Major League Baseball: Kansas City Royals
CHICAGO Outfielder Brett Phillips has only played four games in a Royals uniform. Manager Ned Yost prefers to take more time to gather his impressions.
But Phillips, the main player the Royals targeted in last weeks trade of Mike Moustakas to the Brewers, commanded attention from the first day he strolled into the Royals outfield. And on Thursday afternoon, after the Royals lost a 6-4 game to the White Sox, Yost sat in his office at Guaranteed Rate Field and offered a glowing review.
I like what I see from that kid, he said.
The latest installment of Phillips Royals indoctrination featured a diving snag in center field that robbed Yolmer Sanchez of a bloop hit in the sixth inning.
But the play that will be remembered for much longer involved a 100-mph strike to the plate in the fifth inning that allowed catcher Salvador Perez to tag out White Sox outfielder Leury Garcia at home. Phillips jogged to his left from his post in center field as he tracked a fly ball off the bat of Tim Anderson. Phillips pulled up about 222 feet away from home, according to MLBs Statcast system, and stationed himself for the out.
It was deep enough for a sacrifice that would have put the Royals at a 2-0 deficit. But Phillips wasnt willing to concede the run. As he pulled the ball out of his glove with his right hand, he drew momentum from a hop and unfurled a throw that bounced once on the infield grass, right into Perezs waiting glove for a double play.
That was really interesting to me, Yost said. I was like, OK, give this a shot. I want to see, I want to see what develops. He played it perfectly. … He knows what hes doing out there.
Phillips stunning defense allowed rookie starting pitcher Brad Keller to limit the damage against him to just two runs in 6 1/3 innings.
Thats what gets me the most pumped, is when I throw a guy out, Phillips said. Its not a home run. Its that. Because seeing the look on a pitchers face, you saved him a run. Thats what its all about, just helping those guys out on a daily basis.
Four days ago, Phillips wandered around the visiting clubhouse at Yankee Stadium, asking his new teammates whose bat he could borrow in his Royals debut. His had been lost in transit, stranded somewhere at Newark Airport in New Jersey during a hectic Saturday. He might have felt like a freeloader if he hadnt made a leaping grab at the wall to rob an extra-base hit Sunday and proven to the strangers in the Royals clubhouse he was worthy of their trust.
Phillips has had no trouble endearing himself in the days that followed. He earned his first Salvy Splash on Tuesday night when he clubbed an insurance-providing two-run homer in the Royals 4-2 win here. He sped around the bases and scored from second on a headfirst dive into home in Wednesdays victory.
And within 18 hours, he was crow-hopping in the outfield and uncoiling his right arm for an on-target throw to Perez in the fifth inning. He came off the field to find some of his teammates hanging outside the dugout, waiting to trade fist bumps and glove taps on the way off the field.
Theres no doubting Phillips has found his way into their good graces.
That was an absolute rocket, Keller said. I was standing right there, and I saw it coming in and I was like, Oh, hes hosed. That was a hell of a play he made. Even the next inning, a diving play. (Hes) just unbelievable out there.
