Royals Fall 8-5 To Mudhens

After spotting the Mudhens 5 runs in the top of the 1st inning, the Royals played catch-up all day, eventually leaving the tying run on deck in the 9th inning to lose 8-5.

Randy Casey Jr pitched well after his customary shaky first inning.  He allowed just 3 unearned runs over the next 6 innings to keep the game close.  Jose Amezola pitched 2 innings of scoreless relief, but the Royals offense stumbled all day by leaving 12 men on base.

Jason Bolding led the offensive charge, going 3 for 4 with 2 runs scored and an rbi.  All Stars Marcel Patterson Jr and Kyle Tillack each had a single, double, a run and an rbi, and Jake Romo had a pair of singles, a run and an rbi. Mike Miller had the only other hit for the Royals as the offense couldn't string much together, scoring a single run in 5 separate innings.

Royals Break Losing Streak, Win 16-4 over Warriors

The Royals got a much needed win, coming out on top of a 16-4 route of the Warriors on Sunday.

Randy Casey Jr took the start for the Warriors, and after a shaky first inning (4 runs, 3 earned, 2 hits, 2 walks), settled down to throw 3 more innings of 0 run ball.  Jake Romo and Greg Falk each threw a scoreless inning of relief.

On offense, Mike Miller broke out of his season long slump by going 4 for 4 with 5 rbis.  All Stars Marcel Patterson Jr and Kyle Tillack each scored 4 runs in the victory, with Patterson Jr also hitting an inside-the-park home run - his first home run as a Royal.

With the win, the Royals magic number to clinch a playoff berth is down to 1.  Over the next 4 games, any Royals' win or Warriors' loss will send the boys in royal blue back to the postseason for the 6th straight season.

Royals Fall Again, 16-3 to Team Easton

The Royals woes continue, as Team Easton scored 7 runs over the first 2 innings (4 earned) to take a commanding lead.  Things started looking better after that, but the defecit was too great for the Royals to climb back.  6 walks in the 9th inning made the score look worse than the game actually was.

Recently acquired Randy Casey Jr pitched 6 innings in the loss.  After a rough first where he gave up 4 earned, Casey Jr settled down to allow just 3 earned over his next 5 frames.  Jose Amezola relieved and gave the Royals 2 innings of scoreless relief, including an incredible 2-5-4 double play to get out of a jam in the 8th.

On offense, it was mostly the top of the lineup that did all the heavy lifting.  Marcel Patterson Jr had 2 hits and scored 2 runs, and Justin "Juice" Born got a pinch-hit single in the 8th and came around to score.  Kyle Tillack had a double and a triple and knocked in all 3 runs.

Royals Losing Streak at 6

The Royals were swept Sunday in their doubleheader against the Outlaws, but the team could see improvement in two games.

In game 1, the Outlaws put up 13 runs and nearly ran away with the game, but the Royals' came back in the 9th to plate 4 runs with 2 outs and make things close, losing 13-10 (leaving the tying run on deck.)  Ryan Elliott had a big game, finally breaking out of his season-long slump with a single and a triple, and nearly having another extra-base hit if not for an amazing play by the Outlaws' left fielder to end the game.

In game 2, Greg Falk pitched 6 strong innings in a losing cause, givng up 4 runs (2 earned) while striking out 6 in his first start of the season.  Phillip Gerber stepped in to catch and did a great job, holding the Outlaws to no stolen bases all game.  Chris Dyer was back for both games, collecting 3 hits and walking twice in his first action this year.  Unfortunately, the Royals offense didn't show in game 2, and they fell 8-2.

Royals Extend Losing Streak to 4

Not much has gone right for the Royals in the last few weeks, as they were swept in a doubleheader with the Regulators, and followed that up with a big loss to the Pirates.

Without going into complete detail, the defense has been porous, the pitching has been wild, and the bats have been inconsistent.

Among the few bright spots over the past few weeks:

- Marcel Patterson Jr continues to tear up the league, collecting 5 hits and swiping 6 bags over the past 3 games.  He also came in to relieve on the mound and pitched well in his lone appearance.

- Zach Sloane's bat continues to stay on fire, as he collected 5 hits over the last 3 games as well.

