 
Daily Clips
June 17, 2017
LOCAL
Cain's 2 HRs lead KC to 6th straight win
June 17, 2017 By Jeffrey Flanagan and Maria Guardado/MLB.com
http://m.royals.mlb.com/news/article/236895396/lorenzo-cain-homers-twice-as-royals-top-angels/
KC eyes 7th straight in rookie clash at Big A
June 16, 2017 By Kaelen Jones/MLB.com
http://m.royals.mlb.com/news/article/236895390/kc-eyes-7th-straight-in-rookie-clash-at-big-a/?topicId=26688836
Gordon seeing results from mechanical tweak
June 16, 2017 By Jeffrey Flanagan/MLB.com
http://m.royals.mlb.com/news/article/236905554/royals-alex-gordon-improving-at-the-plate/
Howser's influence resonates, 30 years later
Royals manager's steady hand guided 1985 champs before his passing in '87
June 16, 2017 By Tracy Ringolsby/MLB.com
http://m.royals.mlb.com/news/article/236819132/remembering-dick-howser-30-years-later/
Lorenzo Cain blasts two more homers as Royals win their sixth straight game
June 16, 2017 By Rustin Dodd/KC Star
http://www.kansascity.com/sports/mlb/kansas-city-royals/article156727929.html
MLB’s Rob Manfred to announce new partnership with Negro Leagues Baseball Museum
June 16, 2017 By Josh Tolentino/KC Star
http://www.kansascity.com/sports/mlb/article156709689.html
Edinson Volquez on former Royals teammate Yordano Ventura: ‘I still think about him all the time’
June 16, 2017 By Vahe Gregorian/KC Star
http://www.kansascity.com/sports/spt-columns-blogs/vahe-gregorian/article156658039.html
MINORS
Chasers Strike Early, Earn Split in 10-6 Win
Offense propels Omaha to 2nd straight victory
June 16, 2017 By Omaha Storm Chasers
https://www.milb.com/storm-chasers/news/chasers-strike-early-earn-split-in-10-6-win/c-236949694/t-196093384
Drillers Eliminated with 4th Straight Loss
Tulsa blanked 4-0 by Northwest Arkansas
June 16, 2017 By Tulsa Drillers
https://www.milb.com/drillers/news/drillers-eliminated-with-4th-straight-loss/c-236951720/t-196093322
Sox Baffled by Blue Rocks 7-0 Friday
Salem Bats Silent Again in Second Straight Shutout Loss
June 16, 2017 By Ben Gellman/Salem Red Sox
https://www.milb.com/salem-red-sox/news/sox-baffled-by-blue-rocks-7-0-friday/c-236940028/t-196097162
Legends break open close game, win 14-3
June 16, 2017 By Lexington Legends
https://www.milb.com/legends/news/legends-break-open-close-game-win-14-3/c-236970656/t-196097274
MLB TRANSACTIONS
June 17, 2017 •.CBSSports.com
http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/transactions
LOCAL
Cain's 2 HRs lead KC to 6th straight win
June 17, 2017 By Jeffrey Flanagan and Maria Guardado/MLB.com
http://m.royals.mlb.com/news/article/236895396/lorenzo-cain-homers-twice-as-royals-top-angels/
Lorenzo Cain continued to swing a hot bat for the Royals, homering twice and driving in three runs to extend Kansas City's winning streak to a season-high six games with a 3-1 victory over the Angels on Friday night at Angel Stadium.
Cain opened the scoring with a solo shot in the third, added an RBI single in the fifth and capped his big night at the plate with another home run in the eighth. Cain, who is 13-for-30 (.433) with 11 RBIs over his last seven games, now has six home runs on the road trip and nine of his home runs have come since May 23.
"I'm just swinging at better pitches," Cain said. "That's always the key to this game. Swing at good pitches. When I've gotten good pitches to hit, I've been able to do damage. So that's the biggest difference."
Cain's production helped back a dominant outing from right-hander Ian Kennedy, who flirted with a perfect game en route to tossing six innings of one-run ball and earning his first victory since Sept.11, 2016. Kennedy retired the first 17 batters he faced before surrendering a home run to Cliff Pennington with two outs in the sixth inning, which cut the Royals' lead to 2-1.
"It feels really good," Kennedy said of getting a win. "My last start, I got a hit and a walk and everyone was saying 'Good job.' But I said, 'I'll trade a hit, a walk, anything to get a win.' Some people didn't know I didn't have a win [for a while]. But I'm glad to just get one. Maybe more to come."
It marked Kennedy's second gem of the season against the Angels. On April 16 vs. the Halos at Kauffman Stadium, Kennedy struck out 10 and fired eight shutout innings.
Right-hander Jesse Chavez pitched seven strong innings for the Angels, yielding two runs on nine hits while walking none and striking out four, though he was charged with the tough-luck loss.
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
Pennington break up the perfect game: Kennedy stymied the Angels for five innings before Pennington finally got them on the board with two outs in the sixth with his first home run of the season. Pennington, who started at second base in place of Danny Espinosa, launched a 3-1 fastball to right-center field, bringing the Angels within one. With the blast, Pennington snapped an 0-for-10 funk and collected his first extra-base hit of the year.
"We all knew that it was going on, but just trying to go up there and get a good pitch to hit, just like every at-bat," Pennington said of Kennedy's bid for a no-hitter. "He came right at me with a fastball, and I got it pretty good."
