A preview of October? | Kansas City Royals Podcast

Preview the Royals got walked off in the Bronx but it had all the feels of a great October game we'll dive into it next on lockon Royals you are lockon Royals your daily Kansas City Royals podcast part of the locked on podcast Network your team every day you are tuning to another edition of lockon Royals and the locked on podcast Network as always I'm your host Jack Johnson and you can find me on Twitter Rex Johnny j15 that's jny j15 you also can catch us on wherever you get your podcast that can be Spotify Apple podcast Amazon music Google podcast we're on Odyssey and we're on YouTube just be sure to hit that follow button and subscribe if you're a first time listener and you want to know a little bit more about me and this show I am based here in Kansas City I work at sports radio 810 whb doing some hosting some co-hosting and a bit of producing as well but when it comes to this podcast when you click on this link you know that you're going to be getting 30 straight minutes of Royals baseball Today's Show is brought to you by Game Time download the game time app create an account and use code locked on MLB for $20 off on your first purchase so go get started today at game time I'll be honest with everybody here and I am recording this minutes after the Royals just got walked off in the series finale against the New York Yankees and the BR Bronx the honest part for me I'm not mad one bit I would I would like to sit here and vent all these frustrations that maybe some of you are having out there I just I can't get too worked up about a game like this not that it's not important we all knew how important this game was but other than the poor hitting with Runners and scoring position what can I say was the main cause for losing to a really good team I went into tonight already knowing that the Royals had done what I'd hop they'd do in New York which was take one I could stomach N9 and 11 in that 20 game stretch of The Gauntlet part two and tonight going into the game they were nine and 10 best case scenario they walk out 500 worst case as we saw they leave 9 and 11 and yes all the teams that were chasing them won tonight so it gets a little bit tighter but still 15 games to go and a lot of ground to make up with the Royals heading to Pittsburgh next then they're going to be hosting the Tigers and they could put away the Tigers at Coffman Stadium themselves they'll see the Giants then they're going to see the Nationals and the Braves to close out the year but tonight I just can't sit here and wallow in self-pity I can't you know sit here tonight and be depressed because I really don't think there's much to be depressed about you know the Yankees did better tonight than the Royals the Royals had a lead a slim one at that and the Royals had a chance to close out that game late but let's start it off way at the beginning The Royals are facing Luis heel who's one of the Yankees best starters they could have cashed in in the first inning they didn't get it done didn't matter for Cole reagin he dealt all night long and had one bad pitch to an MV pal caliber hitter in juano he missed there he would tell you him he missed there you can't miss to a guy like that but getting beat by Juan stto is something that I can stomach you'll hear me say the word stomach a lot in this recap I can sit here and be fine with it because juano is a generational Talent you get beat by DJ lahu who's on the injured list but for the sake of this argument yeah I'm feeling a little different it's not dj lahu who won a batting title it is the long pass Prime DJ lahu or if you get beat by Alex Verdugo in a spot like that I don't feel as good about it but one did what Juan sto does and Cole Reagan missed the spot okay but then the Royals immediately respond and tie that game up and it's just back and forth a battle of the bullpens Q goes to Lucas ersing early who was just breathing fire out of the bullpen he goes through the teeth of the Yankees lineup he Strikes Out SoDo he gives up the hit to Aaron judge but then punches out Jazz Chism on a 100 on the the knuckles basically if he would have swung it would have been 100 on the knuckles but to me I I just love the way that the bullpen was managed after Cole reagins leaves the game in the sixth or at the conclusion of the sixth inning Sam long comes in wasn't the greatest but Salvador Perez made one hell of a play one of the best defensive plays the Royals have had all season long and basically creating a double play by himself tagging out a guy like uh was it vulpi that had hit that um somebody the bottom of the Yankees order Taps one and and he's able to throw out maybe it was vulpi running to the plate I can't remember who hit that ball but it was a great play he picks it you know tags the runner out at first and then fires a strike to Freddy fine who lays the tag down on vulpi that kept the game tied so I'm loving the defensive web gems The