The Kansas City Royals might be sitting on the top of the AL Central, but they certainly didn’t look like it on Memorial Day. In fact, they looked like the old Royals before last year’s World Series appearance thanks to Jeremy Guthrie's unbelievably bad start.
Guthrie only recorded three outs during his start, leaving in the second inning and giving up 11 runs, including four home runs. Three of them were three-run shots. As Sports Illustrated points out, the Yankees were up 5-0 before he even got his first out.
It looked like the damage might be minimized when Guthrie got two outs, but then he hit Didi Gregorius, which just kept the inning alive. Brett Gardner his his second three-run homer of the inning. A few batters later, Mark Teixeira struck out, ending the inning.
By the time Guthrie sat down on the bench, Yankees starter Nathan Eovaldi got the Royals down in order with only eight pitches. Guthrie went back on the mound and things just got worse. After giving up a third three-run homer - this one to Stephen Drew - Guthrie’s outing was finally over.
Guthrie wound up allowing 11 runs, the most for any MLB pitcher since July 10, 2014, when the Rangers’ Colby Lewis gave up 13 to the Angeles. Guthrie ended with just one full inning pitched, since he got no one out in the second. He’s just one of three starters in MLB history to give up 11 runs in an inning or less.
“Just didn’t have it,” manager Ned Yost told the Kansas City Star. “One of those days.”
The Yankees went on to win the game 14-1. After Guthrie left the game, Brandon Finnegan, Franklin Morales, Greg Holland and Jason Frasor pitched the remaining innings.
Jason Vargas will try to help the Royals put this behind them today, when he pitches against the Yankees’ Adam Warren.