Johnny Cueto cruises in first start at The K in 4-0 Royals victory

The cacophony of noise – a medley of shouts, applause and the rhythmic repetition of his name – reached the ears of Johnny Cueto as he walked off the mound in the eighth inning of Monday’s 4-0 victory over Detroit. The ovation inspired him, he said later. It was his first start as a Royal at Kauffman Stadium, and he felt he owed the fans the opportunity to witness something special.

Inside the dugout, Cueto found manager Ned Yost. He asked if he could finish the game. Kansas City had played 101 games before Cueto pitched for them this year. No Royal had pitched a shutout. In his third outing for his new club, Cueto intended to reach that milestone.

Yost and pitching coach Dave Eiland analyzed the situation. Cueto had thrown 106 pitches, but his fastball velocity remained steady. The bullpen was depleted. The lead was large enough to avoid a save situation. Yost acquiesced – the final three outs would belong to Cueto.

“The crowd didn’t know that he was going back out in the ninth,” Yost said. “And I did. And I knew that would be exactly the reaction that we would get.”

Yost turned his head so he would witness the response. A few minutes shy of 9:50 p.m., the stadium’s congregants rose to salute Cueto. A roar greeted his arrival on the diamond and a chant followed his steps onto the mound.

“Let’s go Cueto,” those who remained of the 36,672 fans at the park shouted. “Let’s go Cueto.”

A first-place club needs no saviors, but the arrival of Cueto last month, days before the trade deadline, signaled the seriousness of this team’s pursuit of the championship that eluded them in 2014. In his first performance before his new home fans, Cueto (1-1, 2.05 ERA) displayed all the attributes that earned him the title of an ace.

Moments after the final out fell from the sky, Salvador Perez wrapped Cueto in a bear hug. Soon after, Perez doused his battery mate with the customary bucket of Gatorade.

“He wasn’t expecting it,” said catching coach Pedro Grifol, who translated for Cueto. “But he earned it.”

Cueto spun nine scoreless innings, racing through spotless frames against the ravaged remnants of the once-formidable Detroit roster. Cueto allowed only four hits, and did not permit a Tiger to stand on third base. He struck out eight, including three in the final two innings.

Cueto attacked hitters with his customary blend of disruptive sequences and shape-shifting deliveries. Yost quipped that Perez requires six fingers to call a game for Cueto. From his spot in center field, Lorenzo Cain watched Cueto disorient the Tigers.

“He just keeps guys off-balance with all the wiggles, pausing, stopping and going, everything up there,” Cain said. “It’s tough to get your timing down when a guy’s doing all that.”

The performance helped the Royals (67-44) collect their fourth victory in a row. They continue to mow down the American League Central, rolling toward their first division title since 1985. And every fifth day, they can turn to one of the best pitchers on the planet.

“That’s what your ace does,” first baseman Eric Hosmer said. “Our bullpen’s been getting used a lot. Every time that spot comes up in the rotation, that’s what you expect from the guy.” 

Cueto impressed but did not overwhelm in his first two outings as a Royal. He survived a rocky outing in Toronto to escape with three runs allowed in six innings. The bullpen blew a three-lead after he departed. He spun seven innings of two-run baseball against Detroit in his second outing, only to wear the loss when the offense slumbered through the evening.

So Cueto acquitted himself, even if he arrived at Kauffman Stadium on Monday without a victory as a Royal. The package he presented impressed his new manager.

“I like everything about him,” Yost said. “I like his competitiveness. The way he goes deep into games. He’s entertaining to watch. He’s got great stuff. He’s a great competitor, and he can execute.”

His new teammates expected a lively atmosphere at the park on Monday. The man responsible for the excitement strolled into the clubhouse at 4:43 p.m. A smile beamed across his face. “Cueto, Cueto,” Hosmer called out.

Two hours later, his appearance on the diamond generated a similar reaction, albeit one transmitted by the thousands already inside the park. The crowd greeted him with an appreciative cheer.

The volume rose after Cueto’s first inning. He struck out a pair in a spotless frame. He received a standing ovation. The theme carried through the night.

“There was a different feel, definitely,” Hosmer said.

By the time Cueto returned to the mound, the Royals led by three. Only five days earlier, the offense looked helpless at the hands of Tigers rookie Matt Boyd, a recent arrival from Toronto in the David Price trade. In his first start for Detroit, Boyd limited Kansas City to one run in seven innings.

On Monday the Royals doubled that output in three batters. The first two, Alcides Escobar and Ben Zobrist, cracked first-pitch singles. The next batter practiced more patience. Cain turned on a full-count fastball and belted a two-run double. Kendrys Morales widened the lead with an RBI single to bring Cain home.

“It’s definitely nice to strike early with Cueto on the bump,” Cain said.

Cueto locked into a groove, and the Tigers could not remove him from it. He yielded a one-out double to outfielder J.D. Martinez in the second, but responded with two quick outs. He scooped a two-out grounder from first baseman Jefry Marte, jogged toward the first-base line and waited to Marte to walk into the tag.

An inning later, Cueto peered into the sky to discern the flight of an infield fly off the bat of outfielder Anthony Gose. Cueto diagnosed the ball’s trajectory and turned toward the dugout. He removed his cap before the third out landed in Alcides Escobar’s glove.

“He felt strong starting off,” Grifol said. “And as he went on, he started feeling really, really good with his command.”

As Cueto cruised, his teammates failed to continue battering Boyd. They ran into outs on the bases. They hit into double plays. But in the seventh, Hosmer rolled an RBI single up the middle to increase the advantage to four.

To Yost, the extra run was critical. Without it, he would not have let Cueto finish the game.

A faint chant could be heard as Cueto toiled in the eighth, a few fans hollering “Let’s go Cueto.” The mantra gained traction as the inning continued. Cueto struck out catcher Alex Avila with a 93-mph fastball for the inning’s first out. He fanned infielder Andrew Romine with a dirt-bound changeup for the second.

“From the first inning to the ninth inning,” Yost said, “there was absolutely no difference.”

The noise only increased when Cueto returned for the ninth. As he did in five of the nine innings, he faced the minimum. Cueto said later that the atmosphere was the most intense in which he had ever pitched.

“He felt really proud of the fact that the fans were just feeding him that last little piece of energy,” Grifol said. “That last little boost of energy that he needed.”

As Cueto spoke to a group of reporters, Edinson Volquez, his former teammate in Cincinnati, piped up. Volquez had spent all season enjoying the devotion of this revitalized fanbase. Now he relayed the reality of Cueto’s new home.

“That’s how we do it in Kansas City, bro.”

To reach Andy McCullough, call 816-234-4370 or send email to rmccullough@kcstar.com. Follow him on Twitter: @McCulloughStar.

This story was originally published August 10, 2015 at 10:05 PM with the headline "Johnny Cueto cruises in first start at The K in 4-0 Royals victory."