Kennedy navigates trouble: The Angels continued to threaten after Pennington's homer, as Cameron Maybin lined a double down the left-field line, and Kole Calhoun drew a walk to put the potential tying run on second and go-ahead run on first with two outs in the sixth. Kennedy worked out of the jam by inducing a popup from Albert Pujols, keeping the Royals' 2-1 lead intact. Kennedy departed the game after allowing one run on two hits with one walk and four strikeouts.
"He's one of the best hitters there is," Kennedy said of Pujols. "There's a reason he has 600 homers. I wasn't really going to give in, but I had to grind it out. I knew Escobar was no slouch. He swung 3-0, it was probably a ball. Then I executed a pitch away, enough where I got an out."
QUOTABLE
"I know Cliff pretty well. I mean, he's a terrible friend. I told him he's a terrible friend and I was deleting his phone number." -- Kennedy, on former D-backs teammate Pennington breaking up his perfect game
"We're trying to figure out what the rest of the league has that we definitely don't. Every time we see him it's like, 'Golly, everything is on the corner, everything is the same.' When he's making pitches to us, he's making quality pitches." -- Pennington, on Kennedy's dominance against the Angels
SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS
Cain's first blast of the game was his hardest-hit and farthest homer of the season, with an exit velocity of 107 mph and an estimated distance of 436 feet, according to Statcast™.
WHAT'S NEXT
Royals: Rookie right-hander Jake Junis (2-0, 4.67 ERA) takes the mound for the Royals at 7:15 p.m. CT on Saturday. Junis held the Padres to three runs -- on three solo home runs -- in the Royals' 8-3 win over the Padres on Sunday.
Angels: Right-hander Alex Meyer (2-3, 4.05 ERA) will start for the Angels on Saturday in the third game of this four-game series at 5:15 p.m. PT. It will be Meyer's first career appearance against Kansas City.
KC eyes 7th straight in rookie clash at Big A
June 16, 2017 By Kaelen Jones/MLB.com
http://m.royals.mlb.com/news/article/236895390/kc-eyes-7th-straight-in-rookie-clash-at-big-a/?topicId=26688836
The Angels hand the ball to right-hander Alex Meyer (2-3, 4.05 ERA) on Saturday, looking to snap the Royals' six-game winning streak. Kansas City will counter with fellow rookie right-hander Jake Junis (2-0, 4.67).
Meyer, winless in his last four starts, is seeking his first win since May 14 against Detroit. The 6-foot-9 flamethrower allowed two runs on five hits and five walks, while striking out five Twins over 4 2/3 innings in his most recent start.
Meanwhile, Junis recorded a career-high six strikeouts over seven innings -- the lengthiest outing of his career -- in his latest start, a win against San Diego. He is making his fourth career start and sixth appearance of the season in what will be his first game against the Angels.
Three things to know
• Left-handed batters are slashing .265/.359/.618 and have hit three home runs off Junis this season. He'll need to be careful of Angels right fielder Kole Calhoun (batting .373 with five home runs in June), who is one of two American League players hitting at least .365 with five home runs this month.
• Both starting pitchers will be opposed by a fellow rookie for the third time this season. Meyer, is 1-0 such meetings, has been previously countered by Minnesota's Adalberto Mejía and Oakland's Jharel Cotton.
For Junis, also 1-0 in such matchups, Saturday marks the third straight start he's opposed a rookie pitcher after facing Houston's David Paulino and San Diego's Dinelson Lamet.
• Angels right-handed reliever Cam Bedrosian -- who's been on the disabled list since April 22 with a right groin strain -- is expected to be activated ahead of Saturday's contest. Los Angeles' bullpen has performed well in his absence, allowing only 19.8 percent of inherited runners to score (89 of 111 runners stranded), the lowest mark in the league.
Gordon seeing results from mechanical tweak
June 16, 2017 By Jeffrey Flanagan/MLB.com
http://m.royals.mlb.com/news/article/236905554/royals-alex-gordon-improving-at-the-plate/
The difference in Royals left fielder Alex Gordon's offense over the last two weeks has been remarkable, especially when one considers his dreadful start to 2017.
As recently as June 2, Gordon sat at .172 with no home runs and nine RBIs. He hadn't even hit a double in almost a month, slugging at .202 overall.
That's when Royals batting coach Dale Sveum suggested to Gordon that part of the reason he wasn't making consistent contact or driving the ball was he had no power base. Gordon simply wasn't loading his back hip and leg.
"You have to go back to go forward, at least with any power," Sveum said. "He was getting to his front side with no power behind his swing."
Through several drills, Gordon began committing to the new approach.
The results were almost immediate. In his last nine games before Friday, Gordon is hitting .313 while slugging at .719. He has four doubles and three home runs in that span. He simply is Alex Gordon again.
Gordon, though, rarely likes to talk about hitting mechanics, at least not publicly.
"I'm just trying to put the work in and try to keep my head up," Gordon said. "Obviously, when you're going to go through your struggles in baseball sometimes, you just try to find a way out of it.
"We've been working with Dale, trying to get a better load with my approach and hit the ball with more power. I'm trying to work on it every day."
The results have pleased everyone from manager Ned Yost to Sveum.
"[Not loading] has been a little bit of an issue for a while for him," Sveum said. "So now it's just committing to that and installing it. I think it had been the source of some problems. He's kind of a rotational guy anyway, and then when you don't load, you just sort of spin out."
Sveum has been around too long to proclaim anyone, including Gordon, "fixed."
"It's a game of constant adjustments," Sveum said. "But the one thing you know about Alex is that he is going to put the work in."
Gordon might even have another secret weapon: Espressos.
Peter Moylan recently introduced Gordon and several other Royals to drinks from an espresso machine Moylan purchased for the Kauffman Stadium clubhouse. Moylan recently opened an espresso and breakfast cafe near his home in West Melbourne, Australia.
