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KANSAS CITY ( VOLQUEZ )
HOUSTON ( KEUCHEL ) |
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| AL Division Series - Best of 5 - Game 3 - Tied 1-1 | |  | |
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| 917 | KANSAS CITY | +165 | Ov 7,-105 | +165 | Ov 7,-110 | | 918 | HOUSTON | -175 | Un 7,-115 | -175 | Un 7,-110 |
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| All Games | 96-68 | +18.5 | 74-76 | 4.5 | 0.268 | 0.315 | 0.413 | 0.728 | 4.0 | 0.250 | 0.311 | 0.397 | 0.708 | | Road Games | 44-37 | +7.4 | 37-37 | 4.3 | 0.259 | 0.304 | 0.399 | 0.703 | 4.0 | 0.252 | 0.320 | 0.399 | 0.719 | | vs Left-handed Starters | 32-27 | +0.9 | 26-28 | 4.2 | 0.273 | 0.317 | 0.414 | 0.731 | 4.3 | 0.258 | 0.313 | 0.401 | 0.715 | | Past 7 Games | 6-1 | +4.9 | 3-4 | 4.6 | 0.253 | 0.321 | 0.418 | 0.739 | 2.7 | 0.245 | 0.316 | 0.315 | 0.631 | | Grass Games | 93-64 | +19.4 | 71-72 | 4.5 | 0.271 | 0.318 | 0.417 | 0.735 | 3.9 | 0.250 | 0.311 | 0.396 | 0.707 | | Day Games | 30-16 | +14.2 | 22-19 | 5.0 | 0.279 | 0.327 | 0.445 | 0.772 | 4.2 | 0.250 | 0.314 | 0.402 | 0.716 | | Playoff games | 1-1 | -0.3 | 1-1 | 3.5 | 0.254 | 0.296 | 0.448 | 0.744 | 4.5 | 0.275 | 0.342 | 0.435 | 0.777 |
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| All Games | 4.5 | 0.268 | 0.315 | 164 | 5642 | 1514 | 302 | 43 | 142 | 0.413 | 696 | 387 | 984 | 103 | 1093 | 154 | 86 | 143 | 76 | | Road Games | 4.3 | 0.259 | 0.304 | 81 | 2902 | 751 | 143 | 17 | 77 | 0.399 | 327 | 187 | 536 | 38 | 547 | 79 | 52 | 67 | 35 | | Lefty Starters | 4.2 | 0.273 | 0.317 | 59 | 2059 | 562 | 120 | 13 | 48 | 0.414 | 239 | 132 | 351 | 35 | 414 | 61 | 39 | 50 | 29 |
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| All Games | 2.69 | 1.134 | 549.3 | 178 | 164 | 429 | 50 | 194 | 518 | 31-14 | 57 | 16 | 78.1% | | Road Games | 2.87 | 1.172 | 263.7 | 90 | 84 | 195 | 27 | 114 | 260 | 13-11 | 31 | 10 | 75.6% |
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| All Games | 88-77 | -2.2 | 74-82 | 4.5 | 0.250 | 0.311 | 0.436 | 0.748 | 3.8 | 0.240 | 0.294 | 0.381 | 0.675 | | Home Games | 53-28 | +14.7 | 36-41 | 4.5 | 0.253 | 0.319 | 0.462 | 0.781 | 3.5 | 0.233 | 0.282 | 0.371 | 0.654 | | vs Right-handed Starters | 58-45 | +7.9 | 51-47 | 4.8 | 0.254 | 0.315 | 0.444 | 0.759 | 3.8 | 0.237 | 0.292 | 0.372 | 0.664 | | Past 7 Games | 5-2 | +2.7 | 3-4 | 7.0 | 0.309 | 0.375 | 0.555 | 0.929 | 3.6 | 0.252 | 0.296 | 0.426 | 0.721 | | Grass Games | 88-71 | +4.2 | 72-79 | 4.6 | 0.252 | 0.313 | 0.441 | 0.754 | 3.7 | 0.239 | 0.293 | 0.380 | 0.673 | | Day Games | 28-24 | +1.7 | 27-23 | 4.7 | 0.254 | 0.319 | 0.443 | 0.762 | 4.0 | 0.236 | 0.296 | 0.379 | 0.676 | | Playoff games | 2-1 | +1.2 | 1-2 | 4.0 | 0.242 | 0.324 | 0.424 | 0.749 | 2.3 | 0.206 | 0.252 | 0.340 | 0.593 |
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| All Games | 4.5 | 0.250 | 0.311 | 165 | 5558 | 1387 | 281 | 26 | 235 | 0.436 | 704 | 498 | 1424 | 124 | 1054 | 123 | 87 | 132 | 89 | | Home Games | 4.5 | 0.253 | 0.319 | 81 | 2605 | 658 | 134 | 14 | 128 | 0.462 | 352 | 252 | 689 | 55 | 477 | 66 | 38 | 70 | 37 | | Righty Starters | 4.8 | 0.254 | 0.315 | 103 | 3494 | 886 | 180 | 13 | 153 | 0.444 | 468 | 313 | 891 | 80 | 655 | 74 | 51 | 75 | 56 |
