All good things must come to an end, and after 3 straight championship game appearances (and 2 trophies), the Royals failed to even have a winning record, finishing the Spring 6-13 and knocked out in the first round.
If you're in town for the Fall 2017 opening day game (10am 9/10/2017 at San Fernando High School), come see Marcel Patterson Jr receive his plaque for winning the 2017 AAA MVP award - just the second Royal in 15 years to claim the award! Be there a few minutes before game time (around the same time Marcel shows up) for the festivities!!!
Congratulations go out to All-Stars Marcel Patterson Jr (AAA-division MVP, team leading 27 runs, 26 hits,1 home run, 11 walks and 23 stole bases) and Kyle Tillack (team leading .434 average, 8 doubles, 5 triples and 16 rbis.) Other stat leaders included Rick Valdez (1 home run), Mike Miller (16 rbis), Ryan Elliott (3 hit by pitches and 2 sacrifices), and Randy Casey Jr (33.1 innings pitched and 26 strikeouts.) Good luck to Jake Romo and Kyle Tillack as they move on to the Arizona desert (UofA and ASU respectively) - we'll hold a roster spot for you when you come back!
Royals Swept in Playoffs
After a tough regular season, the Royals entered the playoffs as the #7 seed, taking on the #2 Regulators in a 3-game series. Having lost both regular season meetings, this didn't bode well for the boys in royal blue.
Game 1 featured Randy Casey Jr on the mound for the Royals. The Regulators got to him early, scoring 4 in the 2nd and 3 more in the 4th, taking an early 7-0 lead.
The Royals' bats woke up in the top of the 5th, as Ryan Elliott led off getting plunked, Michael LaCafta walked, and Daniel Kahn reached on a fielder's choice. Jake Romo grounded out to plate LaCafta, and Marcel Patterson Jr reached on an error, allowing Kahn to score.
In the top of the 6th, Chris Dyer singled and took second on a passed ball. Mike Miller's 1-out ground out brought home Dyer and cut the lead to 7-3. But that was as close as the Royals would come, and the Regulators put up 4 late runs to clinch game 1 11-3. Casey Jr went the whole way, allowing 10 hits and 6 walks while striking out 2.
Game 2 was the Chris Dyer show. Normally the closer, Dyer wanted the ball after hearing a little too much talk about his eligibility in game 1. The Regulators put up 2 quick runs against him in the first before the Royals came to the plate.
In the bottom of the first, Dyer reached on a 1-out error and moved to 3rd on Jason Bolding's single. Mike Miller walked to load the bases, and Ryan Elliott singled home Dyer. Daniel Kahn brought home 2 more on an error, and the Royals led 3-2.
Both pitchers went on cruise control for a few innings, with the score still 3-2 heading into the bottom of the 6th. With 1 out, Jason Bolding reached on an error, and Mike Miller followed with a single into left center. Ryan Elliott doubled home Bolding, and Daniel Kahn singled home both Miller and Elliott. After 6 innings, the Royals led 6-2.
Unfortunately, the wheels fell off the bus at this point. After Dyer recorded 2 outs on 4 pitches in the top of the 7th, an astounding 15 straight batters reached base before the 3rd out was recorded, and the Regulators took a 14-6 lead.
The Royals weren't ready to throw in the towel, as the bottom of the lineup came up big. Jake Romo walked and swiped 2 bags. Pinch hitter Phillip Gerber walked, and Marcel Patterson Jr singled home Romo. Both Gerber and Patterson Jr scored on errant throws, and the Royals cut the lead to 14-9.
Jake Romo came in for the 8th, but was met with more offense as the Regulators put up 5 more runs to drive the final nails in the Royals' season. The game ended after 8 innings (and more than 3 hours), with the Regulators moving on 19-9.
Pitching
Game 1:
Randy Casey Jr - CG, L, 8IP, 11R (6ER), 10H, 2K, 6BB
Game 2:
Chris Dyer - L, 6.2IP, 10R (6ER), 12H, 5K, 3BB
Jose Amezola - .1IP, 4R (0ER), 2H, BB
Jake Romo - 1IP, 5R (4ER), 3H, BB
Batting (combined)
Ryan Elliott - 3-7, 2B, R, 2RBI, HBP
Daniel Kahn - 2-7, 2B, R, 2RBI
Marcel Patterson Jr - 2-8, R, RBI
Jason Bolding - 2-8, 2R, SB
Chris Dyer - 2-8, 2R
Mike Miller - 1-7, 2R, RBI, BB
Justin "Juice" Born - 1-1
Jake Romo - 0-4, R, RBI, 2BB, 4SB
Michael LaCafta - 0-5, R, BB
Phillip Gerber - 0-0, R, BB
Jose Amezola - 0-1
Vivek Sarabu - 0-2
Greg Falk - 0-3
Randy Casey Jr - 0-3
Rick Valdez - 0-4
Royals End Regular Season with Loss
In the final game of the regular season, the Royals hung with the Lugnuts until the end, falling 10-7 after a late rally.
