[thehatfield]

Next Up: 3-game series on the road at Kansas City

The Royals were 11-11 through their first 22 games prior to our 3-game set but sat just 2 games behind the American League Central Division leading Chicago White Sox. With 1 division title and 9 last-place finishes in MLB’s 15 years (including the last two years running) the Royals were the Central Division equivalent of us. But unlike us, Baseball America called Kansas City’s minor league organization “the strongest in all of baseball, and by a wide margin” (over the Baltimore Orioles). The unfortunate thing for Kansas City is that out of necessity many of those young future stars have been breaking through into the lineup over the past two seasons leaving the Royals woefully inconsistent. Royals fans suffered through 7 straight years of the team payroll averaging $35 million before new ownership plunked $48.5 million down two seasons ago in 2019 (their payroll is at $56.7 million this year).

2-time All Star second baseman Jim Soper, a .333 career hitter, was a result of the 2019 spending spree and went to Kansas City as a big-time free agent from Colorado. But the 31-year old hasn’t been able to match the production he had in Colorado, failing to hit at least 20 home runs in 2 years in a Royals uniform (he had hit at least 20 for 5 years running as a member of the Rockies). A pair of 21-year old budding stars – right fielder Javier Cabrera and third baseman Jose Funk – manned the heart of the Royals young lineup but really needed to improve their defense as both were definite liabilities in the field. Once again we got lucky with the pitching rotation match-up as we would not have to face Kansas City’s top 2 starters: 25-year olds Henry Bair and Yoshinobu Hayashida. We would, however, face Billy Curley, yet another 25-year old and supposedly the young arm with the brightest overall upside. Aside from 34-year old relievers Lewis MacLeay and Ramon Salazar everyone on the pitching staff was 28-years old or younger.

Kansas City has just come off a successful 4-2 road trip that included taking 2-of-3 from Cleveland in their last series. Fred Cake would make his debut in an Oakland uniform in the third game of this series.


Thursday, April 29, 2021
Game 23 at Kansas City Royals
4-1 Win; 15,106 in attendance
W: Villaluazo (3-2) L: Curley (3-3) SV: Mathis (10)

Recap: The game was scoreless until the top of the 6th inning when Travis Byers knocked in 2 runs with a double. Ken O’Bryant repeated the feat in the 8th inning after a throwing error by Jim Soper with 2 outs put a second man on base and kept the inning alive. 25-year old left fielder Ronald Smith hit a home run off our starter Neifi Villaluazo in the bottom of the 8th but Bill Mathis had a tidy 9-pitch 9th inning to earn his 10th save in 11 opportunities this season. Royals starter Billy Curley allowed 6 hits, walked 4 and allowed 2 earned runs through 8 innings but was out-dueled by Villaluazo’s 4 hits, 1 walk and 9 strikeouts who got his first win since April 12. Aside from Byers and O’Bryant Edgard Galdames was 2-for-3 with a walk and 2 runs scored. Ramon Salazar pitched an inning of scoreless relief in the 9th for Kansas City.


Friday, April 30, 2021
Game 24 at Kansas City Royals
10-6 Win; 14,848 in attendance
W: Nakamura (4-0) L: Aguayo (1-2) H: Frank (1)

Recap: A Jim Soper error in his second consecutive game opened the floodgates for a 4-run outburst from us in the top of the 5th inning that gave us a lead we would hold until the end the of game. Bandit Nakamura struggled through 6 innings (9 hits and 6 runs [5 earned] allowed while walking 5 batters) but not as badly as Royals starter Arturo Aguayo whose 8 walks contributed to 8 runs (6 earned). Josh Frank and Fairfax von Schoening combined for 3 innings of scoreless relief in an otherwise sloppy game. Dome Guevaro and leadoff hitter Mumbles Yamasita both hit their 5th home runs of the season in the win. Lewis MacLeay had 1.2 innings of scoreless relief for the Royals. Jim MacFall played second and committed his first error of the season while giving Ken O’Bryant the day off and Tanyon Meagher spelled Cornelius McInally behind the plate. Everyone involved was just happy for this 3½-hour long game to be put to bed; it just wasn’t a good game to watch unless you get off on strong middle relief and a couple of cheap homers.


Saturday, May 1, 2021
Game 25 at Kansas City Royals
7-5 Win; 16,920 in attendance
W: Cake (1-0) L: Argelio (2-4) H: Rogers (2) H: Leverett (2) SV: Mathis (11)

Recap: 32-year old Fred Cake made his first start of the 2021 Major League campaign after the demotion of 25-year old “walk-machine” Rick Stanely to AAA Sacramento earlier in the week. It was a decent performance by Cake who gave up 6 hits and 4 runs but more importantly only 1 walk through 6 innings to earn the victory. Teddy Revelez hit his 6th home run of the year in the 1st inning of off Salvador Argelio, a 2-run shot, and contributed a 2-run single off the Royals’ starter during our 5-run rally in the 5th inning which sealed the game. Kansas City shortstop Jorge Cabrera hit his 3rd home run of the season off of Cake in the 4th inning and once again Terry Rogers failed to throw an inning of scoreless relief as Cabrera got his 4th longball of the year in the 7th inning. Cornelius McInally threw out his 3rd baserunner of the year in 11 attempted steals on him in the 8th inning.


Current Oakland Record: 19-6

I wasn’t expecting a sweep here but I’ll take it! We got a win from the #5 spot in our rotation for the first time this year with veteran Fred Cake being thrown straight into the fire despite only having pitched at the AAA level this year in the Dodgers organization and we were pleased that the guy at least seems to have decent control. Neifi Villaluazo avoided the post 5th-inning collapse we saw out of him during his last two outings and we might just have to keep a shorter leash on him overall because when he hits the wall he sure loses it quick.

Next up shall be a look at the 1st month of the 2021 Major League Baseball season!