Daily Clips

August 30, 2017

LOCALRoyals hit 3 homers, snap skid against RaysAugust 30, 2017 By Jeffrey Flanagan and Bill Chastain/MLB.comhttp://m.royals.mlb.com/news/article/251304486/royals-hit-3-homers-snap-skid-against-rays/?topicId=27118382

At Whit's end: KC scoreless streak over at 45August 30, 2017 By Jeffrey Flanagan/MLB.comhttp://m.royals.mlb.com/news/article/251315488/whit-merrifield-ends-royals-scoreless-streak/?topicId=27118382

Vargas looks for better results in finale vs. RaysAugust 30, 2017 By Bill Chastain/MLB.comhttp://m.royals.mlb.com/news/article/251307648/odorizzi-rays-face-vargas-royals-in-finale/?topicId=26688732

Kuntz (eye issues) no longer first-base coachVeteran will remain on staff, be on bench during gamesAugust 30, 2017 By Jeffrey Flanagan/MLB.comhttp://m.royals.mlb.com/news/article/251297036/royals-change-role-of-coach-rusty-kuntz/

Duffy arrested for DUI outside Kansas CityAugust 30, 2017 By Jeffrey Flanagan/MLB.comhttp://m.royals.mlb.com/news/article/251232976/royals-danny-duffy-arrested-for-dui/

Lopez, Lovvorn lead Royals going to Fall LeagueAugust 30, 2017 By Jeffrey Flanagan/MLB.comhttp://m.royals.mlb.com/news/article/251293056/royals-announce-4-going-to-arizona-fall-league/

Despite off-field distractions, Royals break historic scoreless drought in win over RaysAugust 30, 2017 By Maria Torres/KC Starhttp://www.kansascity.com/sports/mlb/kansas-city-royals/article170139157.html

Battling vision issues, Royals’

Rusty Kuntz won’t coach first base again this yearAugust 30, 2017 By Rustin Dodd/KC Starhttp://www.kansascity.com/sports/mlb/kansas-city-royals/article170131757.html

Mellinger Minutes: Royals scoreless streakAugust 30, 2017 By Sam Mellinger/KC Starhttp://www.kansascity.com/sports/spt-columns-blogs/sam-mellinger/article169967692.html

Royals pitcher Danny Duffy cited for DUI in Overland ParkAugust 30, 2017 By Rustin Dodd, Pete Grathoff, and Matt Campbell/KC Starhttp://www.kansascity.com/sports/mlb/kansas-city-royals/article169961577.html

Why Duffy’s DUI shouldn’t be washed away because of well-earned goodwill and popularityAugust 30, 2017 By Sam Mellinger/KC Starhttp://www.kansascity.com/sports/spt-columns-blogs/sam-mellinger/article170130927.html

Royals’ Dayton Moore says club educates players about use of alcoholAugust 30, 2017 By Rustin Dodd/KC Starhttp://www.kansascity.com/sports/mlb/kansas-city-royals/article170136072.html

MINORSBinford, Offense Carry Chasers to 9-3 WinOmaha win 2nd consecutive Nashville contest behind solid offense & pitchingAugust 30, 2017 Omaha Storm Chasershttps://www.milb.com/storm-chasers/news/binford-offense-carry-chasers-to-9-3-win/c-251351908/t-196093384

Drillers Get Record-Setting Win, Move Back Into FirstTulsa tops Northwest Arkansas 9-3 for its 14th straight home victoryAugust 30, 2017 Tulsa Drillers

https://www.milb.com/drillers/news/drillers-get-record-setting-win-move-back-into-first/c-251362128/t-196093322

Blue Rocks and Wood Ducks PostponedWilmington and Down East to Play Doubleheader on WednesdayAugust 30, 2017 Wilmington Blue Rockshttps://www.milb.com/blue-rocks/news/blue-rocks-and-wood-ducks-postponed/c-251273558/t-196097164

Augusta rallies in ninth for 7-6 winAugust 30, 2017 Lexington Legendshttps://www.milb.com/legends/news/augusta-rallies-in-ninth-for-7-6-win/c-251369646/t-196097274

Raptors Overcome Rough Start to Sweep ChukarsOgden rallies back from two deficits to take sixth of seven against Idaho FallsAugust 30, 2017 By Andrew Haynes/Ogden Raptorshttps://www.milb.com/raptors/news/raptors-overcome-rough-start-to-sweep-chukars/c-251390792/t-196096844

Royals Hold Off Pirates in SlugfestMarquez, Atencio each pick up four hits in 13-12 winAugust 30, 2017 By Matt Krause/Burlington Royalshttps://www.milb.com/b-royals/news/royals-hold-off-pirates-in-slugfest/c-251368080/t-196097136

NATIONALIt's time for MLB to institute a DUI policyAugust 30, 2017 By Jeff Passan/Yahoo Sportshttps://sports.yahoo.com/time-mlb-institute-dui-policy-040514410.html

MLB TRANSACTIONSAugust 30, 2017 •.CBSSports.comhttp://www.cbssports.com/mlb/transactions

LOCALRoyals hit 3 homers, snap skid against Rays

August 30, 2017 By Jeffrey Flanagan and Bill Chastain/MLB.comhttp://m.royals.mlb.com/news/article/251304486/royals-hit-3-homers-snap-skid-against-rays/?topicId=27118382

After the Royals' scoreless streak reached an historic level Monday night, first baseman Eric Hosmer lamented that the only streak that mattered was the team's five-game losing skid.

On Tuesday night, Whit Merrifield first took care of the scoreless streak with a home run, and later, Hosmer helped take care of the losing streak with a three-run homer, as the Royals got a much-needed 6-2 win over the Rays at Kauffman Stadium.

"Every win is big this time of year," Hosmer said. "It's one we had to have."

Kansas City is now a half-game ahead of Tampa Bay in the American League Wild Card standings. The Royals are three games back of the Twins, who hold the second spot, while the Rays are 3 1/2 behind.

"It's been a rough few games, but people don't seem to realize we're right in the middle of this thing," Merrifield said. "We're three games out of the Wild Card. We believe in ourselves."

The Royals' franchise-record scoreless streak ended at 45 innings when Merrifield blasted a homer into the left-field seats with two outs in the third inning. It was the longest scoreless drought since mounds were lowered in 1969, but short of the all-time mark of 48 set by the 1968 Cubs and the 1906 A's.

"First of all, the streak, the whole thing is pretty mind-blowing," Rays starter Alex Cobb said. "That's a team that has a really good offensive squad over there. ... You're not going to get a team like that to slump that many games in a row. Honestly, the pitch to Whit was a good one. If I could throw it again and know that it was going to end up in that location, I would. He put an unbelievable swing on it."

Royals rookie right-hander Jake Junis didn't allow a hit until the fifth, when Corey Dickerson rolled a soft grounder through the right side for a one-out single. Junis allowed one run on three hits over 5 2/3 innings, walking none and striking out a career-high eight -- the latter of which was his favorite part of the outing.

"Definitely," Junis said. "I like strikeouts."

Cobb threw six strong innings in his second start since coming off the disabled list (turf toe). The right-hander gave up three runs on seven hits, striking out six and walking none.

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED

Big escape: Junis got into some trouble in the sixth, when Kevin Kiermaier singled with one out and went to third with two outs on Evan Longoria's single. Left-hander Scott Alexander relieved Junis, but was greeted with an RBI single by Logan Morrison. However, after a walk loaded the bases, Alexander preserved a 2-1 lead by getting Dickerson to bounce out to second.

"We needed that game really bad," Junis said. "Scotty did the job. We needed that win."