Royals are making Lucas ersg was great in extras the Royals going into extras Take the Lead thanks to dryon Blanco putting matters into his own hands after Bobby Whit Jr strikes out he swipes third and comes home to score on a wild pitch so Chris bich comes in because Matt quatero doesn't want Lucas ersing throwing more than 30 pitches to win a game in September right it's all about winning games in October and Chris bich comes in what do I have to complain about with Chris bbbich the first guy it was Cabrera bunts off him yeah he could have made a diving play to maybe double off the runner at second but Michel Garcia makes the play and then he gets uh it was Austin Wells to pop up to left field and MJ Mendes didn't make a great throw but on a play like that you probably have to have an absolute strike there and didn't get it done Chris mbit gets out of that inning and then I would say the only part I'll complain about is the top of the 11th in which Michael Massi doesn't do his job and get the runner over to third Paul D young is doing what Paul D young did a lot for the white socks and which is strike out um and then Michel Garcia a really bad at bat and he had a bad night but there's two outs in the inning at that point you got to think the RBI chance is pretty low against a guy like Luke Weaver who once was a royal but does not look anything like what he did with the Kansas City Royals so that game in total is not one where I feel like they gave it away they went Toe totoe with the best team in the American League and it in the end it came down to a battle of the bullpens and which team could drive in the runs and also that bottom of the 11th inning again what do I have to complain about with Chris bich Chris bich got Juan SoDo to weekly ground out and it was with two strikes it was a good pitch on two strikes Juan sto just rolled one over to second base he did his job where Michael Massie couldn't in the top of that inning and then you walk Aaron judge Aaron judge steals second it's Lefty on Lefty with jazz Chism I think that you know you could have walked him to set up a double play ball at any single base but jean Carlos Stanton's on deck and facing a lefty so do you want to be beaten by Jean Carlos Stanton there or do you want to take your chances that jazz Chism who struck out a lot this year you know gets fooled by Chris bit's change up and the ball that he hit the infields drawn in Bobby Whit Jr made a hell of a stop impossible to make that throw so no complaints Chris bich he did his job he didn't get lit up he didn't really have bad pitches he didn't miss a spot just a little bit unlucky there and the Royals leave the the Bronx only taking one in that series but I kind of expected them just to take one in that series now you get another off day where you can rest up again you're going to Pittsburgh so it's not that that typical off day right where you can have a breather and you're in Kansas City get to sleep in your own bed wake up have the off day and go to bed that night in Kansas City they are going from New York to Pittsburgh and they'll see the Pirates over the weekend a pirates team that has shut down Paul skes for the year so they won't see Paul skin and a pirates team that is completely fallen out of it uh here in the second half but you got through the gauntlet and if I would have told you after that seventh straight loss and the second consecutive loss to the Guardians at home to open up that series if I would have told you they'll finish N9 and 11 I think everybody would have taken it I think everybody would have taken it and I don't believe there were a lot of games that were left on the table I think that's the best way to put it if the Royals blew tonight's game five to nothing and the Yankees storm back and Lucas IG gets knocked around a little bit I think I'm a little bit more chippy in tonight's podcast episode a little bit more frustrated but what game did they leave on the table if you want to tell me that Monday night was a game they left on the table I would just disagree with you that's a one-run lead you're trying to protect you need 12 outs and you don't have your best Bullpen arm out there that to me is not leaving anything on the table that's you rolling the dice and hoping that the guys that you're putting out there have their best stuff and James MacArthur did tonight they did not leave anything on the table by blowing a one to nothing lead or blowing a a three to2 lead in Extra Innings when you have the ghost Runner rule no I can't get too upset about tonight's game if anything this got me even more fired up for October because that was a playoff game and even though there was only 40,000 at Yankee Stadium it felt like a a playoff atmosphere the crowd was getting into it uh the Royals were stepping up to the moment not so much with runners in scoring position but I can only imagine what that place will look like when they're waving towels and it's loud on every