KANSAS CITY, Mo. The Royals have a new normal.
It wont feature Alcides Escobar, whose franchise-record and majors-leading 421-start streak came to an end Sunday afternoon at Kauffman Stadium.
It wont feature starting pitcher Jason Hammel, who was moved to the bullpen after allowing 23 runs on 28 hits in 12 innings over a span of three starts.
And for the next week, it wont even feature starter Jakob Junis, who was supposed to start Sunday but was placed on the disabled list because of stiffness in his lower back.
As they lost to the Red Sox 7-4 on Sunday and dropped their ninth game in a row, the Royals new normal featured 2013 first-round draft pick Hunter Dozier at third base, base, veteran Mike Moustakas showcasing his skills at first base for a second day in a row and Adalberto Mondesi making a second consecutive start at shortstop.
Mired in a slump so all-encompassing that the Royals have lost 27 of 31 games, manager Ned Yost sat in his office three hours before rookie Heath Fillmyer threw the games first pitch and forced laughter from a group of reporters. He used the made-up word scientifical in multiple references to the end of Escobars streak and deadpanned his way through questions about the future of the rotation.
Then Yost sobered and admitted its time for the Royals to turn the page.
I dont want to lose 115 games, he said. I dont like losing nine games in a row. Its not fun doing that. It wears you out. But the thing that kind of keeps me going and my coaches going is I dont pay attention to the record. Im looking at the progress of the (Brad) Kellers, Mondesis, Doziers, (Rossel) Herreras, (Jorge) Bonifacios, Timmy Hill, (Glenn) Sparkman now, Burch Smith. How are we coming with these kids that we may want to continue to move forward with? Whos going to be pieces of it when we get to be in a spot where we can compete again? Thats the focus and thats what were looking at right here.
The Royals took their first steps in that direction against Red Sox starter Rick Porcello, who allowed nine hits, including a two-run double to Bonifacio and an RBI single to Mondesi, and three runs while striking out nine in seven innings.
Later, Whit Merrifield capped a career-best 5-for-5 day with an RBI single off reliever Tyler Thornberg in the ninth.
On the mound, Fillmyer tossed 4 1/3 innings and allowed four runs on eight hits. Sparkman, whose contract was purchased before Sundays game to shore up the taxed bullpen, gave up three runs in 1 2/3 innings.
The results still werent what the Royals, who fell to 25-64 on the season, wanted. But they offered a glimpse of what could be.
Ive been really proud of how these guys have gone about their business everyday, Yost said. Theyre playing hard. Theyre not being very productive, but theyre playing hard and theyre playing with energy and theyre playing with enthusiasm. And thats all you can ask right now and hope that somewhere down the road we can get over the hump with some production and win some games.
