for it.
Not much else positive to say about this game. Here's hoping that our next meeting in mid-July has a different outcome.
Pitching
Michael Rothman - L, 2IP, 6ER, 6H, K, 3BB
Chris Powell - 6IP, 5ER, 13H, 4K, 4BB
Dennis King III - IP, 0ER, 4H, K, 3BB
Batting
Greg Falk - 4-5, R, SB
Sean Spires - 3-5, R
Rick Valdez - 2-4, 2B, HR, R, 4RBI, BB
Dominic Archey - 2-5, 2-3B, 2R
Ryan Elliott - 1-4, RBI, HBP
Mike Miller - 1-4, 2R, BB
Daniel Reyes - 1-5
Luke Corvello - 1-4, 2B, 2RBI
Chris Powell - 0-2, BB, HBP
Michael Rothman - 0-0
Dennis King III - 0-0
Short-Handed Royals Lose Another Close One
For the second straight week, the Royals played essentially with 8 men (9 technically, but you'll understand soon) and barely missed a late-inning comeback to fall to the Outlaws 11-9.
Closer Greg Falk was forced into his first start as a Royal, and he performed admirably. 7 strikeouts over 5+ innings showcased his dominance, but one bad pitch to a veteran hitter cost him 3 runs and the loss. The relief staff for the Royals was shaky as position players were called upon to pitch without any warm-ups, and the resulting 6 walks in the bottom of the 5th inning put the game just out of reach.
The Royals' day was hampered on the 5th pitch of the day, when infielder Jeremy Hartman beat out a slow grounder, but strained his hamstring in the process. He showed a ton of heart as he played the entire game at first base, but was unable to take even a step without falling. Still, he dug balls out of the dirt, gunned a runner at the plate, walked twice and even lined an rbi single to left in the final inning.
Offensively, the rest of the team was pretty quiet until the top of the 7th (the final inning.) That inning, every Royal except 1 reached base and scored, but with the bases loaded, one out, the tying run in scoring position and the heart of the order up, the Royals fell one hit shy of tying the game up.
Congrats to the Outlaws - in a game that really didn't feel like a high-scoring affair, they held on to the lead late and earned a tough victory. The two teams will meet again in early July, almost assuredly with playoff implications on the line.
Finally, congrats go out to Charles Rosado - his line drive double in the 2nd inning was his first hit as a Royal - and Jeremy Hartman - his slow roller in the first was his first hit as a Royal. Welcome to the team!
Pitching
Greg Falk - L, 5IP, 5ER, 7H, 7K, 5BB
Daniel Reyes - 0IP, 3ER, 3BB
Charles Rosado - IP, ER, K, H, 3BB
Batting
Jeremy Hartman - 2-3, 2R, 2RBI, 2BB
Greg Falk - 2-4, R, RBI, HBP, 4SB
Ryan Elliott - 2-5, R, RBI, 2SB
Sean Spires - 1-3, 3B, R, 2BB
Charles Rosado - 1-3, 2B, R, RBI, BB
Mike Miller - 0-4, RBI, SACF
Daniel Reyes - 0-3, R, BB
Robert Padilla - 0-2, R, 2BB
Steve Apperson - 0-3, R, RBI, HBP
Royals Lose Close One to Warhawks in Season Opener
As the rain finally left SoCal (at least for the time being), the Royals entered their 25th season in the league with new royal blue jerseys. Unfortunately, the new jerseys will take some time to break in, as the boys in royal blue lost a close one to the Warhawks 8-5.
With just over half the squad showing up, the Royals had to make due with only 8 guys for most of the day. Mike Miller was forced to take the mound to start the season, and had a decent day - 2 earned runs over 2 2/3 innings, allowing only 1 hit and striking out 3 (while hitting a career high 4 batters.)
Trailing 2-0 heading into the bottom of the 3rd, the Royals offense would strike back. With 2 outs, Sean Spires would single and score on a Mike Miller double to deep center. Rick Valdez would single home Miller (Valdez' first career hit as a Royal), and after 3, the score would be all tied up.
