‘A little ode to Ace.’ Danny Duffy ended start with Yordano Ventura’s signature move

It’s been 18 months since that tragic day and, as if you had any doubt, Royals left-hander Danny Duffy hasn’t forgotten his friend.

Yordano Ventura died in a car accident on Jan. 22, 2017, in the Dominican Republic, and sometimes Duffy wonders what might have been if that terrible event never happened.

“He’s always with us -- I mean it,” Duffy said. “We never forget about him. Honestly, sometimes you think about what it would be like if he was still around, so anything we can do to keep the kid around is something that we’re going to do.”

Duffy honored his friend Friday during the Royals’ 6-5 win over the Twins. Duffy was brilliant, allowing one run on five hits in seven innings.

The final out came via a strikeout of Eddie Rosario, and Duffy flashed that famous Ventura leg kick on the third strike, which was his final pitch of the game.

“It was a big moment and I let it go and I saw it was on line and was right on the edge of the zone and knew it was a big moment, so I just held the finish,” Duffy said. “Just a little ode to Ace.”

Duffy, who said the tribute wasn’t planned, tweeted: “The kid is always out there with us!”

This story was originally published July 21, 2018 at 5:31 PM.