The big blast: The game was still in doubt in the bottom of the seventh with the Royals up, 3-2. Alcides Escobar singled to open the inning, and with one out, Lorenzo Cain walked. After Melky Cabrera struck out, left-hander Dan Jennings came in for the lefty-lefty matchup with Hosmer. But Hosmer jumped on a four-seam fastball and rifled it into the left-center-field seats for his 22nd homer. It had an exit velocity of 108 mph, per Statcast™.

"That was the homer that really capped it for us," Royals manager Ned Yost said.

"I went with my strength, and something I have confidence in, and I just didn't make a pitch," Jennings said. "This game really boils down to a few pitches each game. There's one or two hundred pitches thrown by a team in a game. And each game boils down to a handful. And that was a big one."

QUOTABLE

"I don't think the performances we need right now are to keep the team in the ballgame. As a staff, we need to do all we can to win the ballgame." -- Cobb, after receiving a compliment about keeping the team in the game

UPON FURTHER REVIEW

The Royals challenged a call in the first after Cain hit a grounder to Rays first baseman Morrison, who tossed to Cobb covering the bag ahead of Cain. But replays showed Cain got his foot on the bag before Cobb caught the throw, and the call was overturned.

A similar call occurred in the fifth, again involving Cain, who grounded to third and was called out on a close play at first. The Royals challenged, and that call was overturned as well.

The Royals won another bizarre challenge in the sixth. With one out and the Rays' Kiermaier on first, Lucas Duda swung at a 3-2 slider in the dirt. Kiermaier advanced to second on the play, but the Royals challenged that the ball hit Duda in the left heel, thus making the ball dead. The Royals won the challenge, and Kiermaier had to return to first while the strikeout stood.

WHAT'S NEXT

Rays: Jake Odorizzi (6-7, 4.82 ERA) gets the nod in Wednesday's series finale against the Royals in an 8:15 p.m. ET contest at Kauffman Stadium. Odorizzi has pitched at Kauffman Stadium once as a visitor, on April 9, 2014, allowing seven runs on 10 hits in five innings to take the loss. He was acquired from the Royals in a seven-player trade in 2012 involving right-hander James Shields and outfielder Wil Myers.

Royals: Left-hander Jason Vargas (14-8, 3.72) takes the mound for the Royals in the series finale against the Rays on Wednesday at 7:15 p.m. CT. Vargas gave up four runs on six hits over five innings in a 4-0 loss to the Indians on Friday.

At Whit's end: KC scoreless streak over at 45August 30, 2017 By Jeffrey Flanagan/MLB.comhttp://m.royals.mlb.com/news/article/251315488/whit-merrifield-ends-royals-scoreless-streak/?topicId=27118382

The Royals' scoreless streak is over.

Second baseman Whit Merrifield belted a two-out home run against Rays right-hander Alex Cobb in the third inning of Wednesday's 6-2 win, ending the Royals' franchise-record scoreless streak at 45 innings. The Royals also snapped a five-game losing skid to remain three games behind the Twins for the second American League Wild Card spot.

Merrifield's 16th homer gave the Royals a 1-0 lead.

"Whit hit the homer and you look in the dugout, and the guys are hugging and celebrating," manager Ned Yost said.

The Royals' streak was the longest in the Majors since the mound was lowered in 1969. The longest streak in MLB history is 48, held by the 1968 Cubs and the 1906 A's.

What was Merrifield's reaction to the streak ending?

"Excitement. Relief," Merrifield said. "Just one of those things where the streak just kept building and building. [The homer] put us on the board. It was a good feeling. I knew once we got one, we could get some more."

The homer also helped rookie right-hander Jake Junis notch his sixth win. He also described the scene in the dugout as a wild celebration after Merrifield's homer.

"We kind of go where [Merrifield] goes," Junis said. "It was kind of fitting that he was the one that broke the streak."

The most important element of the night was the win, Merrifield said.

"It's been a rough few games, but people don't seem to realize we're right in the middle of this thing," Merrifield said. "We're three games out of the Wild Card. We believe in ourselves."

Vargas looks for better results in finale vs. RaysAugust 30, 2017 By Bill Chastain/MLB.comhttp://m.royals.mlb.com/news/article/251307648/odorizzi-rays-face-vargas-royals-in-finale/?topicId=26688732

The finale of the three-game series between the Rays and Royals will take place Wednesday at Kauffman Stadium, with Tampa Bay's Jake Odorizzi (6-7, 4.82 ERA) facing off against Kansas City's Jason Vargas (14-8, 3.72).

Odorizzi struggled in his last start Friday, when he allowed three runs on three hits and four walks in 3 2/3 innings against the Cardinals. He has lost three of his four starts since returning from the disabled list.

The Royals and Rays both remain in the tight American League Wild Card race. The Royals are three games behind the Twins for the second spot, while the Rays are 3 1/2 back.

Walks have been an issue for Odorizzi, which is uncharacteristic for the right-hander. He's walked nine in 7 1/3 innings over his last two starts. Odorizzi said that when his back bothered him earlier in the season, he made some adjustments, and through those adjustments, he created "a lot of bad habits."

"And now, even though I'm feeling a lot better, habits are hard to break," Odorizzi said. "Just been one of those years where I tried to make an adjustment to compensate for something, and probably shouldn't have. Now I'm trying to work my way through it again.

"[Pitching coach Jim] Hickey and I have been working on some stuff just to try and get back to normal. We're starting to see some stuff in bullpens, feeling-wise, but it's a long process. Just have to keep working through this."

Odorizzi has been better on the road this season (3-2, 4.30) than at home (3-5, 5.18).Vargas has taken losses in two straight starts, allowing eight runs on 12 hits and five walks in 9 2/3 innings.

Vargas put together a stellar first half in which he went 12-3 with a 2.62 ERA in 17 starts. From May 27 through June 30, he won seven straight starts. Since the All-Star break, he is 2-5 with a 6.69 ERA in eight starts.

Vargas and Odorizzi met earlier this season, with Vargas coming out on top in a 6-0 Royals win on May 11 at Tropicana Field. Odorizzi took the loss, despite allowing just one run in six innings. Vargas got the win, holding the Rays scoreless on three hits through seven innings.

Three things to know about this game

• Vargas is 5-5 with a 2.80 ERA in 12 career games (11 starts) against the Rays. Odorizzi is 1-4 with a 4.65 ERA in six career appearances (five starts) against the Royals.• Odorizzi has allowed a home run in 20 of his 22 starts this season.• While walking more batters (14) than he has struck out (12) over four August starts, Odorizzi has recorded a third strike on just 10.4 percent of his two-strike pitches. That's the third-lowest rate among pitchers with at least 100 two-strike pitches during that time.

Kuntz (eye issues) no longer first-base coachVeteran will remain on staff, be on bench during gamesAugust 30, 2017 By Jeffrey Flanagan/MLB.comhttp://m.royals.mlb.com/news/article/251297036/royals-change-role-of-coach-rusty-kuntz/

Royals first-base coach Rusty Kuntz will not coach first base for the rest of the season because of eye issues, manager Ned Yost said Tuesday.

Yost said catching coach Pedro Grifol will handle the first-base coaching duties Tuesday and Wednesday, until the Royals are allowed to bring up an extra coach from the Minor Leagues when the roster expands in September.

Kuntz will remain on the staff and perform his normal pregame coaching duties, and also will be on the bench during games.

"He's really having trouble seeing," Yost said. "He had eye surgery … and he's not able to see [very well]. Those two balls down the line that [Lorenzo] Cain hit [Monday night], he didn't even see. The doctors said [his vision would improve], but right now, it's really affecting his vision.