- Rick Valdez blasted his first home run of the year, deep to right at his favorite field (Conejo Creek.)

Changes are on the horizon, as the Royals and Blue Jays executed a rare mid-season trade last week.  More details once the players involved have actually played for their new squads.

Royals Forget to Show Up, Lose 16-1 to Lugnuts

With a little over half of their roster in attendance, the Royals were flat all day against the Lugnuts, falling 16-1 in 7 innings.

Jose Amezola started for the second straight week, but got little help from his defense.  An error on the first batter led to 2 unearned runs in the top of the 1st inning.

In the bottom of the frame, Marcel Patterson Jr led off with a double. He moved to 3rd on a Zach Sloane ground out, and Jason Bolding cashed him in with an rbi single.

But after a promising start, that was all the offense the Royals would muster.  Seriously, their only other baserunner was a walk to Patterson Jr in the final frame, and after swiping second, he got picked off to end any hopes of another run.

Meanwhile, the Lugnuts offense got to Amezola in the 2nd, scoring 7 more runs and essentially putting the game away.  Jake Romo worked 4 innings of relief, allowing 6 runs, and Mike Miller finished things off by allowing 1 run in his only inning of work.

These two teams will face off again in July, with playoff implications aplenty.

Pitching

Jose Amezola - 2IP, 7ER, 9H, 3BB

Jake Romo - 4IP, 4ER, 10H, 3K, 3BB

Mike Miller - 1IP, 1ER, 2H, BB

Batting

Marcel Patterson Jr - 1-2, 2B, R, BB, SB

Jason Bolding - 1-2, RBI

Zach Sloane - 0-2

Mike Miller - 0-2

Greg Falk - 0-2

Daniel Kahn - 0-2

Jake Romo - 0-2

Vivek Sarabu - 0-2

Kyle Tillack 0-3

Phillip Gerber - 0-1

Jose Amezola - 0-1

Justin "Juice" Born - 0-1

Royals Walk Off Berserkers 6-5 in 10 Innings

If there is one team that refuses to give the Royals a break, it's the Berserkers.  And for the second game in as many seasons, it took the Royals to their last batter to come away with a victory, this time walking off 6-5 in a 10-inning battle with their rivals.

New Royal Jose Amezola took the hill for the Royals and worked a quiet first.  Marcel Patterson Jr. led off the bottom of the inning with a single and a stolen base.  Kyle Tillack singled him home, then stole a base of his own.  A passed ball and a wild pitch brought home Tillack, and gave the Royals a 2-0 lead.

Amezola worked a quiet second, but ran into trouble in the 3rd.  A single, walk and hit batsman loaded the bases before a single brought home 2 and chased Amezola from the game.  Jake Romo relieved, but allowed another run on a single, giving the Berserkers a 3-2 lead.  Romo worked one more frame before Brett Kahanowitch relieved him in the 5th.

Both offenses were quiet until the bottom of the 6th when the Royals struck again.  With 2 outs, Kyle Tillack tripled, and Brett Kahanowitch singled him home on the next pitch to tie the game at 3.

The Berserkers came right back in the top of the 7th, getting a run on a pair of singles and a walk, but Kahanowitch struck out 2 to get out of the jam.

In the bottom of the 7th, the Royals power showed up.  Cleanup man Zach Sloane doubled, and after moving to 3rd on a ground out, Mike Miller doubled him home.  Ryan Elliott followed immediately with a double of his own, and the Royals regained the lead 5-4.

Heading into the top of the 9th with a 1-run lead, the Berserkers were against the ropes.  After a single and a stolen base, Kahanowitch struck out the bottom 2 men in the order, and induced a ground ball to second.  The ball skipped into right field for an error, and the game was tied up.  Another strikeout ended the inning, but the damage was done.

The Berserkers retired the Royals quickly in the bottom of the 9th, and there was still plenty of time for bonus baseball.

Kahanowitch worked around a walk in the top of the 10th, bringing the Royals up in the bottom of the frame still tied 5-5.  Ryan Elliott led off the inning with a single, and Greg Falk sac bunted him to second.  Jason Bolding reached on an infield single to put runners on the corners, but a strikeout brought up pitcher Jake Romo with 2 outs.  Romo wasted no time lacing a ground ball through the 5-6 hole for his biggest hit as a Royal - a walk-off rbi-single (off his former coach, no less!)

