This time, Danny Duffy escaped the first inning unscathed. He even finished the second inning. But a slight improvement over his last start still was shaky, with Duffy failing to finish four innings during Kansas City's 8-2 loss to the Rangers on Monday night.
Duffy -- who recorded just three outs in his last start against Cleveland -- was looking to rebound with a strong showing against Texas. It did not happen. Instead, he was left out on the field to absorb innings and take his lumps to save the Royals' bullpen.
Duffy gave up six runs on five hits while also tying a career high with six walks. The Rangers sent nine batters to the plate in the second inning, when they scored four runs. Duffy recorded a clean third inning before Adrian Beltre knocked him out with a two-run homer with two outs in the fourth.
His last two starts have marked the first time in Duffy's career that he's failed to complete four innings in consecutive starts in the same season. Duffy, who the Royals are counting on to be their No. 2 starter, now carries a 5.67 ERA, 1.710 WHIP and 4.05 walks per nine innings.
3 UP
• Pino eats innings. Royals right-hander Yohan Pino delivered 3 1/3 much-needed innings out of the bullpen. He relieved Duffy in the fourth and danced in and out of trouble through his next three innings. He threw a season-high 63 pitches and saved a bullpen desperately in need of a day off.
Pino walked two and gave up three hits in his outing, but also struck out five. The lone Rangers run against came via Thomas Field's solo home run in the seventh inning.
• Hosmer extends hitting streak. Eric Hosmer extended his hitting streak to a season-high eight games with a leadoff double in the seventh inning. He has extra-base hits in six of the eight games and has posted a .324/.343/.676 slash line in that span.
Hosmer has played in all 32 games for Kansas City and leads the team in both home runs and RBIs.
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• Moustakas returns. Third baseman Mike Moustakas returned to the Royals' lineup on Monday after three days on the bereavement/family emergency list. Moustakas went 0 for 3 with a walk in his first game back.
To make room for Moustakas on the roster, Kansas City optioned Orlando Calixte to Triple A Omaha.
3 DOWN
• Lewis baffles Royals. Rangers starter Colby Lewis continued his surprising start with seven innings of one-run ball against the Royals. Lewis' ERA now sits at 2.40, just one season after he owned a 5.18 figure.
Lewis entered Monday evening with a 1-4 record and 6.35 ERA against Kansas City, his lone victory coming all the way back in 2003. He picked up his second win against the Royals, though, by allowing just three hits and striking out five.
• Moustakas thrown out. Moustakas was chopped down at home in the fourth inning, attempting to score on Kendrys Morales' single to center. The out denied the Royals a run and cut short Kansas City's scoring chance.
Morales' single drove in Alcides Escobar for Kansas City's first run of the night, while Moustakas' tally would have cut the Texas lead to two. But the Rangers scored two runs in the bottom half of the fourth, opening a five-run lead.
• Escobar wears one. Escobar became the latest Royals hitter to be hit by a pitch when Lewis plunked Escobar on the hands in the sixth inning. It was the 25th time a Kansas City batter has been hit by a pitch and the second of the season for Escobar. He was hit in the head April 29.
The Royals have not gone longer than four straight games without a hit batsman this season and have now been hit in three consecutive contests.
WHAT'S NEXT
Edinson Volquez will pitch Tuesday night, one start after exiting after just three innings because of a blister on the inside of his right thumb. Volquez labored through Thursday's outing, walking six hitters and giving up three runs in three innings. After the game, he said the blister affected his grip of all his pitches, but that it shouldn't affect him for his next start.
Texas will send Nick Martinez to the hill against Volquez. Martinez is also coming off his shortest outing of the season, giving up three runs in 4 2/3 innings, allowing his ERA to jump from 0.84 and 1.47. Martinez has never faced Kansas City, and the only Royal who has seen him is Morales (1 for 6).
You can follow Matthew DeFranks on Twitter at @MDeFranks or email him at matthew.defranks@gmail.com.