"We just can't afford to put him on the line. He could get drilled over there. He said it's like looking through a bottle of water."

Skoglund recalled from Triple-A

Left-hander Eric Skoglund, who was sent back to Triple-A Omaha on Monday after a disappointing start Sunday, was recalled to replace left-hander Brian Flynn, who went on the 10-day disabled list with a strained groin Tuesday.

Flynn had just replaced Skoglund on the roster Monday.

Duffy arrested for DUI outside Kansas CityAugust 30, 2017 By Jeffrey Flanagan/MLB.comhttp://m.royals.mlb.com/news/article/251232976/royals-danny-duffy-arrested-for-dui/

Royals general manager Dayton Moore didn't mince words and didn't hide his disappointment in discussing the news that left-hander Danny Duffy had been arrested for suspicion of driving under the influence on Sunday night.

Duffy was cited for a DUI at a fast-food restaurant in nearby Overland Park. His first court appearance is scheduled for Sept. 19.

"We'll support him," Moore said at a news conference at Kauffman Stadium hours before Tuesday's game against the Rays. "But obviously there are consequences for your actions. That's the way life works. That's the way it should work. That's the way we expect it to work.

"It's disappointing. It's regretful. I'm not interested in any alibis, or any excuses. There are no excuses."

Moore said he learned of the incident from Duffy on Monday night during the Royals' 12-0 loss to the Rays. Moore also said the Royals are in the early stages of gathering more information about the matter, and that once the legal process was completed, he wasn't sure if there would be any disciplinary action against Duffy from the team or the league.

"The most important thing right now is to be accountable," Moore said. "I'm reminded constantly that these guys are human beings. For us to put our faith in an athlete or a person as a perfect vessel, someone who always makes the right choices, is a failed way to live your life.

"He's hurting right now. I'm glad he's hurting. He needs to feel shame. He needs to never forget. It's real, and it's life-changing. Hopefully it never happens again."

Before Moore spoke, Duffy spoke about the incident, but did not take questions.

"I just wanted to say for the situation at hand, I wanted to apologize for the distraction, especially where the team is at right now," Duffy said. "Regardless if we had been on a run or not, this is never a good time for this situation to come about. For every kid out there that looks up to me or that's read a headline … I'll continue to do great for the city. I promise you that. You all know me, this is very difficult for me to go through. When everything comes out and shakes out, I will be better because of it."

Duffy's DUI arrest is the second by a Royals player in the 11-year tenure of Moore. The other came in 2008 when Alberto Callaspo was arrested with a DUI.

"I take this personally when our players fail off the field," Moore said. "This is not what Mr. [David] Glass expects of our players representing our city, our fan base. We take it personally when they fail off the field."

The Royals are an organization still mindful of a horrific offseason in which right-hander Yordano Ventura died tragically in an early-morning auto accident in the Dominican Republic.

Moore said the Royals devote a lot of time and energy to educating their players on making smart choices.

"We've done a lot of leadership stuff," Moore said. "A lot of awareness and speaking. I personally met with every single one of our players in small groups about making the right choices. That's why we spend so much time in the Draft making sure we bring in players with good character."

Moore added there was one bright spot to the Duffy incident: No one was injured.

"Actually, he's very fortunate," Moore said. "It could be worse. We've all been affected by these situations when they were worse. Maybe he got lucky."

Lopez, Lovvorn lead Royals going to Fall LeagueAugust 30, 2017 By Jeffrey Flanagan/MLB.comhttp://m.royals.mlb.com/news/article/251293056/royals-announce-4-going-to-arizona-fall-league/

On Tuesday, the Royals announced four players who will take part in the Arizona Fall League for the Surprise Saguaros starting in October.

The group includes left-hander Zach Lovvorn, a 23-year-old right-hander who was a sixth-round Draft pick in 2012. Lovvorn is 4-8 with a 4.66 ERA this season for Double-A Northwest Arkansas.The others are catcher Nick Dini, infielder Nicky Lopez and outfielder Elier Hernande

Dini, 24, was a 14th-round pick in 2015. He is hitting .322 with two homers and 25 RBIs for Northwest Arkansas.

Lopez, 22, was a fifth-round pick in 2016, and is the Royals' No. 11 prospect per MLBPipeline.com. Splitting time between Class A Advanced Wilmington and Northwest Arkansas, he has hit .283 with two home runs and 38 RBIs.

Hernandez, 22, was an undrafted free-agent signing who has battled injuries this season. But combined between Wilmington and Northwest Arkansas, Hernandez has hit .317 with five home runs and 37 RBIs.

Mitch Stetter, the Royals' pitching coach at Class A Lexington, will serve as the Saguaros' pitching coach.

The Royals are expected to add three more pitchers at some point to the Saguaros.

The Arizona Fall League is a "finishing school" for prospects who are close to the Majors. Generally speaking, if a team

sends a player to the Fall League, it's an indication that the club thinks he has the chance to contribute in the big leagues in the near future.

The league has a total of six teams, with five organizations represented on each. Every MLB team is required to send at least six players from its organization.

Despite off-field distractions, Royals break historic scoreless drought in win over RaysAugust 30, 2017 By Maria Torres/KC Starhttp://www.kansascity.com/sports/mlb/kansas-city-royals/article170139157.html

Royals second baseman Whit Merrifield looked to the sky, clapped his hands and let his shoulders sag as he crossed the plate in the bottom of the third inning Tuesday night at Kauffman Stadium.

One run lit up the scoreboard behind him, the first the Royals had scored in 45 innings. Seconds earlier, he had homered on a 1-1 pitch, turning a fastball from Rays starter Alex Cobb into a solo shot to give the Royals their first lead in four games.

It was their first sigh of relief in what became a 6-2 victory for the Royals.

The second exhale came in the fifth inning, when Mike Moustakas drove in his first run since Aug. 16 against the Athletics in Oakland, Calif. Jorge Bonifacio gave the Royals a bit more breathing room in the sixth with a 419-foot blast of his own, one that would keep starter Jake Junis in line for the sixth win of his career, even when the Rays cut a two-run lead in half.

Eric Hosmer added three runs of insurance when he cranked his 22nd homer of the season. Salvador Perez finally had good reason to fill a few Gatorade cups, so he dumped water over Hosmer’s head.

Later, Drew Butera attempted to serenade the clubhouse on an old-school microphone with some of Tony Bennett’s greatest hits. It didn’t go over well with either of Lorenzo Cain’s toddlers.

But in the end, the Royals snapped a five-game losing streak and a scoreless drought, showing resilience on a day that could have been the worst in an already-tough month.

“It’s been a rough couple of games,” Merrifield said. “People don’t seem to realize we’re still right in the middle of this thing. We got a month and some change left. … We got a good shot at this thing. We believe in ourselves and we’re going to keep chugging away. Hopefully, we can build on this.”

The Royals are 10-17 in August, their first sub-.500 month since they started the season 10-20. They have gone from two games out of first place to 9 1/2 games behind the American League Central-leading Indians, who were rained out Tuesday.

Adding to the drama, ace Danny Duffy spoke hours earlier about a DUI citation he received Sunday outside a Burger King in Overland Park.

Instead of folding under the “distraction,” as Duffy described his situation in that press conference, the Royals rallied.

“Whit hit the homer and you look in the dugout and guys are hugging and celebrating,” manager Ned Yost said. “We broke that streak. That was good.”

For the second start in a week, Junis showed poise on the mound. He struck out a career-high eight batters in 5 2/3 innings and scattered three hits. After hitting a batter in the first inning, he retired 11 straight. Corey Dickerson broke through with the Rays’ first hit of the game in the fifth.

