Royals Rumblings - News for May 11, 2023

Jordan Lyles ate innings on Tuesday night:

After he threw 180 innings the past two seasons, the Royals signed Lyles to eat as many innings as possible. He’s now given them 49 1/3 innings — seventh-most in the Majors — although his 6.20 ERA is second-worst in baseball among qualified pitchers. Tuesday was his third career complete game and the Royals’ first nine-inning complete game since Brad Keller’s shutout on Sept. 13, 2020 against Pittsburgh. Lyles is the first Royal to suffer a loss in a complete game since Keller in ‘18 against Seattle (eight innings) and the first to do it in nine innings since James Shields in ‘13 against Toronto.

“[Lyles] always wants the next inning, whether he pitches five, six, seven, eight,” manager Matt Quatraro said. “He always wants one more. … That’s a huge thing for us to refresh the bullpen. And at the same time, he gave us a chance to win the game, too.”

Nick Pratto has been hitting very well since being called up:

There’s more to the Royals’ offensive outburst than adding one hitter into the mix, but having Pratto — a disciplined power hitter — swinging well does change the look and feel of the lineup.

“He’s hit everywhere from four to seven since he’s been here,” manager Matt Quatraro said. “He really lengthens out the lineup. And it changed, for me a little bit, to break up free-swingers and guys that have a little bit more plate discipline. I think that was a big thing for us. You don’t get free-swinger, free-swinger, free-swinger in a row. If they happen to expand on that given night, those can be quick outs.

“You put somebody in the middle, that’s a different type of challenge for an opposing pitcher. They can’t get quite into, ‘All right, I can do the same thing to two or three guys in a row.’”

Alex Duvall at Royals Farm Report got bored and ranked the 26 most valuable assets in the Royals organization.

Our top two draft picks from last summer were flashing the leather in Quad Cities.

The Royals are partnering with Blue KC to “Shut Out the Stigma” around mental health.

The worst baseball teams this year, including the Royals, are even worse than a given season’s bad teams typically are. ($)

Yandy Díaz is elevating and celebrating. There’s actually more to his breakout than that, but I like using that term.

The Oakland A’s can’t decide where their stadium in Las Vegas will be.

We have a new #1 for the first time this season as Wake Forest takes the top spot in the college baseball Top 25. Local teams that project to reach the tournament include Kansas State and SEMO.

Andy Reid has finally publicly reflected on his second Super Bowl victory.

Tiger Woods will not be playing at the PGA Championship next weekend.

In some other sports playoffs, first with the NBA:

• The New York Knicks held off the Miami Heat in Game 5 to stave off elimination.
• The Golden State Warriors stay alive with a win over the Los Angeles Lakers.

And for the NHL:

• Down 3-0 and needing a win, the Toronto Maple Leafs will live to fight another day after winning Game 4 over the Florida Panthers.
• The Edmonton Oilers beat the Vegas Golden Knights to tie the series at two games apiece.

TIL there are dog diving competitions, which seems much more innovative than typical canine athletics.

Qantas will debut the world’s longest nonstop flight in 2025, a 20-hour haul from Sydney to London. What’s the longest flight you’ve been on?

The illegal ape trade is booming and few are doing anything about it.

Your song of the day is Jaws by Lights.