Congrats to the Berserkers on another legendary match-up.  Can't wait to face you guys again in July, with playoff seeding on the line!

Pitching

Jose Amezola - 2.2IP, 3ER, 2H, 3BB

Jake Romo - 1.1IP, 0R, 2H

Brett Kahanowitch - W, 6IP, ER, 4H, 7K, 4BB, HBP, PO

Batting

Kyle Tillack - 2-4, 3B, 2R, RBI, SB

Ryan Elliott - 2-4, 2B, R, RBI

Jake Romo - 2-3, RBI (walk-off single)

Marcel Patterson Jr - 1-3, R, BB, 2SB

Zach Sloane - 1-3, 2B, R, BB

Jason Bolding - 1-3, BB

Mike Miller - 1-4, 2B, R, RBI

Brett Kahanowitch - 1-4, RBI

Greg Falk - 0-2, BB, SACB, SB

Nick Ibanez - 0-2, 2BB

Daniel Kahn - 0-4

Vivek Sarabu - 0-1

Jose Amezola - 0-0

Justin "Juice" Born - 0-0

Royals Stay Hot, Down Mudhens 7-3

For the second straight week, the Royals hopped on the back of another hot pitcher, this time riding Ryan Schapery to a complete game 7-3 victory over the Mudhens.

The Mudhens looked strong early, as their starter struck out 4 of the first 6 batters he faced.  In the bottom of the 1st, they took an early 1-0 lead on a pair of singles.

In the top of the 3rd, the Royals came back strong.  With 2 outs, Daniel Kahn singled to right (capped off with a fabulous face-plant "slide" into first base), and Greg Falk singled to move him into scoring position.  Kyle Tillack singled and brought home Kahn, and Zach Sloane singled to bring home Falk and give the Royals a 2-1 lead.

The Royals continued to put the pressure on in the top of the 4th, as Ryan Schapery doubled over the left fielder's head to lead off the inning.  Mike Miller moved him to 3rd on a ground out, and Marcel Patterson Jr brought him home on an infield single to make it 3-1.

More Royals In the top of the 5th, Kyle Tillack reached on a single, then moved to second on an error.  Zach Sloane singled him to 3rd, and with 2 outs, Ryan Schapery helped his own cause with an rbi-single to make it 4-1.

The Mudhens got 2 back in the bottom of the 5th on a single, an error, a hit batsman, a sac fly and a walk.  After 5 full innings, the Royals led 4-3.

Both pitchers were in cruise control, and the Royals defense stepped up in support of Schapery.  In the bottom of the 6th, shortstop Greg Falk gunned a runner at home to keep the Mudhens off the board.  In the bottom of the 7th, Schapery picked a runner off second, and in the bottom of the 8th, Marcel Patterson Jr came up with the play of the game, running down a fly ball into DEEP left center, taking away what would have been extra bases and a game-tying rbi for sure (with the deep dimensions at Glendale Sports Complex, that ball would have likely been a home run at most fields.)

In the top of the 9th, the Royals were looking for some insurance.  After 2 quick outs, Jason Bolding singled, and Daniel Kahn singled him into scoring position.  Designated runner Marcel Patterson Jr swiped third, and scored on a Rick Valdez double.  With designated runner Mike Miller aggressively leading off third, he drew an errant throw from the catcher that went down the left field line to bring home 2 more runs, giving the Royals a late 7-3 lead.

That's all Ryan Schapery needed - well, that and one more great play by center fielder Marcel Patterson Jr - to finish off the Mudhens.

Congrats to the Mudhens on a great game, playing a late afternoon/evening game that had the sun in the defenses' eyes most of the day.  But especially, congratulations to Ryan Schapery for his first victory as a Royals pitcher!

