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Inbox: Which moments could loom for Royals?
- Updated: September 8, 2016
KANSAS CITY — When a team is in a Wild Card chase, all losses are painful.
But the Royals’ past five losses — all one-run gut punches — have been particularly damaging to the morale of the fan base as well as the team’s pursuit of the second Wild Card berth in the American League.
With that in mind, let’s get to the latest Inbox as the team prepares for a three-game set in Chicago against the White Sox starting on Friday.
@FlannyMLB What are top 5 losses that will haunt in the off season? (do try to answer that one please)
— DeAnn Smith (@DeAnnSmithkc) September 8, 2016
@FlannyMLB What are top 5 losses that will haunt in the off season? (do try to answer that one please)
DeAnn, you stole my lead. There’s still over three weeks left in the regular season, but if the Royals do not make the playoffs, they will no doubt look back to the past five losses. It really started on Aug. 30, when the Royals battled back from a 4-1 deficit against the Yankees at home and forced extra innings. Kansas City trailed, 5-4, in the 10th, but it had runners on second and third with none out. Then two strikeouts and a popup against the Yankees’ depleted bullpen ended the game. From there, we’ve seen the Royals lose a 13-inning game, Wade Davis blow a save and Joakim Soria blow two more saves — all gut punches.
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@FlannyMLB What the heck do we do with Soria?
— Jimmy (@chiefroyalscats) September 8, 2016
@FlannyMLB What the heck do we do with Soria?
Soria has six blown saves, eight losses (the franchise record is nine for a reliever) and he has given up the go-ahead run when entering the game with the lead or tied an astonishing 11 times. The problem is that manager Ned Yost doesn’t have many options setting up Kelvin Herrera and Davis after losing Luke Hochevar (thoracic outlet syndrome) for the season. Rookie Matt Strahm has been sensational, but he is two years removed from Tommy John surgery and Kansas City is trying to protect his arm. I suspect Yost will lean on right-hander Peter Moylan ahead of Soria going down the stretch, or …