With both teams having already locked in their playoff seeding, everyone was sure to get some play time on each roster. Jake Romo took the hill in his final regular season game before heading off to the University of Arizona, lasting 2 innings and allowing 7 runs on 6 hits and 5 walks. Randy Casey Jr relieved and threw 2 innings of scoreless relief, and Chris Dyer following with a scoreless inning of his own. Ryan Elliott allowed 2 runs in 1 inning, and Kyle Tillack closed things out throwing his first (and only) inning as a Royal, allowing 1 run in his final game before heading off to ASU.
Offensively, things were quiet until the 4th. With 1 out, Marcel Patterson Jr singled, swiped second and scored on a Kyle Tillack double. At this point, the Royals trailed 7-1.
Fast forward to the top of the 7th, with the Royals trailing 9-1. With 1 out, Jake Romo was hit by a pitch and took second on a wild pitch. He advanced to third on a ground out, and scored on Vivek Sarabu's first career rbi - a line drive single to right center! Marcel Patterson Jr walked, and Kyle Tillack drove both runs home on a triple. He'd score soon after by stealing home. Chris Dyer walked, and Rick Valdez and Jason Bolding followed with back-to-back singles, with Bolding's knocking in Dyer. Mike Miller followed with a single down the right field line to knock in Valdez's pinch runner - Justin "Juice" Born, who ran through the stop sign to cut the score to 9-7.
Unfortunately for the Royals, that's as close as they'd make it, and time expired before their offense could put anything else together.
Congrats on a great season to the Lugnuts, who roll into the playoffs as the #3 seed. The Royals go in as the #7 seed, facing off next weekend with the Regulators.
Pitching
Jake Romo - L, 2IP, 7ER, 6H, 5BB, K, HBP
Randy Casey Jr - 2IP, 0R, 2H, BB, 2K
Chris Dyer - IP, 0R, 2K
Ryan Elliott - IP, 2ER, H, 2BB
Kyle Tillack - IP, ER, 3H, BB, K
Batting
Kyle Tillack - 2-3, 2B, 3B, R, 3RBI, 2SB
Marcel Patterson Jr - 1-2, 2R, BB, SB
Rick Valdez - 1-2, R, BB
Jason Bolding - 1-3, RBI
Mike Miller - 1-3, RBI
Michael LaCafta - 1-2, R (first hit as a Royal!!!)
Daniel Kahn - 1-3
Greg Falk - 1-3
Vivek Sarabu - 1-1, R, RBI (first RBI as a Royal!!!)
Chris Dyer - 0-1, R, 2BB
Ryan Elliott - 0-3
Manoj Chitabathina - 0-1
Randy Casey Jr - 0-2
Phillip Gerber - 0-1
Jake Romo - 0-0, R, HBP
Justin "Juice" Born - 0-1
Royals Fall Apart Late, Lose 15-3 to Berzerkers
Their postseason spot more or less locked up, the Royals batted their entire lineup and hung in through 5, trailing only 4-1 before the Berzerkers' bats came to life and put this one away.
Chris Dyer started for the Royals and struck out 5 in 2 innings of no-run work. Randy Casey Jr fought with his control, striking out 7 before hitting 4 batters and being chased from the game trailing 7-1. Greg Falk didn't do much better, working 1.2 innings of relief, allowing 6 runs of his own. Marcel Patterson Jr pitched the final frame, allowing 2 runs before the Berzerkers walked off with the mercy.
Offensively, Greg Falk may have finally broken out of his season-long slump with 2 hits and a walk. Marcel Patterson Jr singled, walked, stole a base and scored twice, and Mike Miller had a single and 2 rbis. The only other offense for the Royals came from the most unlikely source, as cricket player Vivek Sarabu hit a line drive off the glove of the Berzerker's first baseman for his first hit as a baseball player!
Royals Clinch Playoff Spot With 14-8 Win Over Pirates
With their postseason life in the balance, the Royals came back against a surprisingly strong 8-man Pirates team to win 14-8 and clinching at minimum the 7-seed in the postseason with 2 weeks to go in the season.
Jake Romo took the hill and worked 3 innings, giving up 4 earned on 5 hits and 2 walks, striking out 3. Randy Casey Jr picked up his first win of the season in relief, throwing 3 innings and allowing 4 earned runs on 5 hits and 5 walks, striking out 4. Greg Falk picked up a 2-inning save, allowing no runs on 3 hits and a walk.
