Royals Rumblings - News for May 15, 2023

Zack Greinke became the fifth pitcher to strike out 1,000 different batters.

“It was pretty neat,” Greinke said reaching the milestone.

Jordan Lyles blew up in the third inning on Sunday.

Lyles said he felt like his changeup was fine. He worked on the pitch ahead of his start and tried to utilize it more against the left-handed hitters in the Brewers’ lineup.

Instead, Lyles was disappointed with the walks that contributed to the hosts’ decisive frame.

“The other walks is what haunts you,” Lyles said. “It doesn’t sit well.”

Matt Quatraro was frustrated with sloppy play on Sunday.

“Kicked by the third-base coach and a comedy of errors at that point,” manager Matt Quatraro said. “…The walks really came back to hurt us. It wasn’t a very clean inning defensively or pitching. They earned it with some well-hit balls, but we definitely helped.”

Jaylon Thompson writes about why the Royals employed an opener on Friday.

The Royals have experimented with utilizing an “opener” to start games. Royals reliever Josh Taylor started Friday’s series opener at the Milwaukee Brewers. He recorded two strikeouts in a scoreless inning of work.

“I treated it like every other outing,” Taylor said. “Obviously, it’s the start of the game and I went down to the bullpen and warmed up like normal. I warmed up in the top of the inning and tried to keep it as normal as possible. I felt fine about it.”

Anne Rogers writes about some adjustments to the minor league hitting development.

“Our process has really leveled up this year,” Saylor said. “The attention to detail has been exceptional. The mixture with the coaches and the way information flows up and down is a lot more consistent. A lot more rapid. I think we’re doing a good job of being able to have that feel for when we’re able to make some small adaptations.”

R.J. Anderson looks at minor leaguers with unique stats.

OF Dairon Blanco: Some contender needs to trade for Blanco this deadline in order to deploy him as their designated pinch-runner come the postseason. He’s a 30-year-old outfielder who made his big-league debut last season and who compares favorably to former Royal Terrance Gore. Blanco isn’t going to hit enough to play often, but he can really run. He’s succeeded on 17 of 18 stolen-base tries this season already, and there’s no reason for the Royals to hoard him considering their record.

She also writes about Vinnie Pasquantino’s visit to a haunted hotel.

MLB Pipeline updates their top 100 prospect list with Gavin Cross coming in at #72, one of the biggest drops.

Bryce Harper is ejected after charging the Rockies dugout.

Willson Contreras will resume catching duties today.

The Reds will call up top infield prospect Matt McLain.

Former first-round pick Riley Pint, from the Kansas City area, will make his MLB debut with the Rockies.

Orioles fans are getting into the Bird Bath splash zone.

The New York Times explores why Luis Arraez is such a unique hitter.

ESPN Insider has the X-factors that will shape the trade deadline.

Here are some of the under-the-radar effects of baseball’s new rules.

A look at the strange history of the baseball cap.

The Kansas State Wildcats stay hot and make their case for a tournament bid with a win over Oklahoma State.

The Dan Snyder era in Washington is officially over as he sells the Commanders to Josh Harris.

Oklahoma gets the top seed in the NCAA women’s softball tournament.

Coca-Cola has another secret formula for its liners that someone tried to steal.

Was Elaine Benes considered hot on the show Seinfeld?

The best and worst movie moms.

Your song of the day is The Presidents of the United States of America with Lump.