Danny Duffy, former bullpen mates lead Royals in 2-1 win over White Sox

There is an inherent maturity now, a hardened perspective, a worldview that can only come with time. His general manager sees it. So does his manager. Danny Duffy might see it, too, but he is not one to talk about it. He’s learned that lesson.

Forget all the discussions about maturity and experience and quieting the mind while toeing the rubber in a big-league ballpark. These days, Duffy would rather just do it.

On Saturday afternoon at U.S. Cellular Field, the left-handed Duffy made his second start since re-joining the Royals’ starting rotation. He threw 4 1/3 scoreless innings, worked around a built-in pitch count of 60 pitches, and put the Royals in position for a 2-1 victory over the Chicago White Sox.

When the afternoon was over, the Royals had won two straight over the first-place White Sox, clinched their third straight series victory, and moved to 22-20 after five victories in six games.

When the afternoon was over, the Royals sat two victories over .500 for the first time since May 3 and Duffy had spun his latest audition for a more permanent role in the rotation. In that macro sense, the victory was more than just a one-run decision over a division rival. But as the Royals converged in the clubhouse after the victory, Duffy preferred to keep the focus on the 6 inches in front of him.

“I was just trying to go out there and get outs,” he said.

The strategy was simplistic for a reason. The results followed. Duffy allowed just four hits in his 4 1/3 innings. He struck out three while walking zero. The closest the White Sox came to scoring off him came on a double off the top of the wall from Melky Cabrera in the fourth. Moments after the hit, Duffy buckled down and recorded the final two outs of the inning, patting his glove three times and pointing to the sky as he walked toward the dugout.

Duffy thought his day was over. It was not. Royals manager Ned Yost wanted him to open the bottom of the fifth, ensuring that Chicago catcher Dioner Navarro would hit from the left side. Duffy recorded one more out and left after 63 pitches.

“I thought Duffy pitched great,” Yost said.

For most of 2014 and 2015, of course, Duffy was a fixture in the starting rotation, helping the Royals to two straight postseason appearances. His talent was undeniable. His performance sometimes volatile. In both playoff runs, he occupied space in a deep bullpen.

When this season began, the Royals elected to send Duffy to the pen again, hoping his electric power stuff would turn him into a dominating reliever. It was only after injuries to Chris Young and Kris Medlen that Duffy was summoned back to the rotation. The unintended consequence may be just what the Royals needed.

“We evaluate daily,” Yost said, answering a question about Duffy’s role. “We just know that, really, we can’t go wrong either way. If we put him back in the pen, we’re going to have an outstanding reliever. If we keep him in the rotation, he’s going to be very solid for us.”

Saturday, of course, was more than just Duffy. Center fielder Lorenzo Cain finished 2 for 3 and hit his sixth homer of the season. Alcides Escobar made another brilliant play at shortstop. Reliever Joakim Soria logged two full innings for the first time since June 6, 2011, saving the Royals during a particularly sticky situation in the bottom of the seventh.

The specifics: Duffy had completed 4 1/3 innings, and Yost had turned the game over to right-hander Peter Moylan, who worked through the sixth. With right-handers Luke Hochevar and Kelvin Herrera unavailable after a run of appearances in the last week, Yost had to piece together a plan. He elected to use left-hander Brian Flynn to begin the seventh inning.

The Royals were protecting a 2-0 lead. The decision nearly backfired. Flynn issued a leadoff walk to Navarro, allowed a single to left from Tyler Saladino and then loaded the bases on a defensive wobble from third baseman Mike Moustakas.

With runners on first and second, Chicago’s Adam Eaton dropped a bunt down the third-base line. Moustakas fielded the ball and turned to third base, where nobody was covering the bag. The hesitation allowed everyone to be safe.

Yost emerged from the dugout and summoned Soria, who faced a bases-loaded situation with nobody out. Soria had posted a 3.98 ERA in his first 21 appearances. Still, he was unfazed. He induced a double-play grounder from Jose Abreu and a groundout from Todd Frazier, limiting the damage to just one run. Soria returned in the eighth inning and recorded three more outs, setting the stage for closer Wade Davis’ 11th save in the ninth.

“They let me know that I might go one-plus,” Soria said. “I didn’t know it was going to be two innings.”

Soria let out a smile. He showed little fatigue while throwing 25 pitches. The bullpen came through again as the Royals took control of a crucial early-season series. The Royals hit the White Sox with their eighth loss in 10 games after a 23-10 start.

“It means a lot,” Soria said. “It means we have a complete team. We don’t rely on just one guy.”

In two games in Chicago, the Royals’ bullpen has allowed just one run in 8 2/3 innings. It’s a bullpen that no longer features Duffy, who lowered his ERA to 2.13. In the coming days and weeks, the Royals will have a decision to make on Duffy. Is he better off in the bullpen or the rotation? Are the Royals better off with his power stuff starting games?

On Saturday, Duffy offered stability with a solid performance. The offense delivered a lead to the back end of the bullpen. The Royals, once skidding and adrift, are back to winning baseball games.

“We’re playing our style,” Cain said. “We got back to it. We just got to continue to do that.”

Royals 2, White Sox 1

a-struck out for Sands in the 8th. b-grounded out for Jackson in the 9th.

E: Moustakas (2). LOB: Kansas City 7, Chicago 9. 2B: Cabrera (8). HR: Cain (6), off Gonzalez. RBIs: Cain (22), Hosmer (21). SB: Dyson (7). CS: Dyson (2). SF: Hosmer. S: Eaton.

Runners left in scoring position: Kansas City 3 (Escobar, Moustakas, Dyson); Chicago 4 (Frazier, Cabrera, Jackson 2). RISP: Kansas City 0 for 3; Chicago 0 for 6. Runners moved up: Abreu. GIDP: Hosmer, Abreu 2. DP: Kansas City 2 (Escobar, Merrifield, Hosmer), (Escobar, Merrifield, Hosmer); Chicago 1 (Sands, Saladino).

Flynn pitched to 3 batters in the 7th.

Inherited runners-scored: Soria 3-1, Jennings 1-0, Jones 1-0. HBP: Duffy (Navarro), Gonzalez (Gordon).

Umpires: Home, Gabe Morales; First, Scott Barry; Second, Jerry Layne; Third, Hunter Wendelstedt. Time: 3:05. Att: 27,361.

This story was originally published May 21, 2016 at 4:27 PM with the headline "Danny Duffy, former bullpen mates lead Royals in 2-1 win over White Sox."