Noah Cameron’s final start of the season unraveled quickly for the Royals, and Cleveland made sure the left-hander paid for every mistake. Cameron was tagged for seven runs, six of them earned, over five innings as Kansas City’s weekend opened on a rough note.
“I made some bad pitches,” Cameron said. “Some tough plays, which happens, since it’s baseball.
But yeah, I think it just got out of hand a little bit there. Just need to make better pitches in big spots.”
There was much better news elsewhere in the lineup, and Carter Jensen kept adding to a rookie season that already sits in rare air. Jackson Stone at MLB.com wrote that Jensen’s two home runs on Friday pushed him to 61 and 62 extra-base hits for the year, moving him past Piazza’s 61 for the most by a rookie catcher in MLB history since at least 1947.
Jensen’s 27 home runs are already a franchise record for a Royals rookie, and his five RBIs on Friday marked a career high in a single game. He delivered those five RBIs in three at-bats, tying the game each time.
“To me, that means the hard work’s starting to pay off. But understanding that this year for me personally has been a lot of growth, on the field and off the field as a person and as a player,” Jensen said.
“Not letting it stop there is the biggest thing. Just continue to keep climbing and keep putting my best foot forward each day.”
Friday also brought a milestone for a Royals institution. Denny Matthews is set to call his 8,000th game on Friday night against the Guardians at Kauffman Stadium, and he’s been in the booth for every single one. After counting 86.6% of the total possible scorebooks in Royals history, it was discovered that Matthews reached that mark with the upcoming broadcast.
“I don’t think I’ve really accepted that yet. It’s still just a number, and maybe when the season is over and I start thinking about that, it’ll take on a little different tone,” Matthews said. “But that’s a lot of foul balls.”
The Royals also have a clubhouse honor to point to, with Stone reporting that Bobby Witt Jr. became the team’s nominee for the Roberto Clemente Award.
And as the season winds down, Matt Carroll at Just Baseball wrote that Kansas City has found its core this year. The final weekend of games arrives with the Royals still supplying plenty to watch, even as the calendar turns toward what comes next.
In Other News...
Royals Waste A Special Night Fans Wont Soon Forget
Denny Matthews reached a remarkable milestone at Kauffman Stadium on a night built for appreciation, calling his 8,000th career game in the ballpark where he has long been part of the Royals identity. The organization marked the occasion with signage, fan tributes and a salute from the dugout, turning a regular home date into a celebration of one of the most familiar voices in franchise history.
Carter Jensen helped give the evening real juice, with the rookie catcher launching two home runs and setting a rookie catcher record for extra-base hits. But the Royals could not finish the job, as the bullpen surrendered five runs in the ninth inning in a 12-9 loss to the Guardians, leaving a special night with a sour ending. [Read more 🡒]
Carter Jensen Is Turning Royals Rookie Of The Year Talk Real
Carter Jensen has gone from intriguing call-up to one of the most compelling stories on the Royals roster, and the production has been loud enough to make the Rookie of the Year conversation feel more and more legitimate. The rookie catcher has piled up milestones at a pace that is rare for any player, let alone one handling the demands of catching while also spending time in the leadoff spot.
Jensen has already set the franchise mark for home runs by a rookie and moved past Mike Piazza for the most extra-base hits by a rookie catcher since 1947, all while leading Kansas City in RBIs. He also sits near the top of the American League rookie leaderboard in several offensive categories, which leaves the Royals with a pretty interesting question as the season goes on: how far can this kind of two-way workload carry him, and how much noise can he make in the awards race if it keeps up? [Read more 🡒]
Bobby Witt Jr. Has An MVP Problem Royals Fans Will Hate
Bobby Witt Jr. has put together the kind of season that usually puts a player squarely in the MVP conversation, with his value showing up in every corner of the game and his WAR placing him among the American Leagues best. For Royals fans, though, the frustration is familiar: the award race is never just about how good a player looks in isolation, and Witts brilliance has been unfolding on a team that has not stayed in the playoff picture.
The problem is the same one that tends to haunt players in Kansas City and elsewhere when the MVP discussion gets serious. Shohei Ohtani and Aaron Judge are again setting the standard at the top of the ballot, and history usually favors either the player with the louder statistical edge or the one attached to more team success. Witt has done his part, but the path to the trophy is crowded, and it leaves the Royals waiting for the broader recognition his season deserves. [Read more 🡒]