Junis received help when a challenge started by Royals replay coordinator Bill Duplissea overturned a hit-by-pitch call in the sixth. On a Rays hit and run, Lucas Duda struck out as Kevin Kiermaier slid into second base. Umpires did not see that the ball struck Duda after the swing, stopping the play. Kiermaier returned to first after a 1:39 review, Duplissea’s third successful challenge of the night.

Yost removed Junis when Kiermaier reached third on a two-out single by Evan Longoria in the sixth inning. Yost didn’t want Junis to take a chance with Rays cleanup hitter Logan Morrison, a lefty who has hit 32 homers this season.

Like he did in Thursday’s game against the Rockies, the loss that kicked off the Royals’ recent woes, Yost opted for a matchup with left-handed reliever Scott Alexander. One run was charged to Junis when Morrison dumped an RBI single into center field, but Alexander worked around a subsequent walk and got out of the inning relatively unscathed.

“The thing that was so gut-wrenching to me a little bit in the decision making was is this is where it started,” Yost said. “Junis on the mound in the sixth inning, pitching great, two-run lead at that point. Almost the same situation. We ended up losing that game. That was definitely in the back of my mind.”

The Rays threatened to tilt the scoreboard out of the Royals’ favor when reliever Brandon Maurer left an 88 mph slider in the lower third of the zone for the Rays’ Brad Miller, who roped it to right field for a solo homer in the seventh.

But Hosmer’s three-run, 408-foot rocket to left-center field in the bottom of the inning made sure that the Royals could gain ground on Tampa Bay in the wild-card race and keep pace with the Twins, who beat the White Sox and own the second wild-card spot.

“We needed that game really bad,” Junis said.

Battling vision issues, Royals’ Rusty Kuntz won’t coach first base again this yearAugust 30, 2017 By Rustin Dodd/KC Starhttp://www.kansascity.com/sports/mlb/kansas-city-royals/article170131757.html

With the franchise-record scoreless streak still alive on Tuesday afternoon, and the Royals embroiled in off-field controversy, manager Ned Yost revealed more unpleasant news in a pregame session with reporters.

Rusty Kuntz, the club’s long-time first base coach, will be unable to continue in his current role because of ongoing vision issues.

“He’s really having trouble seeing,” Yost said. “He had eye surgery and he’s got a ‘flap’ in his eye and he’s having trouble seeing.”

More specifically, Yost said, the issue affects Kuntz’s peripheral vision. It has turned line-drive foul balls into dangerous moments.

Kuntz will continue to coach from the dugout for the rest of the season. On Tuesday, catching coach Pedro Grifol filled in at first base. Yost said the team would call up a full-time replacement from the minor leagues later this week.

Kuntz is in his sixth consecutive year as the Royals’ first-base coach. He also held the position from 2008 to 2010. In addition to his duties at first base, he coordinates the club’s running game and outfield defense.

Mellinger Minutes: Royals scoreless streakAugust 30, 2017 By Sam Mellinger/KC Starhttp://www.kansascity.com/sports/spt-columns-blogs/sam-mellinger/article169967692.html

By the time Jakob Junis throws the first pitch against the Rays on Tuesday night it will have been approximately 100 hours since the Royals last scored a run. Fifty-five full games will have been played in the four days since Brandon Moss’ home run last Thursday, with — ahem — 472 runs scored.

The Royals have scored none, but they’ve made up for it by giving up 32 of them.

If you have been a Royals fan long enough to remember Tony Peña and Buddy Bell then you have seen Royals teams quit at this point of the season, and if that’s your diagnosis here then I’m not sure anyone not employed by the team who will argue the point with passion.

Whatever it’s worth, I don’t think they’ve quit. Baseball is an inherently streaky game, and the Royals have fundamentally streaky players — more on this later — so some of this can be attributed to the natural rise and fall of a season.

But not all of it, and probably not even most of it, because the Royals are now working on the longest scoreless streak by an American League team since the mound was lowered and the designated hitter invented.

I wonder if, more than anything else, this team is just dog tired.

Eric Hosmer has played every game, and even in the best season of his career, can only be expected to carry the offense for so long. Alcides Escobar has also played every game. Lorenzo Cain has played all but four.

Sal Perez is back from the disabled list, but clearly playing hurt, an admirable sacrifice by him but one that’s left him 3-for-18 with no walks and eight strikeouts since the return. Whit Merrifield has been the Royals’ best player at times, but he’s 11 for his last 58, and four of those hits were in one game.

This is a proud group with accomplished ballplayers but also one that was always built with little margin for error, operating under a larger organizational philosophy of winning-and-rebuilding that was the equivalent of walking a tightrope in a wind storm.

I do not believe they’ve quit. I think that’s almost always a lazy analysis, one done based much more on results than effort, but again it’s not a point I’ll argue with much passion.

Because they do look a little tired to me, these dog days of August that everyone in the game talks about perhaps zapping that last burst of juice. I expect them to get it back, by the way. At some point between now and the end of the season, they’ll win four or five or more in a row, and people will talk about a championship core making one last push.

Problem is, by now, it might already be too late.

Royals pitcher Danny Duffy cited for DUI in Overland ParkAugust 30, 2017 By Rustin Dodd, Pete Grathoff, and Matt Campbell/KC Starhttp://www.kansascity.com/sports/mlb/kansas-city-royals/article169961577.html

Royals pitcher Danny Duffy was cited Sunday in Overland Park for driving under the influence, police said Tuesday.

Duffy was arrested about 8 p.m. in the parking lot of Burger King at 13640 Metcalf Ave.

Overland Park police officer and spokesman Brian Payne said he could not release further details. A police report provides no other information.

“I just wanted to say that, for this situation that’s been put at hand, I apologize for the distraction, especially with where the team is at right now,” Duffy said at a Tuesday afternoon news conference at Kauffman Stadium. “Regardless of whether we’d been on a run or not, this is never a good time for this situation to come about.

“To every kid out there that looks up to me, that has read a headline, seen something, looks up to me, I’ll just continue to do great for this city. I promise you that. I think, any of you all know me, this is something that’s very difficult to go through. When everything comes out and shakes out, I’m going to be better because of it. I’m standing on a lot of people’s shoulders right now. And a lot of people have done a lot of things to help me get where I’m at.

“To those people, too, let the facts shake out, and please continue to have faith in me, because I’m better than the distraction that is at hand. And I’m going to continue do great things for this city.”

Under Major League Baseball rules, players charged with DUI can be punished by the league or by a team, but not both, and can be recommended to receive voluntary treatment.

“There’s obviously consequences for actions,” Royals general manager Dayton Moore said. “That’s the way life works. And that’s the way it should work. That’s the way we expect it to work. And it will work.”

Duffy was not held by police because he is a Kansas resident, according to Sean Reilly, spokesperson for the City of Overland Park. Duffy’s first appearance in municipal court is scheduled for 1 p.m. Sept. 19.

Jay Norton, a DUI and DWI attorney with Norton Hale in Overland Park, told The Star that most police departments in Johnson County typically will release a Kansas resident suspected of DUI to any sober person who can pick them up without posting bond.

“They don’t have to go to the police station,” Norton said. “A police officer could just write somebody a ticket for a DUI and let them go, just the same way they could write a ticket for reckless driving or speeding or something like that.”

On Sunday, the Royals finished a three-game series in Cleveland, losing 12-0 that afternoon. But Duffy was in Kansas City on Saturday to have a MRI exam of his elbow and was placed on the 10-day disabled list.

Duffy was at Kauffman Stadium on Monday as the Royals opened a series against Tampa Bay. He opted to not talk to reporters about his injury and said, through a Royals official, that he wanted to spend the afternoon in the trainer’s room.

