ANAHEIM, Calif. - Randy Dobnak keeps giving the Royals a reason to think he belongs in the starting rotation.
On Saturday at Angel Stadium, he turned in another steady outing, blanking the Angels across 5 2/3 innings in a 1-0 loss. Dobnak gave up four hits, struck out six and never really let the game get away from him until the sixth.
That’s where the Angels finally nudged him into trouble. Nolan Schanuel opened the inning with a single, Zach Neto followed with a walk, and with both runners on, Royals manager Matt Quatraro went to the bullpen. New Kansas City reliever Craig Kimbrel came in and got Josh Lowe to lift a loud flyout to end the threat.
Dobnak didn’t factor into the decision, but the numbers behind the start were strong. He threw 59 of his 93 pitches for strikes and produced 46 swings with 13 whiffs, according to Baseball Savant.
The changeup was the separator, and he leaned on it heavily - 29 times in all. Half of his strikeouts came on the pitch, including the one he used to punch out Neto and close the third inning.
Since joining the Royals, Dobnak now owns a 1.73 ERA in eight appearances, six of them starts.
The problem was everything happening on the other side of the ball. Kansas City couldn’t get anything going against Reid Detmers, who matched Dobnak pitch for pitch and then some. The Angels left-hander struck out 11 over eight innings and kept the Royals to just two hits while attacking the zone all afternoon.
Detmers retired the first 11 hitters he faced before Jac Caglianone finally broke through with a two-out single for Kansas City’s first hit. Caglianone also pushed his hitting streak to 13 games. In August, he leads the majors in hits, RBIs and OPS.
By the time both starters were out, the game had become a bullpen fight. Kimbrel covered 1 1/3 scoreless innings and got help from Tyler Tolbert, who made a diving catch in center field.
But Nate Pearson couldn’t hold it in the eighth. After walking Wade Meckler to start the frame, Pearson watched Meckler steal second and score on the sequence, and Schanuel added an RBI single.
Schanuel finished with three hits.
The Royals never answered. Ben Joyce worked a clean ninth for the save, and the Angels evened the series heading into Sunday.
What’s next: Royals left-hander Noah Cameron (6-8, 4.45 ERA) will start Sunday afternoon opposite Angels right-hander Ryan Johnson (2-6, 6.71 ERA). First pitch is set for 3:07 p.m. Central Time.
In Other News...
Royals Cannot Ignore This Lineup Need If They Want To Contend
The Royals offseason checklist is already starting to take shape, and second base looks like one of the spots they cannot afford to leave untouched if they want to move back toward contention. Pitching will get plenty of attention, but the infield picture matters too, especially with Michael Massey serving as the primary option at second and showing improvement from a year ago without quite reaching the level a contender needs.
Massey has given Kansas City a clearer answer than it had before, but not necessarily the long-term one it wants. The organization has reason to keep evaluating how he fits best as it weighs upgrades for next season, and that opens the door to a bigger decision about whether he stays anchored at second or becomes part of a broader roster reshuffle aimed at raising the ceiling. [Read more 🡒]
Jac Caglianone May Be Giving The Royals What They Needed Most
Jac Caglianone kept giving the Royals the sort of middle-of-the-order production they have been searching for, and it came at the right time against the Angels. The first baseman delivered a two-run homer and later added an RBI single in Kansas Citys 7-6 win, helping snap a four-game skid while also extending his hitting streak to 12 games.
For a club trying to steady itself, the timing matters as much as the numbers, and Caglianones career-high five RBIs were a big part of why this one tilted the Royals way. Kansas City has now won four straight against Los Angeles, a small but meaningful run of success as the lineup starts to find some traction behind one of its most productive young bats. [Read more 🡒]
Royals Could Be Near A Huge Lineup Boost From Two Regulars
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For a club that can use help wherever it can find it, the encouraging part is not just that both players are on the field again, but that they are being tested in game action rather than limited to lighter work. Garcia has been building back after a left hand muscle strain, and Pasquantino is working his way through recovery from right wrist soreness, leaving the Royals with one more stretch of patience before those lineup pieces come into focus. [Read more 🡒]