single pitch if the Royals are there look I think the Yankees go home tonight going if we see them again you know we're going to have to be far more prepared for Cole Reagan Seth luga and Michael W than maybe we thought we would have had to be I just I I can't walk away from a series against a really good team like this and be feeling depressed about it I just can't I feel really good about where this team is at yeah I understand Minnesota won and the Boston Red Sox won and Seattle's playing right now and Detroit won and yes those teams will have a chance to gain even more ground tomorrow with the Royals not playing but there's 15 games to go and they're going to have to keep up that great play and the Royals will have to Bott him out against some teams they should be able to beat so we'll see what happens we'll preview that pirate series coming up here in about oh 10 to 15 minutes or so but we'll take our first break here when we come back let's go over some Bullpen Power Rankings who I think Matt quatero will trust the most come October that's coming up on lockon Royals you are tuning to lockon Royals and the lockon podcast Network I'm your host Jack Johnson and you can find me on Twitter Rex j15 want to give a shout out to our first sponsor today and our title sponsor in game time now the Royals will be heading to Pittsburgh to take on the Pirates though I did see some Royals fans and they had messaged me about being out there at Yankee Stadium some really cool pictures that you guys took and some great uh play-by-play tweets that I I saw as well and I don't know where you got your tickets whether they be through a family friend or you got them yourselves but if you're thinking about going to the game in Pittsburgh or you're thinking about waiting till they come back home to coffin Stadium buy your tickets over at game time it's where I go to buy my tickets I know that KU will be hosting UNLV uh coming up on Friday Kate will be hosting Arizona missou will be hosting Boston College you want to go to those games head over to game time or if you're going to the Chiefs game on Sunday might as well go over to game time and see what deals they got there so download the game time app create an account and use code locked on MLB for $20 off on your first purchase again that is locked on MLB l c k d o n LLB for $20 off download game time today what time is it it is game time well I I think we got a very good Bullpen Rankings sneak peek I guess I would say about how Matt quatero would handle a a playoff scenario I was really waiting to see when that game would happen and I expected it to be in this final month of the year I expected there to be a really good opponent in The Gauntlet Series where where maybe the Royals were on the road maybe they weren't and mrao would be tested to manage his Bullpen as if all of those guys were fresh and the good thing about tonight's game and why mrao was able to handle it that way was because they have an off day you were able to use Lucas ersc for two innings uh you were able to use Chris bbbich for two innings and I think tonight what it showed to me was that there is a easy number one we all know it's Lucas IG if you can get Luc ERS the ball in the eighth or ninth inning and you've got a one or a two-run lead you feel good about your chances if Lucas IG has to come in in the seventh inning in a playoff game let's say let's paint the picture tonight that this was basically an elimination game Yankees won game one Seth Lugo deals in game two and your game three starter would be Michael Waka and not Cole Reagan but for the sake of this hypothetical let's go along with it and you get six Innings from Michael Waka and this game is tied and the Yankees Bullpen is pitching well Luis heel is looking good or whoever they'd be throwing in a spot like that maybe it's Marcus strowman and you got the top of the order coming up and we've known this about mro and you can just bookmark this and you should know this moving forward if the eighth inning is bringing up the best part of that team's lineup and Lucas ersing is fresh he is going in there is no doubt about it he is going in if there is a playoff scenario in which he gets through that part of the order and he's only thrown 15 to 20 pitches he will go back out in the ninth and I think that we saw that front and center tonight if that game goes into extras the next man up the number two on my chart is Chris bbic it is not close anymore it is IG it is bit it is a large gap between number two and number three in a perfect scenario in a playoff game Matt quatero would a would be able to go his starter for seven Innings again this is a perfect scenario Chris bbbich for the eighth Lucas ersing for the ninth that would be his dream scenario it's not always going to go that way because the playoffs are different the lights are brighter the Crowds Are louder and there's going to be great lineups they're facing and their guys aren't going to