Moore also issued a statement before Tuesday’s news conference.

“We are obviously disappointed in the news we have received regarding Danny Duffy’s DUI arrest on Sunday night,” Moore said. “Danny was not part of the team traveling back from Cleveland on Sunday because he had returned to Kansas City a day earlier to undergo an MRI examination.

“We are still in the early stages of gathering the details, but I do know that Danny has always been accountable as a member of this organization and we expect the same accountability from him as this process moves forward.

“We obviously do not condone anyone driving while under the influence, but this is now a legal matter and we will allow the process to unfold and cannot comment any further.”

Why Duffy’s DUI shouldn’t be washed away because of well-earned goodwill and popularityAugust 30, 2017 By Sam Mellinger/KC Starhttp://www.kansascity.com/sports/spt-columns-blogs/sam-mellinger/article170130927.html

The lawyers are involved and if they had their way Danny Duffy would not have even spoken to reporters about a DUI arrest. Lawyers are paid to be protective, and there is no legal advantage in a 28-year-old millionaire athlete riffing about the most embarrassing and potentially dangerous mistake of his known public life.

But they coached him up enough that the Royals pitcher’s 253-word, 128-second statement never went more specific than using the word distraction three times. That’s a sign the lawyers think they can beat this, or at least plan to fight it, but whatever details are being delayed are not what’s most important.

This isn’t about a distraction, and it isn’t even about a once promising season leaking hope every day. This is about a young, valuable, and bright life that may need serious help.

He did not discuss the arrest in detail, or even directly, and that’s fine. Let the lawyers have this one. The important part of this fight starts now. For Duffy, for the Royals, and in real ways, for Kansas City.

“Let the facts shake out,” Duffy said. “And please continue to have faith in me because I’m better than the distraction that’s at hand.”

Duffy left the room after his statement, but general manager Dayton Moore stuck around to answer questions in two different settings for a total of about 45 minutes.

He was open, at times raw, passionate throughout, but the most important takeaway isn’t what he said but what he didn’t.

Over and over and over — both in front of the cameras and not — Moore was asked some form of whether he believed this to be an isolated incident.

And, over and over and over — both in front of the cameras and not — he would not commit.

“I wouldn’t say that yet,” Moore said. “I don’t have all the facts.”

DUIs are issued every hour of every day, and they’re all concerning, all potentially dangerous, but this one carries some concerning markers, most notably that it occurred at 8 p.m. on a Sunday.

Duffy had an MRI on his injured elbow the day before, which Moore said came back clean. There is no reason to believe any medications he was prescribed would exacerbate the effects of alcohol, but it’s not uncommon for ballplayers to be on pain medication particularly this time of the season.

Duffy has always pushed limits. That does not make him rare among professional athletes. When he was younger, he partied, but nothing out of the normal range of ballplayers. A club source said nobody on staff, whether a coach or trainer, had any reason to suspect a problem.

But alcohol counselors often say nobody is ever caught the first time, and while that’s not literally true, it’s true enough that you get the point — it’s hard to believe a ballplayer was arrested for DUI in a fast-food drive-through early enough that the sun’s still up without a buildup.

“Something like this happens, there’s an issue,” Moore said. “There just is. It may be a big issue, it may be a small issue. I don’t know. But it’s behavior you don’t want to see.”

Moore mentioned a few times that Duffy was lucky, and he’s right. Too many of us — including me — have driven when we shouldn’t, and anyone who’s never been in an alcohol-related injury accident can be thankful for some level of good fortune.

But that only lasts so long. I want to be clear that the rest of this sentence is speculation, but it’s speculation from a place of compassion, because if there is something else at play with Duffy — addiction, depression, private personal struggles — the risks are going away only in proportion to how honestly and fully the causes are met.

Duffy has so much to give. He has built a great reservoir of goodwill in Kansas City and beyond, both in how he’s treated people privately and causes he’s taken up publicly.

But that’s not reason to dismiss this; it’s reason to meet it head-on.

Duffy’s popularity and public trust should not be a crutch to avoid whatever led up to his arrest; it should raise the stakes and importance of him getting this right.

Because he’s shown himself willing and able to give more than most. Not just as an entertainer, or athlete, or even representative of what Royals fans want their team to be. He has consistently been generous with his time and energy for people and causes that are in no position to pay him back.

The Royals are a better team when Duffy is himself, with a clear mind and spirit. More importantly, Kansas City is a better place, in ways less obvious because they’re away from a baseball field but more important because they can change lives.

He has made a major and careless mistake, which is at least one thing he has in common with a lot of us.

The next task is to turn around and attack whatever has chased him to this point. Because he needs to get better. He needs to get right. For himself, and for many others.

Royals’ Dayton Moore says club educates players about use of alcoholAugust 30, 2017 By Rustin Dodd/KC Starhttp://www.kansascity.com/sports/mlb/kansas-city-royals/article170136072.html

In the months after Yordano Ventura died in a car crash on a mountainous road in the Dominican Republic, the Royals sought to educate their players on the dangers and risks involved with being a professional athlete.

The mission was not new. The Royals have preached awareness on sensitive and important issues for years, bringing speakers to spring training, meeting in small groups and discussing topics such as alcohol abuse, drinking and driving and the use of pornography.

“We’ve done a lot of leadership stuff with our players,” Moore said Tuesday, two days after starting pitcher Danny Duffy was cited for driving under the influence. “(We’re) very transparent about things that happen in our game, not only with drugs and alcohol. We talk about pornography, and the effects of what that does to the minds of players and the distractions, and how that leads to abuse of — domestic abuse — to abuse of women. How it impacts relationships — we talk about a lot of things. And I don’t mind sharing with you.”

For more than 20 minutes on Tuesday afternoon, Moore answered questions from reporters on Duffy’s incident, which took place Sunday evening in Overland Park. For another 20 minutes following the press conference, he remained on the bottom floor at Kauffman Stadium, discussing at length the problems that can afflict young ballplayers.

“They have a gift to perform athletically,” Moore said. “It doesn’t mean they’re a perfect person. And there’s no need to protect the fact that mistakes are made, and we should be doing everything that we can to assist in the stability and the balance of our athletes.

“These guys grow up playing the game that they love to play. They have the freedom and the choices of manhood. But oftentimes, they don’t have those responsibilities. Because we don’t allow them to have those responsibilities. We do a lot for them, because we want them to compete every single day at the highest level against the best of the best. And we want to protect them from different ills of society, so they can go out there and do what we love to do and celebrate what they do on the field.

“So do I think we should constantly look at ways to help improve the character and help mold and shape our players? I do.”

Duffy, who is on the 10-day disabled list, delivered a two-minute statement on the incident Tuesday afternoon. Moore said the organization would let the legal system play out and gather all the relevant facts before commenting further on Duffy’s behavior.

“When those types of situations happen, I’m not interested in any alibis,” Moore said. “I’m not interested in any excuses. It will run its course. It will run its course and the facts will come out at the appropriate time.”

Duffy’s arrest comes just seven months after Ventura was killed in a single-car accident while driving in the early-morning hours in his home country. It remains unclear if the accident was related to alcohol or other substances. His toxicology report was not released to the public.

“I take this personally when our players fail off the field,” Moore said. “I take it personally. And we should examine that very strongly as an organization.”

MINORSBinford, Offense Carry Chasers to 9-3 WinOmaha win 2nd consecutive Nashville contest behind solid offense & pitchingAugust 30, 2017 Omaha Storm Chasershttps://www.milb.com/storm-chasers/news/binford-offense-carry-chasers-to-9-3-win/c-251351908/t-196093384

Christian Binford pitched 7 strong innings, 6 Storm Chasers had multiple hits, and Omaha defeated Nashville 9-3 on Tuesday night at First Tennessee Park.

