KANSAS CITY, Mo. _ Lorenzo Cain clutched a lineup card in his hands early Sunday morning, waving it in front of his locker as a collection of teammates peered over at the commotion. The large white piece of paper featured the classic calligraphy of bench coach Don Wakamatsu. It told the story of the Royals' victory over the Twins on Friday night.
In the hours before a 6-2 victory over the Minnesota Twins in the afternoon, Cain touted the keepsake. Never before in his eight years in the major leagues had he played in every game in June. His legs always required rest. His body never cooperated. But after starting all 26 games last month, he wished to remember the milestone.
"Cake and ice cream," Cain said, smiling, his voice carrying across the room.
So there was a lineup card, the possibility of dessert, and one final gift on Sunday afternoon: His first day off since May 11. Cain's absence came as Royals manager Ned Yost fielded one of the most eclectic lineups of the season in the series finale against Minnesota. The offense savaged Twins starter Hector Santiago anyway.
Third baseman Mike Moustakas joined Cain on the bench. First baseman Eric Hosmer spent a day at designated hitter. Alex Gordon started in center field for just the second time, while Ramon Torres spent his first day at third. This was all happening as left-hander Travis Wood, once an ineffective reliever, made his first start since Sept. 19, 2015.
The result was a performance straight out of the genre of Yosted _ the modern definition of the word. Shortstop Alcides Escobar finished 2 for 3 with two RBIs. Torres collected another hit and scored a run. The bottom of the order complemented a three-hit day by Whit Merrifield and two by Hosmer as the Royals clinched a series victory, beating a division rival three times in four games.
By late afternoon Sunday, the Royals (41-40) had hit the halfway point in this 2017 season. How different do things look right now? They pulled even with the Twins (41-40) for second place in the American League Central, three games behind first-place Cleveland. They ended the day just a half-game out of the second wild-card spot.
They closed out a brief _ but busy _ four-game homestand, winning their sixth series in their last seven. As they packed their belongings inside the home clubhouse at Kauffman Stadium, they were set to fly to Seattle for a three-game series before closing out the first half with three games at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles.
On Sunday, a victory offered a source of energy for the trip. Wood allowed two runs in four innings while lasting 81 pitches, his heaviest workload since May 2015, when he operated as a swing man on the pitching staff of the Chicago Cubs.
Wood moved to the bullpen full time in 2016, helping the Cubs to a World Series championship. But he signed with the Royals in February in part because the organization offered the opportunity to start.
Wood failed to win a job in the rotation in spring training, and he headed to the bullpen. His first months in Kansas City were forgettable. His April was a disaster. His May wasn't much better. But when injuries struck the rotation, and a series of young pitchers faltered, the Royals had a need. They turned to Wood, who had logged 9 1/3 straight scoreless innings in his last seven appearances.
On Sunday, he offered four solid innings, receiving help from some splendid defense by Jorge Soler in left field. Wood began to tire in the fifth, finally allowing a walk. Still, his stamina was impressive. Wood threw just 11 pitches in his last outing. He hadn't thrown more than 33 since June 4.
Once Wood departed, the bullpen applied the clamps. Scott Alexander escaped a bases-loaded jam in the fifth and lasted two innings. Peter Moylan pitched a scoreless seventh, handing the baton to the back end.