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| All Games | 3.19 | 1.107 | 466 | 182 | 165 | 378 | 45 | 138 | 472 | 27-31 | 41 | 19 | 68.3% | | Home Games | 2.73 | 0.981 | 243.6 | 82 | 74 | 186 | 25 | 53 | 260 | 15-14 | 22 | 9 | 71% |
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| 9/27/2015 | YOUNG(R) | CLEVELAND | SALAZAR(R) | 3-0 | W | +110 | 8 ov | U | 9 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 0 | | 9/28/2015 | VENTURA(R) | @ CHICAGO CUBS | HENDRICKS(R) | 0-1 | L | -115 | 8 un | U | 4 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 0 | | 9/29/2015 | CUETO(R) | @ CHI WHITE SOX | SAMARDZIJA(R) | 2-4 | L | -145 | 7.5 ov | U | 9 | 7 | 0 | 10 | 7 | 0 | | 9/30/2015 | VOLQUEZ(R) | @ CHI WHITE SOX | QUINTANA(L) | 5-3 | W | 110 | 7.5 un | O | 7 | 6 | 1 | 13 | 11 | 2 | | 10/1/2015 | MEDLEN(R) | @ CHI WHITE SOX | DANKS(L) | 6-4 | W | -135 | 7.5 ov | O | 13 | 9 | 1 | 8 | 6 | 1 | | 10/2/2015 | YOUNG(R) | @ MINNESOTA | SANTANA(R) | 3-1 | W | 105 | 7.5 un | U | 7 | 10 | 0 | 6 | 5 | 3 | | 10/3/2015 | VENTURA(R) | @ MINNESOTA | MILONE(L) | 5-1 | W | -120 | 7.5 un | U | 9 | 8 | 0 | 6 | 8 | 3 | | 10/4/2015 | CUETO(R) | @ MINNESOTA | NOLASCO(R) | 6-1 | W | -165 | 8 un | U | 10 | 11 | 1 | 7 | 12 | 0 | | 10/8/2015 | VENTURA(R) | HOUSTON | MCHUGH(R) | 2-5 | L | -130 | 7.5 ev | U | 6 | 6 | 0 | 11 | 7 | 0 | | 10/9/2015 | CUETO(R) | HOUSTON | KAZMIR(L) | 5-4 | W | -125 | 7.5 un | O | 11 | 8 | 0 | 8 | 6 | 0 | | 10/11/2015 | VOLQUEZ(R) | @ HOUSTON | KEUCHEL(L) | |
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| 9/27/2015 | KEUCHEL(L) | TEXAS | PEREZ(L) | 4-2 | W | -225 | 8 un | U | 8 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 1 | | 9/28/2015 | MCCULLERS(R) | @ SEATTLE | ELIAS(L) | 3-2 | W | -135 | 7 ov | U | 7 | 7 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 0 | | 9/29/2015 | FIERS(R) | @ SEATTLE | NUNO(L) | 4-6 | L | -135 | 7.5 un | O | 8 | 7 | 2 | 9 | 6 | 1 | | 9/30/2015 | KAZMIR(L) | @ SEATTLE | ZYCH(R) | 7-6 | W | -150 | 8 un | O | 14 | 7 | 4 | 12 | 8 | 1 | | 10/2/2015 | KEUCHEL(L) | @ ARIZONA | DE LA ROSA(R) | 21-5 | W | -165 | 8.5 un | O | 19 | 9 | 2 | 11 | 9 | 4 | | 10/3/2015 | MCHUGH(R) | @ ARIZONA | HELLICKSON(R) | 6-2 | W | -160 | 8.5 ov | U | 11 | 10 | 0 | 7 | 6 | 1 | | 10/4/2015 | MCCULLERS(R) | @ ARIZONA | RAY(L) | 3-5 | L | -150 | 8.5 un | U | 11 | 9 | 1 | 11 | 10 | 0 | | 10/6/2015 | KEUCHEL(L) | @ NY YANKEES | TANAKA(R) | 3-0 | W | -105 | 7 ev | U | 5 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 0 | | 10/8/2015 | MCHUGH(R) | @ KANSAS CITY | VENTURA(R) | 5-2 | W | 120 | 7.5 ev | U | 11 | 7 | 0 | 6 | 6 | 0 | | 10/9/2015 | KAZMIR(L) | @ KANSAS CITY | CUETO(R) | 4-5 | L | 115 | 7.5 un | O | 8 | 6 | 0 | 11 | 8 | 0 | | 10/11/2015 | KEUCHEL(L) | KANSAS CITY | VOLQUEZ(R) | |
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| |  | KANSAS CITY: KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) - Every once in a while, Ned Yost will spin a story about his days on Bobby Cox's bench with the Atlanta Braves, back when the organization was winning NL pennants by the fistful.