always have their aame out there and that goes for the bullpen but I get to the number three spot I think number three is Sam long again it's a pretty big gap between Chris bbic and Sam long but Sam long was out there tonight and it was more so about matchups at that point and he didn't pitch that well tonight and got bailed out by a great play from Salvador Perez but Sam Long's number three number four is John shriber now let me be very clear about this if Lucas IG and Chris bbbich throw and that game goes into extras like for instance if Chris bbbich gets out of that 11 inning Jam the guy getting the ball in the 12th if the Royals took the lead or maybe they don't would be John triber John triber has closing experience where Sam long has one save I believe and it was against the white socks you ain't seeing the4 loss white socks in October so John shriber would get the call over Sam long but Sam Long's higher on the power rankings for me and then you get to the number five spot and to me this is where it can get a little bit interesting because there are newer guys in this Bullpen that have been pitching well of late and not new to the organization they weren't acquired at the deadline or anything like that but to me I think number five on this list just taking the hot hand would be Daniel Lynch I put Daniel Lynch very very slightly over James MacArthur who I've got number six here that's not going to be a popular pick for a lot of people maybe you got James MacArthur at the very bottom have your power rankings but I'm not there yet to me it would go Daniel Lynch because of the hot hand and I think he's looked much better hasn't allowed a run since coming back up from Omaha and James MacArthur I think would have a similar role to Daniel Lynch in the postseason where if the the game is not out of hand but if it's a three-run game and you're down you need a couple Innings that's who would be going in then the seventh guy would be Carlos Hernandez I like the stuff he's just not high leverage and then the last spot would be Chris Stratton but that's the bullpen rankings right now that's the regular season that's going to change in the postseason I do not believe that Chris Stratton will be on the postseason roster so you don't need to worry about DFA anything like that I do not believe he's going to be on the postseason roster I think Michael lenzen will I think that Alec Marsh will I think that Brady singer will and those guys will all go to the bullpen and Carlos Hernandez and Chris Straten and maybe one other guy won't be on there who knows maybe it isn't you know James MacArthur on that or it is James MacArthur you know being left off that postseason roster to me though I think we are starting to see a a better outline about who matuo wants to go to and regardless of matchups I think there are two guys that he will go to regardless if it's righty or Lefty and that's IG and Chris bbbich everybody else in that Bullpen is based off matchups and that's why you're hoping in a best of three wild card series you're not having to go to your bullpen in the third inning or the fourth inning but there may be a point in time when that happens when you have to rely on some of those guys giving you some some big Innings some big outs in October when it's colder when you're on the road and right now the Royals would be going on the road to Baltimore for a best of three series maybe you consider that a better matchup than what the Yankees are but I also thought that they held their own in this series this was much different than the Royals Yankee series we saw at Kaufman Stadium back in June there are better options in the bullpen than that series there were better starting options in that series remember the Royals had to open with Dan altavilla in one of those games they had Seth Lugo for one of them and they got a much different Seth Lugo on Tuesday night but I I think we are seeing what this Bullpen is going to look like in October how it's going to be utilized in October tonight to me was a sneak peak I think if there's a scenario that it's a tie game or the Royals have a one-run lead you might be counting on Lucas ersing to give you six outs yeah it would have been awesome if Hunter Harvey came to Kansas City and was just this fire breathing dragon in the eighth inning so you didn't have to go to ERS so early but that's not the or those aren't the cards you've been dealt this is a different Bullpen and Chris bich is that guy that you're having to rely on so we'll see maybe some other things will change and some things will happen over the final 15 games but that's where I got my Bullpen Power Rankings at this point in time we're going to take our final break of the show but before we do that thank you for making lockdown Royals your first listen today for your second listen and enjoy the lockdown MLB podcast as host Pat Sullivan AKA suly is here daily to provide National expertise with his trademark humor to help