Ian Kennedy isn’t sharp but goes four innings in Royals’ 4-2 loss to Reds
The final pitching line is sure to induce a sigh from Royals fans.
In the Royals’ 4-2 loss Tuesday against the Cincinnati Reds, Ian Kennedy allowed seven hits, two runs, walked one and hit a batter. But the key number: Four innings pitched.
The Royals took heat for Kennedy’s five-year, $70 million contract. It was called the worst of the off-season by executives polled by ESPN. FanGraphs merely ranked it the third-worst transaction of the winter.
But Kennedy, a 31-year-old right-hander, wasn’t signed to be the ace. He’s an innings-eater. After exiting Tuesday’s game, Kennedy admitted he didn’t know how many pitches he was scheduled to throw.
“My goal was just to go the four innings,” Kennedy said. “I have no idea what the pitch count is; so as long as I get the innings, I don’t care what the pitch count is.”
The Royals staked Kennedy to a run in the top of the first when Alcides Escobar doubled and scored on a one-out single by Eric Hosmer.
The lead disappeared quickly. Fleet-footed Reds center fielder Billy Hamilton greeted Kennedy with a bunt single. Hamilton took second on a fly-out to right field. Joey Votto walked on four pitches. Hamilton took third on a passed ball by Tony Cruz and scored on Adam Duvall’s single. Jay Bruce followed with an RBI double to make it 2-1.
Kennedy avoided more damage by striking out Jose Peraza and getting Scott Schebler on a pop out.
They were the only runs Kennedy allowed, but he allowed a pair of hits with one out in the third and gave up a single and hit a batter with one out in the fourth. Kennedy left those runners stranded.
“I’m still not quite there yet,” Kennedy said. “What I’m happy for is I was able to make those in-game adjustments. I felt like you could just put a guy at first and second with one out almost every inning. But those adjustments that I had to make, I made them later in the innings and mid-at-bat.
“For me, I feel like that’s part of the battle when pitching to major-league hitters in major-league games, you’re going to have to make those adjustments, and I was happy that I did.”
The Reds broke a 2-2 tie in the seventh inning when Danny Duffy allowed two runs on two hits, two walks and a pair of wild pitches.
Duffy has a 9.00 ERA this spring, but manager Ned Yost said he wasn’t concerned.
“Danny stinks in spring training,” Yost said. “He has the last two or three years. When the season starts, he’s always there.”
The regulars
Alex Gordon looked in midseason form — in the field. Ivan De Jesus Jr., laced a Kennedy down to left. De Jesus didn’t run hard out of the box, but he did when he realized Gordon’s throw was going to beat him to second. It did. Omar Infante placed the tag and Gordon got the assist. Escobar had an RBI bunt single in addition to his double.
The arms
Wade Davis gave up a single and walked a batter in one inning. But with runners on second and third, he struck out Schebler. Kelvin Herrera threw a perfect sixth inning. Pitcher Ross Ohlendorf took a liner off his backside in the eighth inning, but Yost said there was no injury concern. Ohlendorf didn’t allow a run in the frame.
Position battles
Omar Infante had a pair of singles and raised his spring average to .313. He also stole a base. His competition at second base is Christian Colon, who is 0 for 22 in Arizona. Outfielder Reymond Fuentes was 0 for 3.
Up next
The Royals will play host to the Chicago Cubs at Surprise Stadium on Wednesday at 3:05 p.m. Chris Young is the scheduled starter.
Pete Grathoff, 816-234-4330, @pgrathoff
Tuesday’s summary
Reds 4, Royals 2
TableStyle: SP-basebattersCCI Template: SP-basebatters
Kansas City ab | R | H | BI | BB | SO | Avg. | |
A.Escobar ss | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | .176 |
Mondesi ss | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .294 |
Moustakas 3b | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .391 |
D.Coleman 3b | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .154 |
Hosmer 1b | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | .400 |
Gore pr-lf | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .111 |
K.Morales dh | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .214 |
Calixte ph-dh | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .267 |
A.Gordon lf | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | .375 |
C.Decker 1b | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .200 |
Orlando rf | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .259 |
Snider rf | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .211 |
Infante 2b | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .313 |
W.Merrifield ph-2b | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .400 |
Fuentes cf | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .333 |
P.Morin c | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .167 |
T.Cruz c | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .056 |
A.Fukofuka pr-cf | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 |
Totals | 2 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 7 |
TableStyle: SP-basebattersCCI Template: SP-basebatters
Cincinnati ab | R | H | BI | BB | SO | Avg. | |
B.Hamilton dh | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .200 |
Waldrop ph-dh | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .000 |
Cozart ss | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .286 |
B.Trahan ss | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .462 |
Votto 1b | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | .429 |
Allen 1b | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | .316 |
Duvall 3b | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | .300 |
Sparks 3b | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .000 |
Bruce rf | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | .280 |
Y.Rodriguez rf | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .150 |
Peraza cf | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .385 |
J.Cave cf | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | .308 |
Schebler lf | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | .269 |
J.Duran lf | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | .267 |
De Jesus Jr. 2b | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .280 |
Iribarren 2b | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 |
R.Cabrera c | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .158 |
J.Hudson c | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .083 |
Totals | 4 | 11 | 4 | 5 | 5 |
TableStyle: SP-basebyinningsCCI Template: SP-basebyinnings
Kansas City | 100 | 010 | 000 | — | 2 | 7 | 0 |
Cincinnati | 200 | 000 | 20x | — | 4 | 11 | 0 |
DP: Kansas City 1. LOB: Kansas City 5, Cincinnati 12. 2B: A.Escobar (2), Hosmer (3), Bruce (3). SB: Infante (1), B.Trahan (1), Votto (1), Bruce (1).
TableStyle: SP-basepitchersCCI Template: SP-basepitchers
Kansas City | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
Kennedy | 4 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 4.00 |
W.Davis | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0.00 |
K.Herrera | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2.25 |
D.Duffy L,1-1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 9.00 |
Ohlendorf | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 9.00 |
TableStyle: SP-basepitchersCCI Template: SP-basepitchers
Cincinnati | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
Finnegan | 4 1/3 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 3.60 |
Hoover | 2/3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
Sampson | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0.00 |
C.O’Grady W,1-0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 8.44 |
L.Somsen S,1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0.00 |
Blown save: Hoover (1). HBP: by Kennedy (De Jesus Jr.), by Finnegan (A.Gordon). WP: D.Duffy 2. PB: T.Cruz. Umpires: Home, Tripp Gibson; First, Ron Kulpa; Second, Alfonso Marquez; Third, Seth Buckminster. Time: 2:34. Att: 5,463
AP-WF-08-31-14 0338GMT
This story was originally published March 15, 2016 at 5:57 PM with the headline "Ian Kennedy isn’t sharp but goes four innings in Royals’ 4-2 loss to Reds."