Sweep of Tigers completes fifth straight win
The Royals finished off a three-game sweep of Detroit to push their win streak to five, even as the roster keeps turning over around them.
Loftin's four hits close out the sweep
Tigers5-2Tigers3-1Tigers11-7Kansas City closed out a three-game sweep of the Tigers, winning 5-2 on August 21, 3-1 on August 22 and 11-7 on August 23 to finish the homestand. The Royals are 5-0 in their last five games, having also taken two from the Athletics before Detroit came to Kauffman Stadium.
Nick Loftin went 3-for-4 with a home run and 4 RBI in the finale, and John Rave added a 2-for-3 night with a homer, 2 RBI and 2 stolen bases. Kyle Isbel chipped in a 2-for-4 game with 3 RBI and a steal of his own as Kansas City piled up 11 runs to close the series.
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The winning streak has come alongside a roster shake-up. The Royals released reliever Scott Barlow, according to MLB Trade Rumors, and are likely to place Maikel Garcia on the injured list, per the same outlet. Outfielder Starling Marte, designated for assignment on August 17, was released three days later, MLB Trade Rumors reported.
Kansas City also optioned reliever Lucas Erceg, per MLB Trade Rumors, thinning a bullpen that has otherwise carried the club through this run. None of it has slowed the team on the field — the five straight wins have all come with this same roster in flux.
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The Royals are in Toronto tonight, where Seth Lugo takes the mound against Max Scherzer. Lugo is 5-7 with a 4.71 ERA and was a no-decision in his last start, allowing 5 earned runs on 9 hits over 6 innings against the Athletics. Scherzer has struggled all year at 1-6 with a 7.40 ERA, and was tagged for 7 earned runs in just 4 innings in a loss to Tampa Bay his last time out. Jac Caglianone, dealing with an ankle issue, is not in the Royals' lineup for the series opener.
Toronto is favored at home, and the total reads as middling given two rotations that have each had trouble missing bats lately. For the number to hold, either Lugo has to find the form that made his last outing an outlier or Scherzer's recent line proves more representative than his record — and either would keep the scoring from tilting too far in one direction.