Gordon fell in love with Moylan's espresso concoctions and bought an espresso machine for the club to use on the road.
Gordon, a mild coffee drinker previously, now admits he loves espressos and has one right before every game.
Does the caffeine jolt last the whole game?
"I think so," Gordon said, shrugging his shoulders. "Maybe that's what's helping me."
Howser's influence resonates, 30 years later
Royals manager's steady hand guided 1985 champs before his passing in '87
June 16, 2017 By Tracy Ringolsby/MLB.com
http://m.royals.mlb.com/news/article/236819132/remembering-dick-howser-30-years-later/
The memory is vivid for George Brett.
He dropped by the hospital to visit Royals manager Dick Howser, who was about to undergo surgery for a brain tumor. And after the two exchanged pleasantries, a picture on the stand next to Howser's bed caught Brett's attention.
"I didn't know he thought that much of me as a person to put a picture of me and him in his hospital room," Brett said of that late July night in 1986.
The following spring, the reality hit. Howser, who had led the Royals to a World Series championship in 1985 with his ability to bring along a young but talented pitching staff, wouldn't be returning to the Royals.
"I remember when he came back in Spring Training [in 1987]," said Brett. "He had his jersey from the year before, but he had lost so much weight it looked like he was wearing Cecil Fielder's jersey. He was weak, but he addressed the team, and everything was great. Fort Myers was really hot that day. And he got out on the field, and 10 minutes later, he was in his office.
"That's when he was done. I remember going in his office and said, `You all right?' He said, 'I don't think I'm going to be able to make it. I'm not strong enough. I don't feel good out there. I have no energy.' You can't manage a team if you don't have the energy. I don't think he ever put on a uniform again."
Howser passed away less than four months later, 30 years ago Saturday.
Baseball lost a brilliant manager and a wonderful human being. And the Royals stumbled.
Kansas City had advanced to the postseason seven times between 1976 and '85, twice making it to the World Series, not to mention coming back from 3-games-to-1 deficits against the Blue Jays in the American League Championship Series and then the Cardinals in the World Series to claim that 1985 title.
But it was another 30 years before the Royals got back into the postseason, losing the World Series to the Giants in 2015 before returning the next year and beating the Mets for the franchise's second World Series championship.
Time has only strengthened the memory of Howser for those players he managed.
Rockies manager Bud Black, for example, took No. 10 for his uniform in honor of Howser.
"He's the guy who gave me my chance and believed in me," said Black.
Howser stood only 5 feet, 8 inches, but was a giant in the game. He managed with confidence and determination. He wasn't about to be pushed around.
Howser is the only manager to resign from the Yankees during the George Steinbrenner regime, and at least three times when Howser managed the Royals, he turned down overtures to return to the Yankees at significantly more money than he earned in Kansas City.
And Howser's arrival in Kansas City after the settlement of the 1981 midseason strike was a welcomed event by the Royals.
"He was so easy to play for," said Brett. "I don't think he ever had a yelling, screaming match, like other managers do. … His demeanor was calm. He didn't get too excited when things were going [well], and didn't get down when things were going bad. He'd end every meeting with, '[Heck] with it. We'll get it done. I have confidence in you guys. You guys just relax, go out there and play.'"
And the Royals not only went out there and played, but they played well.
Howser's ability to lead was never more evident than in the spring of 1984. As if a major remake of a rotation wasn't challenge enough, four members of the Royals had been convicted of cocaine possession the previous year and spent the offseason in prison.
Howser, however, wasn't about to be distracted. The focus was on what was ahead, not behind. And he quickly assimilated rookies Bret Saberhagen and Mark Gubicza -- both coming out of Double-A -- and Danny Jackson into the pitching routine, along with Black, who had split the two previous seasons between the Royals and Triple-A Omaha.
A team that found itself in last place and 11 games below .500 (40-51) on July 17 began a turnaround the next two nights, Gubicza and Saberhagen pitching the Royals to victories against the Orioles that sent the Royals on their way to a 43-27 finish en route to an AL West title. They were swept by the Tigers in the ALCS, but the stage was set for 1985.
"He just stuck with [the young pitchers]," said Brett. "They weren't polished their first year, but they were good. The way he handled them, showing a lot of confidence in them that first year in the big leagues, turned out to be an integral part of our ball club. That was a great starting rotation."
It certainly showed in the seven-game World Series success against the Cardinals in 1985. The starting pitchers worked 55 1/3 of a possible 62 innings -- including two complete games by Saberhagen, who capped the World Series with a complete-game victory.
"He had a great mind and a great feel for players," said Black, who pitched 15 years in the big leagues and was a pitching coach with the Angels and manager of the Padres before being hired last offseason by the Rockies. "He knew -- whether it was me, Danny Jackson, Charlie Leibrandt, Sabes or Gubicza -- we were legit big league pitchers. We were competitive, not scared. And team guys -- even though we were young. …
"That's something I have carried on in my career, the belief in a player. The gut instincts on a player are usually right. I've grateful Dick was my manager and had that belief in me because there were some up-and-down performances early. But I felt he thought, long-term, I could be successful."
Howser was right, to the surprise of nobody who knew him.
Lorenzo Cain blasts two more homers as Royals win their sixth straight game
June 16, 2017 By Rustin Dodd/KC Star
http://www.kansascity.com/sports/mlb/kansas-city-royals/article156727929.html
Lorenzo Cain clutched his cell phone in his right hand and leaned back in a leather chair here on Friday, relaxing inside the visitors clubhouse at just past 4 p.m.
“It’s one of those days,” he said. “I need a Red Bull.”