The Storm Chasers scored a quick run in the 1st, as Billy Burns singled, went to 2nd on a sacrifice bunt by Raul Mondesi , advanced to 3rd on a single by Jorge Soler , and scored when Frank Schwindel hit into a fielder's choice.

Omaha added a 2nd run in the top of the 4th. Frank Schwindel doubled, moved to 3rd on a wild pitch, and scored when Hunter Dozier hit a shallow popup that was dropped by shortstop Franklin Barreto. It was 2-0.

After stranding the bases loaded in each of the first 2 innings and leaving 7 runners on base through 3 frames, Nashville scored twice in the bottom of the 4th. Jaff Decker singled, Jake Smolinsky was hit by a pitch, and both runners advanced on a deep fly out by Josh Phegley. Franklin Barreto then atoned for his error with a 2-run single, tying the game at 2-2.

The Chasers regained the lead in the top of the 5th on a walk to Billy Burns and a 2-run homer by Jorge Soler. It was Soler's 22nd home run in 71 games with Omaha this year.

Sounds starter Daniel Mengden (L, 2-4) went 5 innings, allowing 4 runs (3 earned) on 8 hits, with 3 strikeouts and 1 walk.

Omaha made it 6-2 in the 6th inning against reliever Logan Bawcom. Terrance Gore hit a 1-out single and stole 2nd base, Corey Toups walked, Billy Burns reached on an error, and Raul Mondesi plated Gore and Toups with a double.

Omaha broke it open with 3 more in the top of the 7th against Bawcom. Cam Gallagher and Hunter Dozier singled, and after a fielder's choice, Terrance Gore beat out a potential double-play for an RBI fielder's choice, scoring Gallagher for a 7-2 lead. Billy Burns followed with a 2-run triple, and it was 9-2.

Christian Binford (W, 6-10) pitched through the 7th inning for the Chasers, limiting Nashville to 2 runs on 5 hits. He struck out 6, and worked around 5 walks.

Chris Carter reduced Omaha's lead to 9-3 with a solo homer in the bottom of the 8th. Yender Caramo worked 1.2 innings, and Eric Stout recorded the final out to close down the Chasers' 3rd win in their last 4 games.

The Chasers continue the series in Nashville tomorrow night. Omaha's starter is to be determined, while Nashville will start RHP Zach Neal (3-8, 5.29). First pitch is scheduled for 7:05.

Drillers Get Record-Setting Win, Move Back Into FirstTulsa tops Northwest Arkansas 9-3 for its 14th straight home victoryAugust 30, 2017 Tulsa Drillershttps://www.milb.com/drillers/news/drillers-get-record-setting-win-move-back-into-first/c-251362128/t-196093322

The Tulsa Drillers opened their final homestand of the season in a big way Tuesday night at ONEOK Field. The Drillers defeated Northwest Arkansas 9-3 for their 14th straight home victory, matching the all-time Tulsa professional baseball record for most consecutive home wins. More importantly, the victory moved Tulsa back into a first-place tie with Springfield atop the North Division standings of the Texas League.

The Drillers climbed into the first-place tie thanks to 5-1 Arkansas victory over the Cardinals. Tulsa and Springfield have identical 40-24 second-half records with only six games remaining in the season. The two teams will close the regular season with a three-game series at ONEOK Field.

Tulsa has not lost a game at home since July 19. The 14 straight wins matches the record set by the Tulsa Oilers in

1968, a squad managed by Hall of Famer Warren Spahn and considered by many to be one of the greatest teams in Minor League Baseball history. The streak keeps new Drillers manager Scott Hennessey undefeated at home.

The offensive production began early in Tuesday's game with the two teams trading runs through the early innings. Tulsa opened the scoring in the bottom of the first inning as Errol Robinson led off by hitting the first pitch from Emilio Ogando for a ground-rule double. Yusniel Diaz followed with another two-base hit to score Robinson with the game's first run.

The Naturals answered in the top of the second. Ryan O'Hearn led off with a base hit against Tulsa starter Andrew Sopko. He scored on a two-out single by Parker Morin to tie the game at 1-1.

The Drillers went back in front in the bottom half of the inning courtesy of Sean O'Connell. The catcher, who just came off the disabled list earlier in the day, belted just the second home run of his professional career to make it 2-1.

Tulsa made it three straight scoring innings with another run in the third. Blake Gailen walked with one out and moved to second on a ground out. Erick Mejia delivered the big, two-out hit when he lined a pitch from Ogando into left field, plating Gailen to give Tulsa a two-run lead.

The offensive output from the Drillers continued in the fourth inning. Texas League Hitter of the Year Matt Beaty doubled home Robinson and Diaz. Kyle Garlick followed with his 15th home run of the season to increase the lead to 7-1.

Tulsa's streak of scoring innings ended in the fifth, but the offensive output continued in the sixth. With two outs, a pair of throwing errors from the Naturals led to two runs crossing the plate, giving the Drillers a 9-1.

The Naturals added two runs of their own in the eighth to complete the scoring.

Diaz led a 14-hit attack for the Drillers, finishing 4-5 with a pair of doubles. Mejia contributed three hits and Garlick two.

It was plenty of support for Sopko. The right-hander allowed one run in five innings to get his third straight win and improve his record to 5-6.

Tulsa will look to run its win streak to 15 straight games in Wednesday's second game of a four-game series. The pitching matchup will feature Mitchell White (0-1, 3.13 ERA) for the Drillers against Corey Ray (6-11, 5.20 ERA) of the Naturals. Starting time is slated for 7:05 p.m. at ONEOK Field.

Blue Rocks and Wood Ducks PostponedWilmington and Down East to Play Doubleheader on WednesdayAugust 30, 2017 Wilmington Blue Rockshttps://www.milb.com/blue-rocks/news/blue-rocks-and-wood-ducks-postponed/c-251273558/t-196097164

The game between the Wilmington Blue Rocks and the Down East Wood Ducks for Tuesday, August 29, 2017 has been postponed due to rain. The game will be made up as

part of a doubleheader on Wednesday, August 30, 2017 beginning at 5:05 p.m. with gates opening at 4:30 p.m. Tickets for the Tuesday, August 29 game can be exchanged for Wednesday's doubleheader or for any home game within one (1) calendar year.

The Blue Rocks will be having German Heritage Night, presented by Unique Image, on Wednesday night. The Italian Heritage Day presented by Botto's Sausage will be rescheduled for the Sunday, September 3 against the Lynchburg Hillcats.

Wilmington will send RHP Jared Ruxer (5-5, 3.58 ERA) to the mound in the first game while LHP Cristian Castillo (7-11, 3.99 ERA) will start the second game of the doubleheader. Fans can listen to the game as Matt Janus, Cory Nidoh and Jack Keffer will have the call on 89.7 WGLS-FM.

Augusta rallies in ninth for 7-6 winAugust 30, 2017 Lexington Legendshttps://www.milb.com/legends/news/augusta-rallies-in-ninth-for-7-6-win/c-251369646/t-196097274

The Augusta GreenJackets rallied with four runs in the ninth inning for a 7-6 win over the Lexington Legends Tuesday night at Whitaker Bank Ballpark. A two-out, two-strike single by Sandro Fabian drove in the tying and winning runs.

A first-inning solo homer by Jean Angomas gave Augusta the early lead, but Lexington's Michael Gigliotti led off the bottom of the first with a homer to tie the game.