you get ready for the MLB playoffs here in the dog days of summer prepare for the fall classic with soy who has it all covered every single day on locked on MLB available on YouTube or wherever you get your podcast part of the locked on podcast Network your team every day coming up next we're going to preview this series at PNC Park against the Pittsburgh Pirates that's next on lockdown Royals you are tuning to lockdown Royals on the lockdown podcast Network I'm your host Jack Johnson and you can find me on Twitter Rex Johnny j15 want to give a shout out to our final sponsor in prize picks it's America's number one daily fantasy sports app with over 5 million active members prize picks is the easiest and most exciting way to play daily fantasy sports and unlike other apps on prize picks it's just you against the numbers all you do is pick more or less on two to six player stat projections and watch the winnings roll in now prize picks is the only real money daily fantasy platform with an injury insurance policy so that your lineup stay in play even if one of your players gets injured If your player leaves in the first half and doesn't return prize picks uh keeps your picks still live in their system now with prize picks you can download the app today and use code locked on MLB and get $50 instantly when you play $5 that's code locked on MLB on priz picks to get $50 instantly when you play $5 you don't even need to win to receive the $50 bonus it is guaranteed prize picks run your game as we had mentioned at the beginning of the uh podcast The Pirates Gauntlet or the second Gauntlet is now over the Royals win 9 and 11 in those 20 games and now you look at the final stretch of the season and who the Royals are going to get they will get three in Pittsburgh against a sub 500 Pirates team they'll return home for their final home stand of 2024 at least in the regular season assuming they can hang on and go to October for the postseason they'll see the Tigers for three the Giants for three who were sub 500 then they will have an off day on Monday the 23rd then they will embark on a six game Road Trip where they will see the Nationals sub 500 for three and the Atlanta Braves who are trying to hang on to a wild card spot for three to close out the year on the 27th the 28th and the 29th so that really brutal stretch of play it is now over and the Royals get three against a not very good team a last place team at that a Tigers team who they've got their number the Royals have the Tigers number that is and a Giants team that has fallen out of it and like will be playing the younger players at that point for the final three games at coffin stadium in the regular season a Nationals team that is committed to playing the young players in a Braves team that might give you a very serious fight depending on their playoff odds and the final series of the year but let's kick things off with this series at PNC Park I believe it's one of if not the most gorgeous ballparks in all of baseball to me I think number one is Oracle Park in San Francisco I've had the chance to be there in person haven't had a chance to go and see uh PNC Park that absolutely is on a bucket list item or on my bucket list as an item but not going to be able to make it down this coming weekend simply don't have the funds and just have too much going on at work to catch a series like this but would have been a lot of fun because that backdrop uh really goes unrivaled in all of baseball and I think Pirates fans know that and I think all Baseball fans know that but on Friday night after their off day on Thursday uh it should be Alec Marsh going in this game if I'm not mistaken uh because tonight was Cole Reagan and the last time Cole Reagan had thrown yes Alec Marshall will be lined up to go on Friday the Royals list him as TBD for Friday but I think that's been that way the last couple of starts for Alec Marsh because maybe they don't know if Michael orenen will be able to make that start I Envision that it will be Alec Marsh on Friday and the Royals will face Luis Ortiz the 25-year-old who's had a very good year in 2024 his third year at the big league leveled this one by far and away his best 34 games this year but only 12 starts he's got a 3.26 erra 90 strikeouts and 118 and 2/3 Innings his whip is below the league average at 1.11 and in his last seven starts a little bit higher than what he's been averaging this year a 4.28 erra in his last seven starts but you go over his last 15 games which includes 12 starts he's got a 3.57 ra I look at the last three outings two of them he threw six shutout Innings he had six shutout against the Reds on August 25th and then on August 31st he threw six shutout Innings allowed only one hit against the Cleveland Guardians and then on the seventh against the Nationals he went five and two3 and gave up only three earned runs so the Royals might have their hands full a little bit with Luis l Ortiz on Friday Alec Marsh will