The Young Royals Are Currently Being Put to the Test
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There’s no sugarcoating it: this was a bad week for the Kansas City Royals. The road trip started with the Minnesota Twins sweeping them, then it was the Tampa Bay Rays' turn to attack as they took three of four games. Here are some things that happened with the team this past week as it went 1-6 on the road.
At the beginning of every week, 'Mondays with Mark' will dive into the latest developments with the Royals. Have something you want to be discussed? Let Mark know on Twitter @MarkTheOverseer or find Inside the Royals @InsideRoyals.
Brad Keller moved to the bullpen
The Royals had seen enough of Brad Keller in his role as a starting pitcher. Two out of three starts giving up eight runs didn’t help his cause. Unfortunately for Keller and the Royals, his first appearance out of the bullpen resulted in five earned runs in less than an inning of work.
He did bounce back in the series finale against the Rays, going two innings while allowing no runs and striking out three batters in the process. The Royals will hope for more performances like that the rest of the way. For more on Keller's move to the bullpen, here's an article from Inside the Royals' Jordan Foote last week.
Max Castillo makes Royals debut
With the aforementioned move of Keller to the bullpen, the Royals decided to give Max Castillo a shot in the rotation for a start. Castillo, who was a part of the trade with the Toronto Blue Jays for Whit Merrifield, made his debut against the Rays.
He had a solid debut, only allowing one earned run in five innings. Unfortunately, it was Keller who came in and gave up the aforementioned five runs shortly thereafter, ruining a perfectly fine start for Castillo.
Despite an optimistic debut, the Royals decided to option Castillo back to Triple-A Omaha. He will look to build off his first start while with the Storm Chasers and is eligible to return 15 days after his option date.
Brady Singer’s strong second half continues
Brady Singer worked through some command issues but went six innings while only giving up two runs in a victory over the Rays. He finished the game with seven strikeouts while walking four batters.
This is what many would say looked like a 'D+' or 'C' outing from Singer, so it was encouraging to see him limit the damage despite not having his best stuff. His ERA is down to 3.27 for the season.
Defense shines in extra-innings win
Bobby Witt Jr., M.J. Melendez and Salvador Perez all shined on the defensive side of the ball in the 10th inning of a 3-2 victory over the Rays. Witt made plays time and time again at third base throughout the series.
Perez showed off his arm, gunning out a runner trying to steal third base to get the second out of the 10th inning. Melendez, who hasn’t been known for great defense throughout his rookie season, was playing left field and made the game-sealing play on a diving catch for the third out of the game.
The Royals will be back home for six games this week. It starts with a make-up game against the Chicago White Sox on Monday afternoon with the first pitch expected at 1:10. The projected starters are Michael Kopech for the White Sox and Daniel Lynch for the Royals.
To close the week, there will be some interleague action in Kansas City with the Arizona Diamondbacks coming to town for a two-game series. The San Diego Padres will be in town closing out the week with a three-game series.