The GreenJackets took a 2-1 lead in the second inning on a bases-loaded walk to Michael Bernal, but Legends starter Ofreidy Gomez worked out of the inning with no further damage.

A single by Kelvin Beltre and a double by Bernal gave Augusta a 3-1 lead in the top of the fourth, but the Legends took charge with five runs in the bottom of the fourth. A walk to Khalil Lee and singles by Emmanuel Rivera and Gabriel Cancel loaded the bases. Meibrys Viloria delivered a two-run double to right field, tying the game at 3-3 and sending Cancel to third base. After Manny Olloque struck out, Angelo Castellano hit a sacrifice fly to center field, scoring Cancel with the go-ahead run. Marten Gasparini's double scored Viloria, and Gasparini later came home on a single by Gigliotti, giving the Legends a 6-3 margin.

That score held until the top of the ninth. Ashford Fulmer led off with an infield hit, and former Legend Carlos Garcia followed with a home run to right field, cutting the lead to one at 6-5. Dunston grounded out, but Angomas bunted for a hit. Angomas broke for second as Skyler Ewing took ball four, but Viloria threw to second, and the ball went into center field for an error, allowing Angomas to reach third. Johneshwy Fargas pinch-ran for Ewing and stole second base. Jose Vizcaino Jr. flied out to center field before Fabian lined a single to right, scoring Angomas with the tying run and Fargas with the eventual winner.

Patrick Ruotolo (4-2), got the win. He entered the game at the start of the eighth inning retired six consecutive batters, striking out five.

Legends reliever Matt Wynne (3-4) took the loss.

Lexington's Vance Vizcaino had two hits, extending his hitting streak to 15 games.

The Legends will close out the home season with a doubleheader against Augusta Wednesday evening. The first of two seven-inning games will begin at 5:35 p.m.

Support for victims of Hurricane Harvey: The Legends are giving back one dollar for each ticket issued to Wednesday's double header. Volunteers from the American Red Cross will also be at the game to collect money at the gates as fans enter Whitaker Bank Ballpark. In addition, the Legends are also donating five dollars for every Legends hit, walk, and stolen base during the double header.

Raptors Overcome Rough Start to Sweep ChukarsOgden rallies back from two deficits to take sixth of seven against Idaho FallsAugust 30, 2017 By Andrew Haynes/Ogden Raptorshttps://www.milb.com/raptors/news/raptors-overcome-rough-start-to-sweep-chukars/c-251390792/t-196096844

The Ogden Raptors entered Tuesday night with a chance to sweep the Idaho Falls Chukars after two straight wins. They had fallen short of a four-game road sweep in Idaho, and after the top of the third it appeared a second shot would fall by the wayside.

The Chukars jumped on Raptors right-hander Carlos Felix for a run after the first two batters in the first inning and picked up three more in the third when they loaded the bases with no one out.

Ogden tied the game in the bottom of the fourth. Kevin Lachance hustled for a double on a line drive to the outfield. Donovan Casey and Rylan Bannon walked to load the bases and with two out, Romer Cuadrado came up with a clutch single to right field to bring in the hosts' first two runs. Brayan Morales was next, and his line drive up the middle was knocked down by Idaho Falls' second baseman but trickled into center field. Cuadrado, who had moved to second base after his hit, scored behind Bannon to tie the game.

The tie didn't last long, as Felix was knocked out of the game after two walks and a single loaded the bases opening the fifth. Devin Hemmerich wasn't able to keep the three inherited runners from scoring, and Idaho Falls took a 7-4 lead.

Luis Paz was 0-for-2 when he stepped up to start the home half of the fifth. He didn't miss a 1-1 pitch, launching his 15th home run of the season to right-center to bring Ogden within two. Cuadrado then started a rally with a single to left, and Morales replicated the feat and advanced to second on the throw to third.

Gersel Pitre, who had lined the ball into an out his first time up, was jammed but saw a bloop fall into shallow right-center as both runs scored to tie the game.

In the bottom of the sixth, Mitchell Hansen blasted his 6th home run of the season to give the Raptors a lead for good. Ogden added a run in the seventh when Cuadrado was hit by

a pitch, stole second and advanced to third on a throwing error by the catcher, and a Pitre single brought in the run.

Miguel Ureña pitched the last two innings for his team-leading sixth save.

Ogden now has a three-game lead with 11 to play in the second half over both Orem and Grand Junction after the Rockies smashed the Owlz, 18-8.

The Raptors and Owlz begin four straight games against each other Wednesday night. The first two were scheduled to be played in Orem, but because of field conditions at the Home of the Owlz, Lindquist Field will host all four. Ogden will be designated the visiting team in the first two games and be the home squad for the second pair.

Royals Hold Off Pirates in SlugfestMarquez, Atencio each pick up four hits in 13-12 winAugust 30, 2017 By Matt Krause/Burlington Royalshttps://www.milb.com/b-royals/news/royals-hold-off-pirates-in-slugfest/c-251368080/t-196097136

The Burlington Royals opened their final series of the 2017 season with a road victory over the Bristol Pirates by a 13-12 final.

Burlington (28-38) raced out to a six-run lead after just half an inning. 3B Oliver Nunez led off with a single and stole second, and CF Cal Jones doubled him home. Jones took third on a flyout to right field, and scored on an RBI single from LF Reed Rohlman . A single by C Jesus Atencio and a walk to SS Jeison Guzman loaded the bases. 2B Jose Marquez singled home Rohlman to push the lead to 3-0, and 1B Benji Cash kept the line moving with a two-RBI double, and Marquez scored the inning's final run on a sacrifice fly from RF Jose Sanchez .

Bristol (16-48) nearly overcame the deficit in the bottom of the first inning alone. SS Melvin Jimenez hit a one-out single, and advanced to third on a double from 3B Ben Bengtson . DH Huascar Fuentes hit a two-RBI double to put Bristol on the board, and cutting the Royals' lead to 6-2. C Paul Brands drew a walk to put two aboard, and LF Matt Diorio followed by blasting a three-run home run.

The score held at 6-5 until the bottom of the fifth, when Bristol tied the game. RF Luis Benitez and Jimenez drew consecutive walks to begin the inning, and Bengtson reached on an error to load the bases. After a strikeout, Fuentes lofted a sacrifice fly to drive in Benitez.

The Royals were quick to respond in a big way. Five Burlington runs came across in the top of the sixth, an inning that began on a Marquez solo home run. Cash followed with a walk, After Sanchez singled and Nunez walked, the bases were loaded. RF Seuly Matias hit an RBI groundout to plate Cash and make the score 8-6. Rohlman drew a walk to re-load the bases. Atencio drove in two runs on a two-RBI single, putting Burlington into double digits and ahead 10-6. Rohlman came in to score on a wild pitch for the inning's final run.

Burlington pushed the lead to six runs an inning later, when Sanchez hit a two-out single, stole second, took third on an error and scored on an RBI single from Nunez.

A necessary 13th run scored in the ninth. Guzman and Marquez hit consecutive singles to open the ninth, and Cash walked to load the bases. Sanchez hit a sacrifice fly to score Guzman and make the score 13-6.

Bristol staged an incredible rally in the ninth, nearly coming back to earn a win. Jimenez, Bengtson, and 1B Kyle Watson each walked to load the bases, and a hit by pitch to Fuentes scored Jimenez. C Paul Brands hit a sacrifice fly to make the score 13-8, with Bengtson scoring. Watson scored on an error to trim the lead to four, and Fuentes trotted home on an RBI single from 2B Nick Valaika. Diorio, who had reached on the error, and Valaika each scored on a two-RBI single by Jimenez. Royals RHP Luis Alcantara induced a flyout from Bengtson, and Burlington held on for a 13-12 win.