Inevitably, Yost would start drawing comparisons to his Kansas City Royals - that they were building through the farm system in the same manner as the Braves, and Kansas City would embrace the franchise in the same way Atlanta did if it ever became a winner.
Last year, that narrative finally made sense.
After squeaking into the playoffs as a wild card, the Royals swept all the way to the World Series. If not for a virtuoso performance by Madison Bumgarner of the San Francisco Giants, the Royals might very well have been celebrating their second championship.
The postseason run led Yost to draw one more comparison when he arrived in Arizona for the start of a new season, and his players filed into the clubhouse for the first time.
''It definitely reminded me of that feeling in Atlanta,'' he said, ''when you came to spring training every year with the feeling that you have an opportunity to go to the World Series - instead of hoping, you know? And it's a different feeling.''
There is good reason for that feeling, too.
The Royals return most of the pieces from the club that ended a 29-year playoff drought, including one of the best bullpens in baseball history. And the pieces they did lose to free agency have been replaced with what could turn out to be upgrades.
Designated hitter Billy Butler is gone, Kendrys Morales signed in his place. Alex Rios is taking over for Nori Aoki in right field. Edinson Volquez was signed to fill the rotation spot of staff ace James Shields, who chased bigger money all the way to San Diego.
Even though a few faces have changed, the tenants that the Royals believe in have not: They will continue to rely on speed, defense and pitching to chase another playoff berth.
''Any time you're fortunate enough to keep those key pieces, you feel good,'' said Greg Holland, the Royals' All-Star closer. ''Yeah, we lost Billy and Shields and Nori, but for the most part, we're right where we need to be.''
Besides, the back end of the bullpen is still intact.
Kelvin Herrera harnessed his electrifying fastball to become a shutdown seventh-inning reliever last season. Former starter Wade Davis had a historically dominant year as the setup man. Holland further cemented his status as the AL's best closer.
''The way you tilt the field in your favor, in my opinion, is having quality pitching and really good defense,'' Royals general manager Dayton Moore said. ''Those are things that hopefully can show up every single day and perform for you.''
As the Royals approach opening day against the Chicago White Sox on April 6 at Kauffman Stadium, here are a few other story lines to watch this season:
THE ROTATION: Shields was the anchor in 2014, but he struggled mightily in the playoffs. So when the Royals signed Volquez to replace him, it was mostly met with a collective shrug.
Besides, the success of the rotation will more likely be determined by the success of young flamethrowers Danny Duffy and Yordano Ventura, both of whom have ace ability.
INJURY BUGS: The Royals stayed remarkably healthy last season. Will karma even out?
Second baseman Omar Infante already missed long stretches of spring training with a bone spur in his elbow that could require surgery next offseason. Left fielder Alex Gordon also got a slow start to the spring after undergoing wrist surgery this past offseason.