On the other side of the room, Royals teammate Salvador Perez watched video on a computer monitor. A few feet away, a collection of Royals relievers lounged in recliners and watched the second round of golf’s U.S. Open. In the hours before a 3-1 victory over the Los Angeles Angels, a performance that stretched a winning streak to six games and pushed the Royals back into contention in the American League Central, Cain let out a sigh.
He was tired. His muscles were sore. He had shown up early to work out inside the weight room at Angel Stadium, and now he needed to rest.
Cain, of course, is a classic sandbagger. He struts around the outfield with a noticeable limp. He grimaces after sensational catches. To watch him react after gracefully chasing down a ball in the outfield gap is to see a man in need of a day off or perhaps another Red Bull. So here was Cain again on late Friday night.
He had finished 3 for 4 with two solo homers and three RBIs in the 3-1 win. He had recorded his sixth homer in seven games on this California road trip. And he had piled up his eighth blast in his last 13 games. And when it was over, Cain was concerned about his body again.
“Time for the cold tub,” he said.
The Royals (32-34) are white hot once again, owners of the longest winning streak in baseball, winners of eight of 10, and back to within three games of first-place Minnesota, which lost to Cleveland on Friday night. Starter Ian Kennedy took a perfect game into the sixth and earned his first victory since Sept. 11, 2016. Cain resembles the dynamic center fielder who finished third in the American League MVP voting in 2015.
In his last 13 games, Cain has clubbed eight homers, including a pair of multi-homer games on this road trip. In seven games in California, he is hitting .433 with a 1.033 slugging percentage. Since June 3, he has raised his slugging percentage from .361 to .467.
“He’s hot,” Royals manager Ned Yost. “He’s feeling good. The ball looks big to him. He’s on everything.”
For Cain, a former All-Star and ALCS MVP, the power-laden stretch has rounded out a somewhat odd offensive season. For two months, he existed as an on-base machine while exhibiting little power. He was on pace to shatter his career high in walks. Yet on June 2, he had just two home runs.
On most days, Cain said his swing felt off. There were good days, he said. And he was still grinding out at-bats. But he did not feel like himself. That has changed across two weeks in June.
“I’m just swinging at better pitchers,” Cain said. “Laying off the sliders in the dirt. Laying off bad pitches.”
How staggering has the power production been? In his career, he has hit more than 10 home runs in a season just twice, his career high of 16 coming in 2015. In the span of these last 13 games, he has matched his home run total from an injury-plagued 2016. For 13 games, he has barreled baseballs at a dizzying rate. Entering Friday, Cain had registered “hard or medium contact” in 90 percent of balls in play during the run. And then, of course, he hit homers off Angels starter Jesse Chavez and reliever Keynan Middleton.
“I’ve been hitting a lot of line drives out,” Cain said. “I’ve been squaring the ball up well.”
If Cain was the offensive start, Kennedy was his equal on the mound. Kennedy allowed just one run in six innings, offering his best performance since April 22. As he started just miles from his childhood home in Huntington Beach, Calif., he retired the first 17 hitters of the game, moving on from a lull that had started after a hamstring injury in early May.
“He was absolutely building to this,” Yost said.
For Kennedy, it has been a season of streaks. He was dazzling in early April. He crashed into a wall after the hamstring issue in May.
On April 16, for instance, he tossed eight scoreless innings against the Angels in a 1-0 victory at Kauffman Stadium. He opened the performance by retiring the first nine batters of the game and taking a no-hitter into the fifth inning. He would allow just two hits while striking out 10. On Friday, the suspense lasted even longer.
Kennedy retired the first 15 batters of the game in 60 pitches on Friday. As the sixth inning began inside Angel Stadium, the crowd began to sense the moment. Every ball and strike was accompanied with a murmur or cheer. Kennedy retired the first two hitters of the inning, striking out Martin Maldonado on a 3-2 fastball, before Cliff Pennington stepped to the plate.
Kennedy fell behind 3-1, missing on consecutive fastballs before laying a 91 mph heater across the middle of the plate. He did not wish to walk Pennington.
“I didn’t expect to give up a home run there,” Kennedy said.
Pennington barreled the pitch and drove it out to right field for his first homer of the season, ending the perfect game and shutout with one swing. Kennedy resorted to humor to feel better about the pitch.
“I know Cliff pretty well,” he said, referencing their time together as teammates in Arizona. “I told him he’s a terrible friend.”
Kennedy would allow another double to Cameron Maybin and issue a walk to Kole Calhoun before coaxing a fly-out from Albert Pujols.
Moments later, he headed back to the dugout after a long inning, his night over. As he crossed the first-base line he turned back toward home-plate umpire C.B. Bucknor and screamed in his direction.
“I thought I struck out Cam and wound up giving up a double,” Kennedy said. “I thought I threw an 0-0 strike to (Pennington). I mean, he was missing pitches for them, too. He does that.”
By the end, it did not matter. For another night, music played inside the Royals clubhouse. Cain finished a postgame interview and stood up, heading for the cold tub.
“The confidence is through the roof,” Cain said. “We’re playing great baseball right now.”
MLB’s Rob Manfred to announce new partnership with Negro Leagues Baseball Museum
June 16, 2017 By Josh Tolentino/KC Star
http://www.kansascity.com/sports/mlb/article156709689.html
History will be made Wednesday in Kansas City when Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred visits the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum.
Manfred, along with MLB Players Association executive director Tony Clark, is expected to announce a partnership with the museum including a significant donation, according to Negro Leagues Museum president Bob Kendrick.
