The Royals' Bullpen Is A Disaster Zone, And One Pitcher Makes It Even Worse

Holy smokes, did you catch the Yankees and Royals opener on Monday? Talk about a gut punch for Kansas City! The Yanks somehow rallied for a 4-3 victory after squandering an early 2-0 lead, with Anthony Volpe delivering a clutch two-run single in the ninth. New York's Jazz Chisholm Jr., who scored the winning run and is absolutely tearing it up lately hitting .425 in his last 11 games, nailed it when he said, "We never quit, we never give in. We needed to win that game." And boy, did they ever, extending their dominance to a mind-boggling 12 straight wins over the Royals, a streak that goes all the way back to Game 2 of the 2024 AL Division Series!

Cam Schlittler Is In A League Of His Own

If you haven't been paying attention to Cam Schlittler, you need to start now. This dude is legit! He's rocking a 6-2 record with a ridiculous 1.50 ERA, which is the lowest in all of Major League Baseball among qualified starters. Think about that for a second. Over his past seven starts, the right-hander has given up only seven runs, five of them earned, and opponents are batting a paltry .182 against him. Yeah, he took a tough 2-1 loss to Toronto on Wednesday, where he gave up eight hits and two runs over six-plus innings. He was "frustrated" after that one, even with his seventh quality start of the year, but said he'll "continue to improve each start." What a competitor! He already shut down the Royals once this season on April 17, giving up only one unearned run on three hits and striking out six over six innings.

Kansas City's Nightmare Just Keeps Getting Worse

Look, the Royals came into this series on a 1-10 skid before winning two games, but the Yankees poured salt in the wound on Monday. And now, their pitching staff is in absolute shambles. Both Cole Ragans and Kris Bubic are out dealing with elbow issues, which means Kansas City is staring down what's probably going to be a bullpen game on Tuesday night. And leading that charge? Bailey Falter. This guy has an 0-1 record with a cringe-worthy 9.82 ERA, and he's slated to make his second straight appearance as an opener. Last Tuesday against Boston, he got shelled for two runs, three walks, and four hits in just two innings during a 7-1 loss. His career numbers against the Yankees are even worse, sitting at 0-1 with a 14.14 ERA. Yikes!

The Royals tried to fight back on Monday. Bobby Witt Jr. smashed an eighth-inning solo homer to break a 2-2 tie, and he's hitting a solid .305 with three dingers and 10 RBIs in 27 games against New York. Salvador Perez even tied Royals legend George Brett for most home runs at Kauffman Stadium with his 136th blast. But even with three of his nine homers coming in his last eight games, Perez is still only batting .215 on the season. And let's not forget, Witt, Perez, and Maikel Garcia went a combined 0-for-8 with a walk and three strikeouts against Schlittler earlier this year. Tough look for the Royals offense too!

What's Next: Can Anyone Stop The Yankees?

It's Tuesday night, and the Yankees are eyeing their 13th straight win against Kansas City. With Schlittler on the bump and the Royals' bullpen in absolute disarray, it's gonna be an uphill battle for KC. Can their struggling offense pull off some magic, or will the Yankees keep rolling? You definitely don't want to miss this one, folks!

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.