The last-place Royals annihilated the Pirates, 11-0, to complete a three-game sweep in Kansas City. It was the fifth time the Pirates had been swept in a series this year. They now have a 2-15 record against the American League.
Chad Kuhl’s start was a fiasco. He was all over the place, opening the game with a four-pitch walk and never finding the plate. In two and a third innings, Kuhl walked six and threw only 31 of 70 pitches for strikes. He gave up three walks and four runs in the first, got through the second with the help of a caught stealing, then retired only one of the first six batters in the third. Nick Tropeano relieved with the bases loaded and let all three runners score. Kuhl was charged with nine runs in all. Why Derek Shelton left a severely struggling pitcher in so long when he has a ten-man bullpen is one of baffling issues that comes up every day with the management of this team.
Apart from Tropeano’s failure to strand any of Kuhl’s runners, the bullpen did OK with all the garbage time. They allowed two runs over five and two-thirds. Most of that was covered by Tropeano and Dovydas Neverauskas, who each allowed a run. Oddly, Pirates’ pitchers fanned 15 for the game.
Ben & Derry’s offense put in its usual non-appearance. Brad Keller threw the complete game shutout for the Royals, allowing just five hits and a walk. There just isn’t anything else to say. This is a very, very bad team.