SLOW STARTS: The last couple of seasons, the Royals have gotten off to slow starts. They unsuccessfully dug out of a big hole two years ago, but pulled it off last season.
Considering every other team in the AL Central appeared to get better over the winter, the Royals can ill afford to let Detroit, Cleveland and Minnesota and the White Sox bury them.
RESTING SALVY: All-Star catcher Salvador Perez faded in the playoffs in part due to his heavy work load in the regular season, where he appeared in 150 games. Yost intends to give him more days off this year, though it's hard to take his bat out of the lineup.
BASEBALL TOWN: Did the World Series run turn Kansas City into a baseball town again? The club has been overshadowed for decades by the Chiefs, who play just across the parking lot in Arrowhead stadium. How will fans respond to having the reigning AL champions? | | HOUSTON: HOUSTON (AP) - The Houston Astros moved out of the major league basement last season.
Now the question is whether Jose Altuve and his teammates are ready to contend this year or if they still need a couple of seasons to complete their rebuild and get back to the postseason.
Owner Jim Crane is confident the time is now.
''This is our year,'' he said, adding that their goal is to make the playoffs.
The Astros made a 19-game improvement in 2014 to win 70 games and snap a streak of three straight 100-loss seasons. They beefed up a bullpen that struggled last year and added more pop to a lineup that was fourth in the majors with 163 homers in 2014 in an attempt to take another step in 2015.
''These guys are all professional baseball players and they all want to win,'' general manager Jeff Luhnow said. ''We're not going to set any limitations on them. It's up to them at this point. We've done our work for the offseason.''
The Astros blew 25 saves last season, a statistic that troubled Crane more than any other number associated with his team. His first order of business this offseason was to bring in players to get that number down this year.
To that end, Houston added relievers Luke Gregerson and Pat Neshek. Gregerson appeared in 72 games for the Athletics last season and posted a 2.12 ERA and Neshek saw action in 71 games for St. Louis in 2014 with a 1.87 ERA.
A lineup that already had power aplenty with Chris Carter, whose 37 homers tied for second in the majors last season, and George Springer, who hit 20 in just 78 games, now has more sluggers with the addition of Evan Gattis and Colby Rasmus. Gattis has hit 43 homers combined in his first two major league seasons and Rasmus has hit at least 22 home runs in two of the last three years.
That power is what excites first-year manager A.J. Hinch most about his team.
''We have a chance to be a dangerous lineup,'' Hinch said with a smile.
Some things to know about the 2015 Astros:
EXPECTATIONS FOR ALTUVE: Altuve became the first Astros player to win a batting title by hitting .341 last season. He set a team record with 225 hits, was third in the majors with 47 doubles, had 59 RBIs and tied for second in the league with 56 stolen bases.
So what does Luhnow expect the 24-year-old second baseman to do for an encore?
''He's going to be a .300 career hitter, which are few and far between,'' Luhnow said. ''So there's going to be years like with most of these great hitters where they hit .340 and years that they hit .305. In my mind Altuve is an elite major league hitter and we're going to see it year in and year out.''
SPRINGER'S SECOND YEAR: Springer, the 11th overall pick in the 2011 draft, hit .231 with 20 homers and 51 RBIs in 78 games as a rookie. He injured his left quadriceps on July 20 and he didn't play again. The Astros are eager to see what the right fielder can do in a full season.
''He's got a ton of potential,'' Hinch said. ''He's a dynamic player. He can do a lot of different things in a lot of different ways. Everybody sort of sits up in their seats when he comes up to bat. I think there's a chance for him to have impact in all (areas) of the game, which is hard to come by.''
CAN ROTATION BE CONSISTENT?: Dallas Keuchel (12-9, 2.93 ERA) and Collin McHugh (11-9, 2.73) had breakout seasons in 2014, but can they perform at that level in a second year to lead the rotation? Keuchel posted ERAs of over 5.00 in both of his first two seasons before being chosen this year's opening day starter with his work last year, and McHugh had ERAs of 7.59 and 10.04 in his first two years before his success in 2014.
ANOTHER NEW SKIPPER: Counting interim managers, Hinch is the seventh manager the Astros have had since 2009. He was hired just after last season following the firing of Bo Porter, who was let go near the end of his second season.