“We’ve gotten some support throughout our existence, but we’ve never sat down at a table with the league to find out ways to support the museum,” Kendrick said. “It’s important to formulate partnership not just for financial reasons, but to have that support and to create a platform we can continue to rely on going forward.”
Kendrick pointed out the ever-changing social conditions of the country and wants baseball fans to know the museum is a platform of learning and a place to draw strength.
“Timing is everything,” Kendrick said. “Ever since the museum’s existence, we’ve been about promoting the game of baseball. We continue to develop new fans and show the tremendous impact Negro Leagues had in making baseball better.”
Manfred’s announcement comes just after the museum inducted its 2017 “Hall of Game” class last Saturday.
Kendrick was mum on discussing a donation figure, but said support from the league is being significantly raised to a new level.
“We are ecstatic,” Kendrick said. “What better place to have this conversation than the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum … Whatever financial support we get will be appreciated and put to great use.”
Manfred is expected to speak at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday at the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, located in the 18th and Vine Jazz District.
Edinson Volquez on former Royals teammate Yordano Ventura: ‘I still think about him all the time’
June 16, 2017 By Vahe Gregorian/KC Star
http://www.kansascity.com/sports/spt-columns-blogs/vahe-gregorian/article156658039.html
In a certain sense, a brotherhood was forged between Edinson Volquez and Yordano Ventura before they even knew each other.
It was steeped in their common experience as natives of the Dominican Republic, where each grew up with meager means in loving families.
Volquez was a self-described “tornado” as a child, Ventura a perpetual motion machine.
Each also became known as “Pedrito,” Little Pedro, a nod to their promise in the game and aspirations to be like pitcher Pedro Martinez, just the second Dominican to ascend to the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Ventura was 7 years old when he provided Martinez’s name as his idol for images to go with a Bible verse on a plaque; Volquez’s first glove was a Martinez model, and the first thing he saw in his bedroom every morning was a giant poster of Martinez — whose “every movement, every motion” he tried to emulate.
Volquez was 17 or 18 when he was signed by the Texas Rangers for $27,000 in 2001 and made his minor-league debut about 18 months later; Ventura was 17 when he was signed by the Royals for $28,000 in 2008 and made his minor-league debut 18 months later.
All of this might have been enough for Volquez to feel an instant kinship to Ventura when they became Royals teammates in 2015.
But there was another essential element already in place … and much more to come as they helped the Royals win the World Series.
Eight years the elder of Ventura, Volquez saw in him the same sorts of passion and volatility he had to learn to harness in his early days with the Rangers.
All of which helps explain why Volquez relished having a locker next to Ventura for the two seasons he was with the Royals, why he loved mentoring Ventura and joking with him — and why he felt it was his duty to counsel and even chastise him for the temperamental antics that underscored Ventura’s early 2015 season.
As if speaking to a younger version of himself, Volquez remembers telling Ventura, “‘Why do you have to be angry? Why do you have to be mad?’”
So these are the intense depths to which Volquez means it when he calls Ventura his “little brother.”
And maybe that helps account a little bit for how he came to pitch a no-hitter for the Miami Marlins on June 3 — which would have been the 26th birthday of Ventura, who died in a car accident in puzzling circumstances on a twisting mountain road in the Dominican in the early hours of Jan. 22.
Depending on your belief system, of course, you might see the remarkable moment as more coincidence than fate, more a matter of chance than some cosmic indulgence or divine invention.
But no matter how you process it, the result was the first no-hitter of Volquez’s life … on a day that began with him posting a sweet birthday wish to Ventura on Instagram … during a season in which Volquez began 0-7 for his seventh team … and in a game that started with a nasty ankle injury on the first play of the game.
No matter how you reconcile it, Volquez and Ventura are tethered together in a new way now by that amazing day — one that brought consolation and even joy to many still mourning the loss of Ventura.
Volquez could feel that in the messages of congratulations he received from his former Royals teammates, in phone calls from Royals general manager Dayton Moore and assistant GM Rene Francisco (who signed Ventura) and from thousands of Royals fans who celebrated on social media.
But he felt it in another way, too.
“I was pretty sure he was with me that day,” Volquez said in a phone interview with The Star.
Even after he signed with the Marlins in December, Volquez was in frequent contact with Ventura.
Each was spending his offseason in the Dominican Republic. They spoke often on the phone and last saw each other a few weeks before Ventura’s accident at Carlos Santana’s celebrity softball game.
“We hit back-to-back homers that day,” Volquez said, laughing about the light moment that he has captured in video on his phone. “Then we spent the whole day together.”
The weeks to come were particularly painful for Volquez, whose 25-year-old brother, Brandy, was stabbed to death in Santo Domingo in mid-January.
As he was contending with that, Ventura was scheduled to come visit him on Jan. 20.
“He was supposed to go to my house,” Volquez said. “But he never showed up.”
Less than two days later, around 7 a.m.. on Jan. 22, Volquez got the news by text message that Ventura had died.
His first reaction was denial, telling himself that it just didn’t happen.
“It was hard to swallow,” he said. “I still can’t believe it.”
He was at the funeral two days later in Las Terrenas, joining with the Royals entourage and other former Royals, including Johnny Cueto, who also is from the Dominican.
“His mom started calling my name and Cueto’s name,” Volquez said. “It was a sad moment for me. It was really hard.”
None of Volquez’s difficult early season would have portended what was ahead.
He was 1-7 entering the game with visiting Arizona on June 3, when the first thing he did after he woke up was post the picture with Ventura with these words:
“Miss you broth HBD to Ace Ventura one love.”
He wasn’t thinking no-hitter at that point.
Then some funny things happened.
