According to the guys on TV, James Shields has now gone at least eight innings five times and hasn’t won any of those games. Some of that can be explained by match-ups: number one pitchers tend to face other number one pitchers—at least early in the season—so the lack of run support for Shields isn’t surprising considering who was pitching for the other teams. But this game appeared to be a mismatch: James Shields against Jarrod Parker. Parker had an ERA over 6.00 coming into the game and Shields is one of the best pitchers in the league. James not only pitched eight innings, he struck out nine, only walked one, gave up just two runs and still didn’t win.
The Kansas City offense managed five hits, two walks and one run. When you get a mismatch you need to win.
If a pitch bounces on the way to the plate umpires make a big deal of throwing the ball out of play, but then someone hits a three-hopper to short, the shortstop bounces the throw to first and the ball goes right back to the pitcher. That ball is scuffed and nobody says a word—unless it’s the pitcher. The guy on the mound, the guy who just got an early Christmas gift, is the most likely person to take a scuffed ball out of play.
It drives veteran ballplayers crazy.
When you see a pitcher examine a ball, then hold it up and shake it, he’s asking the umpire for a new ball. Meanwhile some veteran pitcher or catcher is sitting in the dugout, rolling his eyes and thinking: "This kid is an idiot."
Everybody loves the big pitching match ups—your ace faces their ace, number one against number one—but those games are tossups and either team could win. Then there are the games you should win and can’t afford to lose; not if you’re going to put together a winning record. This was a game the Royals should have won and they did. When you face a team that’s 15 and 24 and they’re using a fill-in starting pitcher with an ERA over 11.00, it’s an opportunity—the Royals needed to win this game.
The Royals beat the Angels 9-5.
To many baseball people a game like this is more of a must-win than a game against Chris Sale or Justin Verlander. They all count for one in the win column, no matter who you beat. Beating up on bad teams is what good teams do.
Coming into this game Royals pitcher Jeremy Guthrie had a string of 18 starts without a loss—that string got snapped by four home runs. Albert Pujols, Howie Kendrick, Josh Hamilton and Mike Trout all took Jeremy deep. Guthrie also walked three, struck out none and gave up five earned runs—not a great night.
But Guthrie did throw seven innings.
When a starting pitcher does not have his best stuff—but hangs in there and finds a way to give his team innings—he may not help his team win that night, but he gives his team a better shot at winning the next night. Starting pitchers who go deep, rest the bullpen. What Guthrie did Tuesday night—and Luke Hochevar did on Monday—was allow Ned Yost to get through two games without chewing up his bullpen. Wednesday night Ned should have all his relievers available.
Judging the Royals is an inside look at baseball and the Kansas City Royals. Lee Judge watches every game, talks to the players and brings their point of view back to the fans.
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