Pitching

Ryan Schapery - W, CG, 9IP, ER, 8H, 2K, 3BB, 2HBP

Batting

Daniel Kahn - 3-4, 2R

Zach Sloane - 3-4, RBI

Ryan Schapery - 2-4, 2B, R, RBI

Kyle Tillack - 2-4, R, RBI, SB

Greg Falk - 1-3, R

Marcel Patterson Jr - 1-3, RBI, BB, 2SB

Jason Bolding - 1-4, R

Rick Valdez - 1-2, 2B, R, RBI

Mike Miller - 0-4

Ryan Elliott - 0-4

Phillip Gerber - 0-1

Jake Romo - 0-1

Justin "Juice" Born - 0-0

Vivek Sarabu - 0-0

Royals Come Back in 8th, Win 9-8

The short-staffed Royals trailed for the first 7 innings, but an 8th inning rally gave the boys in royal blue an emotional win against the Warriors. With their top 3 pitchers and middle infielders out, the Royals had some interesting decisions ahead of them.  With a catcher on the mound, corner infielders up the middle, outfielders at the corner infield spots and an infielder in left, the Royals defense committed 7 errors on the day that led to 6 unearned runs. 

Rick Valdez got the start and worked a quiet first inning.  But in the top of the 2nd, the Warriors put up 5 runs on 3 hits, 3 errors, a walk and 2 hit batsmen.  

In the bottom of the 2nd, Mike Miller walked, and moved to second on a Phillip Gerber walk.  Marcel Patterson Jr. loaded the bases on an infield single, and Jason Bolding hit a sacrifice fly to bring home Miller.

The Warriors answered back with a run of their own in the top of the 3rd, but the Royals answered right back.  Zach Sloane led off and reached on an error.  Kyle Tillack doubled to put runners on 2nd and 3rd, and Sloane scored on a passed ball.  Ryan Elliott drove home Tillack with a sacrifice fly, and the Royals cut the lead to 6-3.

After Valdez held the Warriors scoreless in the 4th and the 5th (including 4 strikeouts over that span), the offense came alive again in the bottom of the 5th.  Zach Sloane and Kyle Tillack led off with back-to-back singles.  Ryan Elliott walked, and Rick Valdez walked to bring home Sloane.  After the Warriors catcher picked off Tillack at 3rd base, Mike Miller singled home Elliott to cut the Warriors lead to 6-5.

But the Warriors answered right back with 2 of their own in the top of the 6th.  Not to be outdone, Marcel Patterson Jr led off the bottom of the 6th by reaching on an error.  Jason Bolding reached on an error, and Patterson Jr scored all the way from first.  Daniel Kahn singled to right to bring home Bolding's runner (the Juice was loose), and the Royals again cut the lead to 1 run, trailing 8-7.

From here on, Rick Valdez was on a mission, allowing just 1 baserunner the final 3 frames.  The momentum had definitely swung the Royals direction, and they capitalized in the bottom of the 8th.  With 1 out, Jason Bolding singled, and designated runner Marcel Patterson Jr swiped second.  After Daniel Kahn walked, Zach Sloane tied the game with an rbi-single, and Kyle Tillack gave the Royals their first lead in 3 weeks with a sac fly to right.  That would be enough for the Royals, as they finished the game with a hard-fought 9-8 victory.

Congrats to the Warriors on yet another great game in this rivalry!  While it doesn't make up for the Warriors 1-run championship victory over the Royals in 2014, it definitely felt good Sunday.

And finally, congrats to the entire Royal team.  Playing out of position isn't easy, but the team pulled together to come up with a tough win.  And especially congrats to Player of the Game Rick Valdez, who at 40-something years old, threw a gem of a complete game.  Great job!

Pitching

Rick Valdez - W, CG, 9IP, 2ER, 10H, 8K, BB, 2HBP

Batting

Zach Sloane - 2-5, 2R, RBI

Kyle Tillack - 2-4, 2B, R, RBI, SACF

Rick Valdez - 1-3, RBI, BB

Mike Miller - 1-3, R, RBI, BB

Marcel Patterson Jr - 1-4, R, SB

Jason Bolding - 1-3, 2R, RBI, SACF

Daniel Kahn - 1-3, R, RBI, BB

Ryan Elliott - 0-3, R, RBI, BB, SACF

Phillip Gerber - 0-3, BB

Justin "Juice" Born - 0-0

Royals Stumble Vs Team Easton, Lose 6-2