be the counterpart for Kansas City first pitch in that game a little bit earlier than you're used to on Friday it'll be a 540 first pitch central time if you're watching on the east coast of course that would be 640 I'm not going to go through all the time zones because quite honestly I don't know what all the time are gonna look like at different time zones for that Friday night game on Saturday it will be an earlier game this will be a 1205 first pitch if Alec Marsh is going in that game it would line up Michael Wala to be the starter on Saturday after no and the Royals will have to go up against Mitch Keller in this game before Paul skin was the Ace of the Pirates and he's had a very good 2024 as well maybe not as good as the Pirates thought he could have had the Royals saw him I believe two years ago it would have been when the Royals were in Pittsburgh might have been three years ago now that I think about it he's been around a little bit longer than you would have expected made his debut back in 2019 think he was a top pitching Prospect as well but a 3.85 erra and 28 starts this year in his last seven outings though he has been roughed up a little bit in erra near Six at 5.86 he's one and4 in those seven starts in his last 15 starts he's three- six with a 4.50 erra did have a quality start last time out against Washington and giving up just two runs on seven hits in six Innings but against the Guardians on September 1st he was uh not working that deep into the game five and a third but gave up 11 hits just three ear runs so the Guardians really didn't break through off of him but 11 hits in that game against the Guardians lineup so a very hitable arm that the Royals will be facing on Saturday and a pitcher that some of the team does have experience against and then on Sunday uh it should be again Brady singer lined up to throw on that Sunday afternoon game like I said TBD is listed for the Royals in all three starts for this series maybe Michael lenzen makes one of them I think the Royals were hopeful that he would return to the rotation or at least return to the roster this weekend in Pittsburgh but whoever will be starting on Sunday my guess is it'll be Brady singer they're going to have to go up against the flamethrower in Jared Jones another guy that alongside Paul skes has been somebody they can build around the 23y old struck out 115 and 108 and a third Innings this year 3.82 erra in 19 games though has kind of Fallen off in the second half a little bit was really good last time out against Washington and was pretty good at Wrigley Field against the Cubs but wasn't that good against the Cubs when they came to Pittsburgh uh to face off against each other but somebody in the first half that before Paul skines got there this is who you were talking about if you were a pirates fan you were talking about the future of this rotation being led by Jared Jones or at least Jared Jones being a number two and Paulk being a number one but the Royals will Dodge Paul skes in this series they'll have to wait until next year for a potential matchup though that would be at Kaufman Stadium Jared Jones has electric stuff absolutely electric stuff and if the Royals you know look like they did tonight with runners in scoring position 0 for 11 these are three Pirates pitchers that can give you a lot of troubles the good news for the Royals it's not really a lineup that's going to strike a lot of fear in you but the Royals also don't have Cole Reagan or Seth L Lugo going in the series so it can't be an opponent you look over because of the record they're only seven and 76 so don't take this as their 54 and 90 or anything like that this is a pirates team that in the first half was absolutely in the Wild Card hunt and if it wasn't for a a 10 game losing streak in the second half they might still be in the hunt in the National League wild card picture but the Royals will be there for three games before coming back home to take on the Detroit Tigers and the San Francisco Giants at Coffman Stadium for the final home stand of the regular season hopefully there will be more home games come October that's going to do it for another edition of lockdown Royals and the lockdown podcast Network I've been your host Jack Johnson and you can find me on Twitter Rex Johnny j15 thank you for making locked on Royals your first listen today now go check out the locked on MLB podcast and prepare for the fall classic with soy who has it all covered every single day you can find the link to locked on MLB in the description so you don't need to search part of the locked on podcast Network your team every day tomorrow we're going to do another episode on MJ Melendez and how the Royals should handle him to close out this year and hopefully into the postseason and maybe even a deep dive into what should they do with MJ Melendez next year that'll be our lead segment tomorrow and I'll leave it at that but until then you take it easy Kansas City