LDN - Sports

Angels protesting Royals' win

[July 28, 2016] KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The Kansas City Royals ended a rough 3-6 homestand with a victory on Wednesday night. Or did they?

The Los Angeles Angels protested the Royals' 7-5 victory, which included Raul Mondesi's first two big league hits, which led to four runs thanks to a pair of throwing errors.

The Royals scored four runs in the seventh inning, Mondesi's bunt single starting the key play. Angels pitcher Matt Shoemaker committed a throwing error on the bunt, scoring Alex Gordon and Paulo Orlando, who each had three hits.

Jarrod Dyson tripled home Mondesi and scored on an Alcides Escobar sacrifice fly.

Angels manager Mike Scioscia, however, said Mondesi was running inside the line, which caused Shoemaker's throw to hit him.

"It was very clear," Scioscia said. "Phil Cuzzi, the home plate umpire, had Mondesi running inside the line in jeopardy the whole way, and stated that it's OK because he was stepping back toward the bag, which is wrong. It's only OK if you start in the lane and step back toward the bag. You are in jeopardy the whole way if you run inside, whether you get to the bag or not.

"The question wasn't if the throw impeded him or he impeded the throw. It wasn't if he was running inside. It's what I believe is his misinterpretation of the rule, given the guidelines that he gave me. There's no judgement involved. He admitted that (Mondesi) was inside the line. In Phil's head he wasn't in jeopardy because he was stepping toward the bag, which is wrong. That's the basis of the protest.

"I would not have protested if I was not 100 percent correct on this. This is a misinterpretation of a rule."

Scioscia said Mondesi should have been called out and the runners would be brought back to first and second.

"I hit him, but it was also a terrible throw," Shoemaker said. "I don't want to get involved in that because I don't know the rule."

Naturally, Royals manager Ned Yost disagreed with Scioscia's view.

"It was pretty confusing what was going on," Yost said.

Scioscia was on the field for several minutes conferring with the four umpires, who in turn put on the headsets for another 6 minute, 15 second delay with nothing changing.

"It was the umpire's judgement that he wasn't out of the line," Yost said. "I went back and looked at the video and he was right on the line. You can't protest a judgmental call."

Yost then read from the rulebook to back his case.

In the eighth, Mondesi's infield single knocked in Gordon, and reliever Jose Alvarez's throwing error on the play allowed Orlando to score.

Joakim Soria (4-4) picked up the victory by throwing a scoreless seventh inning. Royals starter Danny Duffy gave up three runs in six innings.

"Every win from here on out is going to be huge for us," Duffy said. "We've definitely got to get back on the right track."

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Royals shortstop Raul Mondesi (27) bunts for a two run single against the Los Angeles Angels before ending up at third base on an error in the seventh inning at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

The Angels made it interesting with a two-run ninth off Wade Davis, who threw 33 pitches. Davis walked Albert Pujols with the bases loaded and gave up a run-producing single to Andrelton Simons.

Jett Bandy struck out with the bases loaded to end the game.

Johnny Giavotella had three hits for the Angels, while Jefry Marte stroked two doubles and drove in a run.

The Angels broke a scoreless deadlock in the fifth, which began with Duffy walking Bandy and Gregorio Petit. Giavotella, who began his career with the Royals, singled up the middle to load the bases with nobody out. Bandy scored when Yunel Escobar, who had five hits Tuesday, grounded into a double play.

Shoemaker retired the first 13 batters he faced before Salvador Perez drilled a double to right-center in the fifth inning. Gordon, who had been 3-for-24 on the homestand, singled to right, advancing Perez to third. Orlando's ground-rule double to left-center drove in Perez to tie the score.

Shoemaker (5-11) gave up five runs on eight hits in six innings.

NOTES: With the Royals losing six of seven entering Wednesday night, manager Ned Yost called a team meeting before the game. "I felt like they were pressing a little bit. Just relax," Yost said of his message in the brief meeting. The players have some anxiety, he said, because several Royals are being mentioned in trade speculation stories. "They don't want to see anybody leave that room," Yost said. "They want to see us all continue to stay together." ... Gregorio Petit started in left field for the Angels, his first professional game in the outfield. ... Angels OF Shane Robinson, who went on the disabled list July 6 with a right ankle sprain, begins a minor league rehab assignment Thursday with Inland Empire in the California League. ... The Angels return home Thursday to face the Boston Red Sox, who will start LHP David Price. RHP Jered Weaver will be on the mound for the Angels. ... The Royals open an eight-game trip with the first four at Texas. RHP Yordano Ventura starts Thursday against Rangers LHP Cole Hamels.

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