When he spoke with a friend that morning, the friend suggested he would throw a no-hitter. Volquez enjoyed the encouragement but thought little of what it might mean.
Then when he arrived at the stadium, pitching coach Juan Nieves looked at him and said, “You’re going to throw a no-hitter today.”
“It was something crazy,” Volquez said.
So the started believing it.
At least right up until when the first batter, Rey Fuentes, collided with him at first base.
Volquez laughingly would say later he thought he broke his ankle, but it’s unclear how much he was actually joking.
Between the sheer hurt and concerns he’d stiffen up, Volquez said he didn’t sit the entire game.
Even so, the ankle was tightening and inflicting so much pain that after the fourth inning — when Dee Gordon kept the no-hitter viable with a great defensive play — Volquez told the trainer, “I’ve got to stop pitching.”
He was persuaded to go one more inning, though. And, somehow, after the fifth inning, the ankle started feeling better.
“It was something like you can’t describe,” he said.
By then, he was conscious of the no-hitter, if not focused on it.
That changed as of the seventh.
“‘Now, you’ve got to do it; you’ve got to go for it,’” he thought, telling himself it was a special day for not just him but the Ventura family.
He had come through in even more moving circumstances, of course, delivering for the Royals in Game 5 of the World Series just days after attending his father’s funeral.
This was different, Volquez said. He didn’t feel the sensations he had in New York that night, when he spoke of an inexplicable energy coming from the dirt and the grass and knew it to be emanating from his father.
Still, he felt accompanied on this journey by Ventura, whom Volquez like many others believed was primed for the season of his life.
When he struck out the side in the ninth inning, his mind also flashed to the man he theoretically was replacing for the Marlins, Jose Fernandez, who died in a boating accident in September and to whom he also dedicated the win.
But his emotions particularly gravitated to the former teammate he will always see as a little brother, entwined forever by their parallel pasts, their time together … and a twist that couldn’t have been scripted.
“I still think about him,” he said, “all the time.”
MINORS
Chasers Strike Early, Earn Split in 10-6 Win
Offense propels Omaha to 2nd straight victory
June 16, 2017 By Omaha Storm Chasers
https://www.milb.com/storm-chasers/news/chasers-strike-early-earn-split-in-10-6-win/c-236949694/t-196093384
Ryan O'Hearn drove in 5 runs, Ruben Sosa collected 3 extra-base hits, and the Storm Chasers rallied for a series split with a 10-6 triumph on Friday night at Bricktown Ballpark.
After a 15-11 slugfest on Thursday night, Friday's game began in similar fashion, with 9 combined runs in the opening inning.
Omaha scored 5 in the top of the 1st against Jason Wheeler. Ruben Sosa doubled, Raul Mondesi singled, and Bubba Starling singled to drive in Sosa. Jorge Soler singled home Mondesi, and Ryan O'Hearn drilled a 3-run homer to make it 5-0. It was O'Hearn's 9th home run of the season.
The Dodgers responded with 4 of their own in the home half of the 1st against Yender Caramo . Alex Verdugo and Drew Maggi singled, and with 1 out, Willie Calhoun plated Verdugo with a single. Trayce Thompson followed with a sacrifice fly to drive in Maggi, and Max Muncy hit a 2-run homer to bring Oklahoma City to within 5-4.
The Chasers pushed the lead back to 6-4 in the top of the 2nd. Ruben Sosa tripled, and with 2 out, he scored on a throwing error by Dodgers 3rd baseman Mike Freeman.
Omaha then extended to a 10-4 advantage with a 4-run 4th inning. Terrance Gore bunted for a base hit, Ruben Sosa doubled him to 3rd, and Raul Mondesi sent Gore home with a sacrifice fly. With 2 out, Ryan O'Hearn collected his 4th and 5th RBIs of the night with a 2-run double to center, and Cam Gallagher followed with an RBI single.
Jason Wheeler (L, 0-1) endured a difficult 3.2 innings, and was tagged for 10 runs (9 earned) on 12 hits. He did not collect a strikeout, and issued 1 walk.
Oklahoma City scored in the bottom of the 4th when Charlie Culberson hit into a bases-loaded double play, allowing Max Muncy to come home. It was 10-5.
Yender Caramo (W, 1-5) settled in after a shaky first inning to pitch 6 frames. He allowed 5 runs on 10 hits, with 1 strikeout and 1 walk.
Eric Stout tossed 2.2 innings of relief, and fell an out short of his first Save of the season. Stout cruised through the 7th and 8th before working into bases-loaded jam in the bottom of the 9th. After he walked Willie Calhoun to force in a run, Seth Maness (S, 1) came in to retire Trayce Thompson to close out the game.
Omaha's record improved to 34-31.
The Chasers will travel to Des Moines and open a new series against the Iowa Cubs tomorrow night. Omaha's starter is to be determined, while RHP Aaron Brooks (3-5, 6.56) will throw for Iowa. First pitch will be at 7:08.
Drillers Eliminated with 4th Straight Loss
Tulsa blanked 4-0 by Northwest Arkansas
June 16, 2017 By Tulsa Drillers
https://www.milb.com/drillers/news/drillers-eliminated-with-4th-straight-loss/c-236951720/t-196093322
Earlier this week, the Tulsa Drillers completed a four-game sweep of Springfield, now they are in danger of being on the other side of a sweep. Friday night at ONEOK Field, the Northwest Arkansas Naturals beat the Drillers for the fourth straight game, recording a 4-0 victory. The Naturals have won the first four games of the series and will look to complete the five-game sweep with a win in Saturday's finale.