Eight Royals notched a hit in the game. Marquez and Atencio had four hits apiece, and Nunez recorded three hits. Burlington finished the night with 17 total hits.

The series continues on Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. RHP Sal Biasi (2-2, 2.75) starts for the Royals. The game can be heard at www.bristolpiratesbaseball.com.

NATIONALIt's time for MLB to institute a DUI policyAugust 30, 2017 By Jeff Passan/Yahoo Sportshttps://sports.yahoo.com/time-mlb-institute-dui-policy-040514410.html

Every time a Major League Baseball player is charged with driving under the influence, it’s a reminder that baseball, the sport that has lost more players to intoxicated accidents than any, has no formal policy regarding DUIs. For a sport that laments each burial of its own and vows to change, it’s an unconscionable duplicity, a breach of responsibility from the league and players’ association that together could do with action what mere words never will.

Suspending players for operating vehicles under the influence of alcohol or drugs will not end the scourge of such dangerous behavior. The cocktail of money, privilege, entitlement and opportunity is too strong to purge completely. Anything to give players another reason to reconsider their actions, though, would be a step in the right direction, an easy way to turn moralizing prattle into potentially substantive deterrence.

The latest DUI came Sunday, when suburban Kansas City police cited Danny Duffy in a Burger King parking lot, barely eight months after his friend and teammate, Yordano Ventura, died in a car accident in the Dominican Republic. While the toxicology report on Ventura was not released, his death followed that of Jose Fernandez, which followed that of Oscar Taveras, which followed that of Josh Hancock, which followed that of Tim Crews and Steve Olin. Each died

in an accident involving alcohol or drugs. Dozens more minor leaguers have lost their lives in crashes.

Duffy was lucky. He suffered only the embarrassment of his actions, for which he apologized Tuesday. The Royals could pursue discipline against him, though the likelihood of them doing so – and courting a fight with the Major League Baseball Players Association, which undoubtedly would contest any suspension – is infinitesimal. No matter how disappointed Royals general manager Dayton Moore was, no team would pick a protracted fight against one of its core players.

Which is the sort of thing that screams for a league-wide policy to inure teams from the personal responsibility of doing what’s right. If that sounds absurd, it is. That it happens to be the reality of baseball’s situation is proof MLB and the union need to address this issue in the same manner they did domestic violence.

Originally, the union blanched at a domestic-violence policy of any kind, fearful the inclusion of off-the-field behavior in discipline would open a Pandora’s box to sanctioning all off-field conduct. It hasn’t. On the contrary, baseball’s domestic-violence policy is seen as relatively fair and representative of both parties, proof that when MLB and the union work toward making their game better and safer, all can benefit.

This is not some sort of an invitation for MLB to turn into the NFL, where Roger Goodell metes out punishment as though the league is his banana republic. Even though the domestic-violence policy has behooved baseball, the union still fears the idea of a DUI suspension paving a slippery slope for other discipline. What, then, would prevent the league from pursuing a suspension when a player gets into a bar fight or shoplifts?

The concern is valid. Despite the coming quarter century of labor peace, mistrust exists between the union and MLB. At the same time, DUI is so universally reviled, and baseball’s history with it so unfortunate, that anyone trying to conflate that crime with something more petty and less potentially injurious to others would face rightful pushback.

DUI suspensions would go a little of the way toward righting baseball’s discipline imbalance, too. An 80-game suspension for performance-enhancing drug use, a 40-or-so-game suspension for domestic violence and no discipline whatsoever for driving drunk or boating high? Major League Baseball’s priority may laser in on the integrity of the on-field product, but the disregard for how its most visible employees conduct themselves while operating multi-ton hunks of metal is unacceptable.

Moore, the Royals’ general manager, agrees. “That warrants a lot of discussion, truthfully,” he said. Two other GMs said essentially the same. And if there is even the slightest groundswell, the question then becomes: Who, exactly, is against this? If MLB really were to press the issue publicly – if commissioner Rob Manfred were to say he believes the league needs a DUI policy with the rigor to match its domestic-violence policy – would union head Tony Clark be able to push back against that in a convincing enough fashion to satisfy not just the public but a membership that has seen so many deaths?

Perhaps the talk of suspension sounds better than the reality. After all, players still use PEDs, and that’s with an 80-game ax hanging over their heads. The prospect of, say, 15 games for a DUI conviction or no-contest plea may not be enough to

affect any change at all. But for a sport that breeds this bubble of privilege to have not even the slightest lever in place to discourage them from ignoring the rules that still exist outside of it is wrong, and it’s irresponsible, and it’s tacit approval for the actions killing young men they know and love.

Baseball can’t stop DUIs and it won’t stop DUIs. Maybe it can put more behind it than empty words to show how much it cares.

MLB TRANSACTIONSAugust 30, 2017 •.CBSSports.comhttp://www.cbssports.com/mlb/transactions

TEAM PLAYER TRANSACTION

Atlanta

Braves

David

FreitasPurchased From Minors

Atlanta

Braves

Jason

Hursh

Called Up from Minors,

(recalled as 26th roster

player)

Atlanta

Braves

Tyler

Flowers

Placed on 10-Day DL,

(Left wrist contusion)

Atlanta

Braves

Enrique

Burgos

Designated for

Assignment

Cleveland

Indians

Ryan

MerrittCalled Up from Minors

Cleveland

IndiansDan Otero

Placed on Paternity

Leave List

Cleveland

Indians

Shawn

Armstrong

Called Up from Minors,

(recalled as 26th roster

player)

Baltimore

Orioles

Donnie

HartSent to Minors

Baltimore

Orioles

Dylan

Bundy

Reinstated from

Bereavement/Family

Medical Emergency List

Boston Red

Sox

Steve

SelskyOutrighted to Minors

Boston Red

Sox

Matt

Barnes

Sent to Minors, For

Rehabilitation

Kansas City

RoyalsBrian Flynn

Placed on 10-Day DL,

(Strained left groin)

Kansas City

Royals

Eric

SkoglundCalled Up from Minors

Los Angeles

AngelsEric Young Purchased From Minors

Los Angeles

Angels

Yunel

Escobar

Sent to Minors, For

Rehabilitation

Los Angeles

AngelsBud Norris

Placed on 10-Day DL,

(Right knee inflammation)

Los Angeles

Angels

Huston

Street

Transferred to 60-Day

DL, (Right adductor/groin

strain)

Los Angeles

Dodgers

Cody

Bellinger

Sent to Minors, For

Rehabilitation

San Diego

Padres

Dillon

Overton

Designated for

Assignment

San Diego

Padres

Dusty

ColemanSent to Minors

San Diego

PadresMiguel Diaz

Removed From 60-Day

DL, (Strained right

forearm)

Texas

RangersJoey Gallo

Removed from 7-Day DL,

(Concussion)

Texas

Rangers

Tanner

ScheppersOutrighted to Minors

Texas

RangersRyan Rua Sent to Minors

Texas

Rangers

Drew

StubbsReleased

Toronto Blue

JaysTJ House Outrighted to Minors

Toronto Blue Leonel Sent to Minors

Jays Campos

Toronto Blue

Jays

Brett

AndersonPurchased From Minors

Toronto Blue

Jays

Norichika

AokiReleased

Washington

Nationals

Ryan

Raburn

Transferred to 60-Day

DL, (Left trapezius strain)

Washington

Nationals

Trea

Turner

Recalled From Minors,

Rehab Assignment

Washington

Nationals

Trea

Turner

Removed From 60-Day

DL, (Fractured right wrist)

Washington

Nationals

Adrián

SanchezSent to Minors