2016 Kansas City Royals discussion

[1972Shocker]

The Royals picked up a badly needed 5-2 win over the Tigers today getting a quality start from Yordano Ventura and in a good sign Wade Davis picked up the save coming on with 1 out in the 9th and striking out both batters he faced.

The Royals are 4 game out of a wild card spot.

[AndShock]

Who knew that the bullpen would be turning into such an issue?

[ShockdaWorld]

SoriASS needs to find a new job.

[Cdizzle]

SoriASS needs to find a new job.

He has the right job.

I just liked him a lot better when he held the position for the opposition.

[ShockdaWorld]

Man on third, no outs, does not score. Next inning, man on third, one out, does not score. Nobody even cares if you get a base hit. Just put the damn ball in play other than a pop up that can't make it past first base.

[ShockdaWorld]

Thank god for Gore to score from second. This leaving guys on third **** is getting old.

[ShockTalk]

KC has 36 games left. They have 5 teams ahead of them and 1 tied going for a playoff spot and are 5 games out of the 2nd spot. Out playing 1 team and climbing over 4 others that far back would take a lot of help that's not under their control.

I'll quote myself as a reference point back when the Royals had 36 games left.

Now they are a third of the way through those games with 24 left and have gained almost nothing going 7-5. They've picked up only 1 game on the second playoff spot being 4 games out, but still have 4 teams ahead of them. Just too many teams that win more than they lose ahead of them.

The National league has come down to 3 teams for the 2 playoff spots....Giants, Cardinals, and Mets. All 3 are within 1.5 games of each other. Even though the Mets are currently #3 in that group, they have the easiest remaining schedule by far and will most likely get one of those 2 spots. Over their last 23 games, 20 are against teams with losing records including 6 with the Braves and 3 with the Twins, the 2 worst teams in baseball. The Giants and Cards have a 4 game set with each other plus the Giants have 6 against the Dodgers and the Cardinals have 6 against the Cubs. I have no idea how that will end. The Cards have had a ton of injuries, both with position players and pitchers, and other key players are having some of their worst years yet they'll still in the hunt.

[WuShock16]

I'll quote myself as a reference point back when the Royals had 36 games left.

Now they are a third of the way through those games with 24 left and have gained almost nothing going 7-5. They've picked up only 1 game on the second playoff spot being 4 games out, but still have 4 teams ahead of them. Just too many teams that win more than they lose ahead of them.

What the Royals do have going for them at the moment is a soft portion of the schedule. They are in the midst of a 14-game stretch, playing at Minnesota and Chicago before coming home to play Oakland and Chicago. They already have two wins against Minnesota and can get the sweep tonight. If they can go 11-3 in this stretch (finish sweep in Minnesota, go 2-1 in Chicago, go 3-1 in both series back in KC), I bet their spot in the standings will look a lot better.

Get back to me on the evening of September 19 (day game that day) and we'll reassess.

[ShockTalk]

What the Royals do have going for them at the moment is a soft portion of the schedule. They are in the midst of a 14-game stretch, playing at Minnesota and Chicago before coming home to play Oakland and Chicago. They already have two wins against Minnesota and can get the sweep tonight. If they can go 11-3 in this stretch (finish sweep in Minnesota, go 2-1 in Chicago, go 3-1 in both series back in KC), I bet their spot in the standings will look a lot better.

Get back to me on the evening of September 19 (day game that day) and we'll reassess.

Playing games with the schedule, the Royals do have the easiest remaining games. So, if I assume the Royals split the tougher games and give them the win if an odd number of tough games and win 3 out 4 of the easier games, giving the Royals the first 3 of 4 games as wins, they end up with an 89-73 record.

For the other teams on tougher games, I give a split, but loss if you have an odd # of games left and on easier games they also win 3 of 4, but I give a loss on the 2 game of 4 or less.

Results:
Toronto 90-72 (17 tougher games, 7 easier games)
Boston 90-72 (20,4) one of these teams wins the division, the other is the top wild card.
Baltimore 90-72 (16,8) other wild card
Royals 89-73 (9,15)
Houston 89-73 (11,13)
Detroit 89-73 (13,11)
New York 86-76 (18,7)

The easier schedule gets the Royals in the discussion, basically because so many other teams have tougher schedules, some real tough, but I also favored the Royals over all the other teams in splits. They win 5 of 9 tougher games, Detroit loses 7 of 13 tougher games. In the easier games, the Royals lose the 4th of game of every 4, other teams lose the 2nd of every 4.

They still need to do better than 17-7 and/or at least 3 of the other 5 do worse. Long odds.

[WuDrWu]

One certainly has to be creative or overly optimistic to see the Royals in the playoffs without going at least 24-11 down the stretch. Just too many teams ahead of them.

This also has a 17-7 finish, which I think will leave them on the outside looking in, by a game or 2. Time to get white hot or make tee times.

[ShockdaWorld]

SoriASS strikes again. When will Ned pull his head out of his ass and stop expecting this guy to remember how to be a quality major league pitcher?

[jazztrane]

Yep I know the bullpen is short right now but he's got to put Soria in the innings-eater-in-a-blowout category and use anyone else but him in close games. I think the Royals would be on a 10 game win streak right now without Soria. :(

I don't want to count them out but its getting slimmer and slimmer with these close games they can't afford to lose. Their only chance may come down to staying close then sweeping CLE and DET the last 9 win the Central.

[Cdizzle]

Soria. Apparently still under contract with Detroit.

[DUShock]

Soria. Apparently still under contract with Detroit.

[ShockdaWorld]

Worst part was Ned trying to defend him after the game. He has 8 losses. Second most of any reliever in the major leagues. I believe they said that out of the last 11 games he's entered with a lead, they've ended that inning without a lead in 8 of them. That's not something you can defend away. The guy's stuff is nonexistent anymore. Hell, last year's Shockers would be scoring on this guy.