The slump has come at the worst possible time for Tulsa. Friday's loss eliminated the Drillers from the first-half title race in the Texas League's North Division. They began the series in a first-place tie with the Naturals who have taken control of the race with the four wins.
The Naturals got the only run they needed on Friday from the second batter of the game. After Tulsa starter Scott Barlow retired the game's leadoff hitter, Corey Toups blasted a drive over the Busch Terrace Section in left field for his second homer of the season to give Northwest Arkansas a quick 1-0 lead.
They added an unearned run in the fifth before a pair of miscues led to two more runs in the sixth. After Humberto Arteaga drew a walk, Donald Dewees hit a fly ball to centerfield that Tim Locastro mis-judged. Instead of a fly out, it turned into a triple, and when shortstop Erick Mejia's throw back into the infield was wild, Dewees came home to make it 4-0.
Barlow entered the start with a 2.09 ERA, third best in the Texas League, but he was undone by a lack of offensive and defensive support from his teammates. He was charged with four runs on five hits, but only two of the runs were earned. Barlow walked four batters and struck out nine.
The Tulsa offense was limited to only four hits in the defeat, all singles. Two of those came from hot-hitting Jose Fernandez who raised his average to .335 with the 2-4 night. He has now hit safely in six straight games.
The Drillers will look for a victory on Saturday to avoid an unenviable place in the Tulsa baseball history books. Tulsa has never been swept in a five-game series at ONEOK Field. The last time the Drillers were swept at home in a five-game set occurred over ten years ago in 2006 season when they lost all five games to Springfield at Drillers Stadium.
The pitching matchup for the finale will feature Andrew Sopko (1-4, 4.50 ERA) for the Drillers against Emilio Ogando (3-4, 4.43 ERA) of the Naturals. Starting time is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. at ONEOK Field. The Naturals would clinch the first-half title with a victory.
Sox Baffled by Blue Rocks 7-0 Friday
Salem Bats Silent Again in Second Straight Shutout Loss
June 16, 2017 By Ben Gellman/Salem Red Sox
https://www.milb.com/salem-red-sox/news/sox-baffled-by-blue-rocks-7-0-friday/c-236940028/t-196097162
The Salem Red Sox were stifled offensively for the second consecutive evening on Friday, mustering only two hits as they suffered a 7-0 shutout loss at the hands of the Wilmington Blue Rocks at Frawley Stadium in Wilmington.
The Sox (40-27) lost their third straight game at a critical time, and their Northern Division lead dwindled to just one game against the Lynchburg Hillcats after the Hillcats topped the Frederick Keys 5-1. The Blue Rocks (37-31) earned their third straight shutout victory and secured at least a split of the four-game series. Salem's last 15 hitters went down in order, and the Sox never advanced past second base.
Wilmington opened the scoring in the bottom of the second against Salem starting pitcher Mike Shawaryn (L,0-2), who set down the first two batters in the frame before surrendering a two-out single to Kurt Peterson. Wander Franco then laced a grounder past the dive of Michael Chavis at third for an RBI double, scoring Peterson. Travis Maezes hit a sharp grounder to first base that Josh Ockimey stopped with a dive, but his throw to Shawaryn was wild, allowing Maezes to beat out the play for an infield single while Franco zipped home to score and make it a 2-0 lead for Wilmington.
The Blue Rocks exploded their lead in the bottom of the third. Anderson Miller led off with a triple to left-center before Chris DeVito singled to plate him. With one out, Roman Collins hammered a double to right, putting runners at second and third. A wild pitch by Shawaryn scored DeVito and moved Collins to third base, and Peterson drew a walk to put runners at the corners. Franco singled to right, scoring Collins, and moved to second as Tate Matheny's throw came to third a hair too late to catch Peterson. Maezes drew a walk, loading the bases, and Salem manager Joe Oliver made the move to the bullpen, yanking Shawaryn for reliever Jordan Weems. The righty came through, getting Nicky Lopez to bounce into an inning-ending 4-6-3 double play. The damage was already done, though, and Wilmington assumed a 5-0 lead.
The Blue Rocks tacked on another in the bottom of the fourth, as D.J. Burt led off the frame with a single, swiped second base, and came in on a double by Miller to extend the lead to 6-0. A solo homer by Peterson to lead off the fifth made it 7-0. From there, Wilmington's pitching staff did the rest of the work, as Scott Blewett (W, 4-5) and Matt Tenuta (S, 1) combined to silence Salem's bats.
Shawaryn was rocked for five runs on nine hits and two walks in 2.1 innings pitched. Weems surrendered two runs on three hits and a walk in 3.2 innings, whiffing one. Adam Lau fanned two against one walk in two scoreless innings of relief.
The Sox will try to right the ship Saturday night, with All-Star southpaw Dedgar Jimenez on the hill for Salem against Wilmington righty Andres Machado. First pitch from Frawley Stadium is set for 7:05 p.m., and Ben Gellman's pregame show starts at 6:45 on the Red Sox Radio Network.
Legends break open close game, win 14-3
June 16, 2017 By Lexington Legends
https://www.milb.com/legends/news/legends-break-open-close-game-win-14-3/c-236970656/t-196097274
John Brontsema led an 18-hit Lexington attack with a home run, three singles and five runs scored as the Legends pulled away late in the game for a 14-3 win over the Hagerstown Suns Friday night in front of 5,491 fans at Whitaker Bank Ballpark.
Rudy Martin drove in five runs for Lexington, three on a seventh-inning homer.
Hagerstown scored a run in the top of the first inning, but the Legends tied the game in the bottom of the second. Brontsema was hit by a pitch, Yeison Melo singled, and Marten Gasparini walked to load the bases. Brontsema came home on Martin's sacrifice fly.