Dennis King III would come in to relieve, and allow 2 runs in his first 3 innings of work.
In the bottom of the 6th, the Royal offense would pick up again. Valdez would walk, and pinch runner Sean Spires would soon be standing on 3rd after a wild pick off and a stolen base. Ryan Elliott would hit a deep sac fly to left, and Danny Reyes would triple to right center (his first hit as a Royal.) Unfortunately, Reyes would be stranded at 3rd, and after 6 in the books, the Royals would trail 4-3.
The Warhawks would score another run in the 7th, and 3 more in the 8th to chase King from the game (4 2/3 innings, 6ER, 8H, 6K), bringing in closer Greg Falk. Falk would be masterful over the last 1 2/3 innings, allowing a single baserunner on a hit batsman, striking out 2 and not allowing a ball out of the infield.
In the bottom of the 8th, Mike Miller would lead off with a single. One out later, Ryan Elliott would single to right, with Miller scoring on a bad throw. Danny Reyes would ground out to score Elliott, but that would be all the offense the Royals would muster. Final score - Warhawks 8, Royals 5.
Pitching
Mike Miller - 2.2IP, 2ER, 3K, H, 2BB, 4HBP
Dennis King - L, 4.2IP, 6ER, 6K, 8H, 3BB, HBP
Greg Falk - 1.2IP, 0ER, 2K, HBP
Batting
Mike Miller - 2-4, 2B, 2R, RBI
Ryan Elliott - 1-3, R, RBI, SACF
Sean Spires - 1-3, R, BB, SB
Rick Valdez - 1-3, R, RBI, BB
Daniel Reyes - 1-4, 3B, RBI
Greg Falk - 0-4, BB, SB
Dennis King III - 0-3, BB
Charles Rosado - 0-3, BB
Kevin Chan - 0-2
The Royals bid farewell to Chris Powell, as he moves to Florida with his family. Although he only spent 4 seasons with the Royals, Chris was an integral part of the franchise. Entering during a rebuilding season where the team went 1-18, Chris wasn't scared away and was a major part of the franchise's turnaround. Each of the next 3 seasons, he would lead the team in most offensive categories, taking the team to 3 straight championship game appearances (including the most recent one, where he drove 600 miles from visiting family in Oregon to make his final appearance in baby blue.) As a hitter, Chris retires with a .399 average, 73 hits (including 17 doubles and 4 home runs), 52 runs scored and 58 rbis in only 58 games. He's (unfortunately) the franchise leader in hit by pitches (22), and has a career .533 on base percentage. As a pitcher, he holds a 9-8 career record, with 108 strikeouts and a 7.06 ERA in 131 1/3 innings pitched, not to mention an incredible 14 pick-offs. On the field, Chris will be most remembered for his magical Spring 2014, with his 21-29-22 runs-hits-rbis stat line, .602 on-base percentage, a complete game shut-out against the #2 seeded Pirates in the first round of the playoffs, and a grand slam in the semi-final game against the Regulators, leading the Royals to their first Spring championship game in 12 years. In the dugout, Chris was a leader - everyone who played with him has heard his pre-game Lou Brown impression ("Let's all gather 'round"), though he definitely had more Jack Parker in him than Lou Brown. Personally, Chris has helped me a great deal with the team, and has been an even better friend who I'm sorry to see go. It's because of all this that he will join Royal legend Jeff Miller (#7) as the second Royal to have his jersey (#40) retired. Good luck in Florida, Mr. Go!
-mike
Three straight seasons falling one win short...while depressing, the progress can be seen. At least the winter months have mostly passed, so there's less time to dwell until the spring season starts. I guess the rain was good for SOMETHING.
Congrats to Michael Nayhouse (team MVP, led team in runs, hits, doubles, triples and home runs) and Dennis King III (team Cy Young, led most pitching categories), Armando Mesa (batting average, stolen bases), Stephan Ohayon (rbis), and Patrick Christopher (walks.)