This is the second time the 40-year-old Hinch has led a team after he managed Arizona from May 2009 until July 2010, when he was fired after 31-48 start. He was the vice president of professional scouting for San Diego from 2010 until August. |
| | ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ PA SPORTSTICKER AL PREVIEW (KANSAS CITY-HOUSTON) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(With AP Photos.)
*Royals-Astros Preview* =======================
By KRISTIE RIEKEN AP Sports Writer
Kansas City (95-67) at Houston (86-76), 4:10 p.m. EDT
HOUSTON (AP) -- Dallas Keuchel has been asked why he pitches so well at home so many times that on Saturday, when it was posed yet again, Houston's ace had a little fun with the answer.
"Maybe it's the temperature," he said. "I don't know the AC ... set on 71."
Keuchel went 15-0 with a 1.46 ERA at Minute Maid Park this season, which is the best such mark in modern Major League history, eclipsing two pitchers for the Boston Red Sox, Boo Ferriss and Tex Hughson, who both went 13-0 in 1946.
On Sunday when the Astros host a playoff game for the first time since the 2005 World Series, Keuchel will try to extend the mark and give Houston a 2-1 lead in the best-of-five AL Division Series against Kansas City.
His franchise-record home winning streak is actually 16 games after he won his last home start of 2014, and his ERA in Houston is the lowest home ERA in the AL since former Astro Nolan Ryan had a 1.07 ERA in 1972.
This will be Keuchel's second start in this postseason. He pitched six scoreless innings in a 3-0 win over the Yankees in the wild-card game to put the Astros in this series.
Royals manager Ned Yost is well-acquainted with Keuchel and his work. He must think a lot of him, since as manager of the AL All-Star Game he named the 27-year-old his starter. Yost was also asked why he thinks Keuchel has been so dominant in Houston.
"He's just good," Yost said. "I mean, he's just good. But you look at his home and away record, there's quite a big difference in that. But ... he just pitches good here. And sometimes there's just no reason for it."
Keuchel is one of the few remaining players who were around for the really tough times, playing through two of Houston's 100-loss seasons before the Astros started to turn things around last year. Though they've already played three postseason games, suiting up for the first one at home adds a little something extra to Sunday's game.
"That means a lot to me not only because I'm trying to get myself better, but the Astros as a whole and the city of Houston mean the world to me," he said. "I was drafted by them and I was in the minor leagues with them. So I give everything I possibly can, and I know they are appreciative of that. And anything we can do to bring the city together, we'll do."
Keuchel went 1-1 against the Royals in the regular season, tossing eight scoreless innings against them in a victory in Houston on June 30. He had a tough time in Kansas City on July 26 when he yielded 10 hits and five runs in 6 2-3 innings.
Kansas City's Eric Hosmer, who hasn't faced Keuchel this season but is 4 for 6 against him in his career, knows his team has an uphill battle on Sunday.
"Obviously he's had a great year," Hosmer said. "The numbers he's put up are unbelievable. He's had an unbelievable season, especially the numbers he put up here at home. So we know it's going to be a tough assignment, we've just got to figure out ways to get to him."
The Royals will counter with Edinson Volquez, who went 13-9 with a 3.55 ERA this season. The last time he pitched in Houston he allowed eight hits and five runs in five innings of a 6-5 loss on July 1.
More memorable than those statistics is that it was a game where he plunked Houston right fielder George Springer, breaking his right wrist and sidelining him for more than two months.
"I felt really bad at the time," Volquez said. "I reached out to him and I talked to him a little bit and I said sorry about what happened to him. I was really sad about that."
Volquez looks for success in the postseason for the first time after the 32-year-old is 0-2 with a 12.15 ERA in two playoff starts, one with Cincinnati in 2010 and the other with Pittsburgh in 2014.
He aims to keep the Astros in check early after they scored three runs in the first two innings in both of the first two games.
"It's really important, because this is one of the greatest teams in baseball right now," Volquez said.
He could face an Astros lineup including center fielder Carlos Gomez for the first time in the series. A rib muscle strain has limited Gomez to pinch running in the first two games, but he said Saturday that he expects to be in the lineup for Game 3.
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| | Last Updated: 4/25/2024 2:14:13 AM EST. |
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