The Suns moved in front 2-1 in the fourth on a double by Jake Noll and a run-scoring single by Nick Banks.
Marten Gasparini's two-run triple in the bottom of the fourth put the Legends ahead 3-2, but the Suns evened the score with a run in the sixth on a walk to Aldrem Corredor and a double by Nick Banks.
Hagerstown starter Carlos Pena, who pitched in college at Lindsey Wilson, was relieved by Steven Fuentes in the bottom of the sixth. Brontsema hit Fuentes' first pitch over the wall in left field, giving the Legends a 4-3 lead. Melo singled, moved to second on a passed ball and to third on a ground out before scoring on a double by Khalil Lee. Lee went to second on a wild pitch and scored on a single by Angelo Castellano, and the Legends led 6-3.
The Legends added four runs in the seventh, three coming on Martin's second home run of the season. They scored four more in the eighth, including three on a bases-clearing double by Melo.
Lexington starter Ofreidy Gomez (3-7) got the win. He pitched six and one-third innings and allowed seven hits and three runs. He struck out nine batters and walked two. Grant Gavin relieved Gomez with two runners on and one out in the seventh with the Legends leading 6-3. He finished the game, allowing one baserunner on a walk in the ninth. He struck out six batters in two and two-thirds innings and picked up his sixth save of the season.
The loss eliminated the Suns from the Northern Division race for the first half of the South Atlantic League season, which ends Sunday.
MLB TRANSACTIONS
June 17, 2017 •.CBSSports.com
http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/transactions
FRIDAY, JUNE 16, 2017
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TEAM
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PLAYER
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TRANSACTION
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Atlanta Braves
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Dan Winkler
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Sent to Minors, For Rehabilitation
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Baltimore Orioles
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Jimmy Yacabonis
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Sent to Minors
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Baltimore Orioles
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Gabriel Ynoa
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Called Up from Minors
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Baltimore Orioles
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Vidal Nuno
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Called Up from Minors
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Baltimore Orioles
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Mike Wright
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Placed on 10-Day DL, (Right shoulder bursitis)
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Chicago Cubs
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Ben Zobrist
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Placed on 10-Day DL, (Left wrist discomfort)
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Chicago Cubs
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Tommy La Stella
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Called Up from Minors
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Cleveland Indians
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Michael Brantley
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Placed on Paternity Leave List
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Cleveland Indians
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Brandon Guyer
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Sent to Minors, For Rehabilitation
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Cleveland Indians
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Adam Plutko
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Called Up from Minors
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Detroit Tigers
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Victor Martinez
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Placed on 10-Day DL, (Irregular heartbeat)
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Detroit Tigers
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John Hicks
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Called Up from Minors
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Los Angeles Dodgers
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Josh Ravin
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Called Up from Minors
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Miami Marlins
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Justin Bour
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Removed From 10-Day DL, (Left ankle contusion)
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Miami Marlins
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Justin Bour
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Recalled From Minors, Rehab Assignment
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Miami Marlins
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Adeiny Hechavarria
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Sent to Minors, For Rehabilitation
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Miami Marlins
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Martín Prado
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Sent to Minors, For Rehabilitation
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Minnesota Twins
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Kevin Chapman
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Released
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New York Mets
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Matt Harvey
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Placed on 10-Day DL, (Stress injury, right scapula)
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New York Mets
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Juan Lagares
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Placed on 10-Day DL, (Fractured left thumb)
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New York Mets
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Matt Reynolds
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Called Up from Minors
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New York Mets
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Brandon Nimmo
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Called Up from Minors
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New York Mets
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Desmond Jennings
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Released
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New York Yankees
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Adam Warren
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Placed on 10-Day DL, (Right shoulder inflammation)
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New York Yankees
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Giovanny Gallegos
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Sent to Minors
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New York Yankees
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Kyle Higashioka
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Called Up from Minors
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New York Yankees
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Mason Williams
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Called Up from Minors
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Seattle Mariners
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Zac Curtis
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Called Up from Minors
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Seattle Mariners
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Chase De Jong
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Sent to Minors
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Texas Rangers
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Dario Alvarez
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Called Up from Minors
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Texas Rangers
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Tyson Ross
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Recalled From Minors, Rehab Assignment
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Texas Rangers
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Tyson Ross
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Removed From 60-Day DL, (Recovery from thoracic outlet surgery)
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Texas Rangers
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Ryan Rua
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Sent to Minors
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Texas Rangers
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Jurickson Profar
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Sent to Minors
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Texas Rangers
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Dillon Gee
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Designated for Assignment
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Texas Rangers
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Carlos Gómez
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Recalled From Minors, Rehab Assignment
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Texas Rangers
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Tony Barnette
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Placed on 10-Day DL, (Sprained right ring finger)
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Texas Rangers
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Mike Napoli
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Removed From 10-Day DL, (Lower back strain)
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Texas Rangers
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Carlos Gómez
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Removed From 10-Day DL, (Strained right hamstring)
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Texas Rangers
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Mike Napoli
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Recalled From Minors, Rehab Assignment
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Texas Rangers
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Cole Hamels
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Sent to Minors, For Rehabilitation
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Toronto Blue Jays
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Chris Coghlan
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Placed on 10-Day DL, (Left wrist contusion)
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Toronto Blue Jays
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Steve Pearce
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Recalled From Minors, Rehab Assignment
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Toronto Blue Jays
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Steve Pearce
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Removed From 10-Day DL, (Right calf strain)
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Washington Nationals
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Edwin Jackson
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Signed to a Minor League Contract
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