Royals’ Mike Minor unhappy with outing in a loss to the Athletics, but ready to move on
Royals pitcher Mike Minor pushed the rock a little bit farther up the hill toward the start of the regular season. Other than that, he wasn’t too enthralled with his performance on Wednesday.
The KC veteran offered a blunt assessment after he allowed six runs (four earned) on seven hits in 3 1/3 innings during the Royals’ 10-5 loss to the Oakland Athletics at Hohokam Stadium in Mesa, Arizona.
“(It was) pretty bad, but got the pitch count up, got the innings in there,” Minor said. “Threw some OK pitches, but overall wasn’t great. But it’s spring training, so move on.”
Minor said he felt like he couldn’t throw the ball where he wanted to. While the sun played havoc on his fielders and contributed to a pair of unearned runs, Minor was quick to point out he “wasn’t making good pitches” so he certainly couldn’t blame the fielders.
“We’ve got I think probably two more starts or something like that,” Minor said. “Pitch count got in the high 60s today, and then we’ve got two more to get built up closer to 100. Then the season starts. We’ve got an off day in there, so I think that will give me an extra day. But I think we’re all on the right path.”
In his previous two starts, things had gone relatively smoothly. He’d allowed one run on one hit and one walk in five innings.
“I thought he was better than what he thought he was,” Royals manager Mike Matheny said of Minor. “He said he just didn’t feel sharp. I thought the fastball played up. I thought the curveball was really sharp. I think he’s kind of a perfectionist.
“The numbers were a little skewed by a couple tough sun balls that ended up turning into more runs than what he would’ve given up.”
First baseman Ryan McBroom and third baseman Hunter Dozier each homered for the Royals (12-5) and second baseman Nicky Lopez doubled. McBroom also had a sacrifice fly as part of a three-RBI game.
Dozier, who went 2 for 3 with two RBI and two runs scored, is another player who isn’t too wrapped up in results during spring training. He focuses more on how his swing feels, his comfort in the batter’s box and how he’s seeing pitches.
Of course, homers never hurt.
“Right now I’m just feeling good and making sure my swing feels good and getting the timing going,” Dozier said. “The timing feels pretty good right now. I think it’s definitely moving in the right direction. It is nice to see some results.”
Dozier now has five hits this spring and four have gone for extra bases.
On the radar
Left-handed pitcher Austin Cox has pitched just 3 1/3 innings in Cactus League play this spring, but that doesn’t mean he’s been forgotten among the bevy of starting pitching talent in the Royals’ system — a wealth of talent that includes Daniel Lynch, Jackson Kowar, Jonathan Bowlan, Alec Marsh and Asa Lacy.
A former fifth-round draft pick out of Mercer in 2018, Cox was ranked by Baseball America as the No. 11 prospect in the Royals’ system heading into this year. He last pitched for Low-A Lexington and High-A Wilmington in the minors in 2019.
“With a number of people in the organization, he was really high on their list when you start talking about the whole group of young pitchers,” Matheny said. “They kept forcing his name into the conversation.”
Cox had some fits and starts last summer, including being shut down because of COVID-19 contact tracing, and never quite found his rhythm. But his performance this spring has impressed Matheny.
“This spring, he got a couple outings and it was like, ‘OK, now I see what you guys are talking about,’” Matheny said. “... I think he is one of those sleepers that has kind of fallen between the cracks. But you watch him pitch and you watch his repertoire as far as an explosive fastball that he does a real nice job with at the bottom of the zone, good changeup, control of the breaking ball, a good rhythm, a good disposition, everything that you’re kind of looking for.”
Matheny said he thinks Cox will be in the conversation as a pitching option in the majors at some point this season.
Hello, Rosie
Oakland Athletics reliever Trevor Rosenthal pitched the third inning and allowed a run on two hits, a walk and a sacrifice fly Wednesday against the Royals. Rosenthal, a Lee’s Summit native, was in camp with the Royals last spring and summer after signing a minor-league contract last winter.
Rosenthal appeared in 14 games for the Royals last summer before they traded him to the San Diego Padres. Rosenthal posted a 3.29 ERA with seven saves, 21 strikeouts, seven walks and a 1.17 WHIP in 13 2/3 innings. He bounced back from a down year in 2019.
This winter, Rosenthal signed a one-year $11 million contract with the Athletics.
Another former Royals reliever, Jake Diekman, pitched a scoreless inning against the Royals Wednesday.
TV schedule
The Royals and Bally Sports Kansas City (rebranding from FOX Sports Kansas City) announced a 161-game regular-season television schedule for 2021. The only Royals game that won’t air on Bally Sports Kansas City is June 26 against the Texas Rangers, which will be broadcast on FS1.
The 30-minute pregame show “Price Chopper Royals Live” will precede each game on Bally Sports Kansas City, while the “Boulevard Royals Live” postgame show will follow every game.
Ryan Lefebvre, in his 23rd season, will call the majority of the regular-season games for Bally Sports Kansas City, and Steve Physioc will provide the play-by-play on the remaining games. Rex Hudler will return for his 10th season as analyst, and Royals Hall of Famer Jeff Montgomery will provide analysis throughout the season on “Royals Live” with host Joel Goldberg.