Offensively, Jason Bolding led the way with a 4 for 4 day, scoring twice and knocking in 2. He also had one of 6 doubles on the day. All star Marcel Patterson Jr had 3 hits, including a triple, and Kyle Tillack, Rick Valdez, Mike Miller and Daniel Kahn each had multi-hit games (each with a double, except for all star Tillack, who had TWO doubles.) Greg Falk had the only other hit on the day. Valdez scored 3 runs, while Tillack and Miller each knocked in 3.
Royals Fall 8-5 To Mudhens
After spotting the Mudhens 5 runs in the top of the 1st inning, the Royals played catch-up all day, eventually leaving the tying run on deck in the 9th inning to lose 8-5.
Randy Casey Jr pitched well after his customary shaky first inning. He allowed just 3 unearned runs over the next 6 innings to keep the game close. Jose Amezola pitched 2 innings of scoreless relief, but the Royals offense stumbled all day by leaving 12 men on base.
Jason Bolding led the offensive charge, going 3 for 4 with 2 runs scored and an rbi. All Stars Marcel Patterson Jr and Kyle Tillack each had a single, double, a run and an rbi, and Jake Romo had a pair of singles, a run and an rbi. Mike Miller had the only other hit for the Royals as the offense couldn't string much together, scoring a single run in 5 separate innings.
Royals Break Losing Streak, Win 16-4 over Warriors
The Royals got a much needed win, coming out on top of a 16-4 route of the Warriors on Sunday.
Randy Casey Jr took the start for the Warriors, and after a shaky first inning (4 runs, 3 earned, 2 hits, 2 walks), settled down to throw 3 more innings of 0 run ball. Jake Romo and Greg Falk each threw a scoreless inning of relief.
On offense, Mike Miller broke out of his season long slump by going 4 for 4 with 5 rbis. All Stars Marcel Patterson Jr and Kyle Tillack each scored 4 runs in the victory, with Patterson Jr also hitting an inside-the-park home run - his first home run as a Royal.
With the win, the Royals magic number to clinch a playoff berth is down to 1. Over the next 4 games, any Royals' win or Warriors' loss will send the boys in royal blue back to the postseason for the 6th straight season.
Royals Fall Again, 16-3 to Team Easton
The Royals woes continue, as Team Easton scored 7 runs over the first 2 innings (4 earned) to take a commanding lead. Things started looking better after that, but the defecit was too great for the Royals to climb back. 6 walks in the 9th inning made the score look worse than the game actually was.
Recently acquired Randy Casey Jr pitched 6 innings in the loss. After a rough first where he gave up 4 earned, Casey Jr settled down to allow just 3 earned over his next 5 frames. Jose Amezola relieved and gave the Royals 2 innings of scoreless relief, including an incredible 2-5-4 double play to get out of a jam in the 8th.
On offense, it was mostly the top of the lineup that did all the heavy lifting. Marcel Patterson Jr had 2 hits and scored 2 runs, and Justin "Juice" Born got a pinch-hit single in the 8th and came around to score. Kyle Tillack had a double and a triple and knocked in all 3 runs.
Royals Losing Streak at 6
The Royals were swept Sunday in their doubleheader against the Outlaws, but the team could see improvement in two games.
In game 1, the Outlaws put up 13 runs and nearly ran away with the game, but the Royals' came back in the 9th to plate 4 runs with 2 outs and make things close, losing 13-10 (leaving the tying run on deck.) Ryan Elliott had a big game, finally breaking out of his season-long slump with a single and a triple, and nearly having another extra-base hit if not for an amazing play by the Outlaws' left fielder to end the game.
In game 2, Greg Falk pitched 6 strong innings in a losing cause, givng up 4 runs (2 earned) while striking out 6 in his first start of the season. Phillip Gerber stepped in to catch and did a great job, holding the Outlaws to no stolen bases all game. Chris Dyer was back for both games, collecting 3 hits and walking twice in his first action this year. Unfortunately, the Royals offense didn't show in game 2, and they fell 8-2.
Royals Extend Losing Streak to 4
Not much has gone right for the Royals in the last few weeks, as they were swept in a doubleheader with the Regulators, and followed that up with a big loss to the Pirates.
Without going into complete detail, the defense has been porous, the pitching has been wild, and the bats have been inconsistent.
Among the few bright spots over the past few weeks:
- Marcel Patterson Jr continues to tear up the league, collecting 5 hits and swiping 6 bags over the past 3 games. He also came in to relieve on the mound and pitched well in his lone appearance.
- Zach Sloane's bat continues to stay on fire, as he collected 5 hits over the last 3 games as well.
- Rick Valdez blasted his first home run of the year, deep to right at his favorite field (Conejo Creek.)
Changes are on the horizon, as the Royals and Blue Jays executed a rare mid-season trade last week. More details once the players involved have actually played for their new squads.
