DETROIT _ On a recent day inside the Royals' clubhouse, Ian Kennedy found himself immersed in a conversation about pitching with teammate Chris Young. As they retraced the season and shot the breeze, discussing the good and the bad, the broad and the minute, Kennedy pondered a relevant thought.
"Just imagine how much better our ERAs would be if we just cut out homers in half," Kennedy said.
For both Kennedy and Young, it's a tempting exercise. As the Royals opened a three-game series at Comerica Park on Monday, Kennedy had surrendered an American League-leading 27 homers, while Young was right behind at 26. Together, they had allowed more than 50 blasts in baseball parks across America, waging a modern battle akin to Mantle and Maris _ only not as fun. So, yes, the numbers would certainly look better if the home run rates were slashed.
You want tangible proof? Consider Kennedy's last four starts.
On Monday night in Detroit, Kennedy continued a masterful run of success, allowing just one run in 6 2/3 innings as the Royals edged the Tigers 3-1 at Comerica Park. The victory propelled Kansas City (58-60) to another road victory and gave Kennedy his first win since June 26 against the Houston Astros. The performance capped the best four-start stretch of Kennedy's season.
In his last 26 innings, Kennedy has allowed just three earned runs, lowering his ERA to 3.78. In the same span, he has surrendered just two solo homers, his finest stretch of the season in that department.
Monday was not perfect, of course. Kennedy allowed his only run when Detroit's J.D. Martinez smashed a solo homer in the bottom of the seventh. But if there is something Kennedy has learned over his long career, it is this. Solo homers won't kill you. But a large number of base runners can. With that in mind, Kennedy has been quite stingy since a start at Texas on July 30.
As Kennedy cruised, the Royals improved to 3-1 on the road trip, pulling within five games of the second-place Tigers.
Kansas City won despite scoring just one earned run against Tigers starter Daniel Norris, who lasted 5 1/3 innings. It was enough.
Eric Hosmer opened the scoring with a sacrifice fly in the first. Rookie Raul Mondesi added another RBI on his fourth bunt single since being called up in July. Lorenzo Cain tacked on a crucial insurance run with an RBI single in the ninth.
Kennedy had exited after surrendering a single to Case McGehee with two outs in the bottom of the seventh. Royals manager Ned Yost summoned right-hander Peter Moylan to face the right-handed hitting James McCann, who promptly singled into the hole at shortstop.
With runners at first and second, Tigers manager Brad Ausmus opted for pinch-hitter Mike Aviles, the former Royals infielder. Moylan escaped the jam by coaxing a pop fly on the infield.
The Royals' bullpen finished the job over the final two innings.
