Gil Meche started but struggled, giving up four runs in five innings but the team got solid outings from former starter Zack Greinke and rookie reliever Joakim Soria, who has been outstanding in his debut season for the club. Cleveland starter C.C. Sabathia struggled as well as the youthful Royals had no problem getting hits off of him, amassing 11 in his seven innings pitched. The Tribe made a charge against Meche after being down 5-0, but they couldn’t pull it off against the strong Royals bullpen.
One of the big stars for the Royals was outfielder Billy Butler, who has been on fire as of late. At only 21 years old, Billy Butler is still a very young ball player and only in his rookie season. He’s sure not playing like a rookie though with the recent hot streak he’s been on.
When the Royals beat the playoff-contending Cleveland Indians on Saturday, Butler found himself right in the middle of the action as per usual, and highly instrumental in the win (despite getting nailed for wandering off third). With a 3 for 5 outing and 2 RBI, the kid from Orange Park, Florida is fighting his way into the AL Rookie of the Year debate.
Over his past 11 games, Butler has gone 16 for 39 for an average of .410, raising his previous average from .268 to .315, and his OBP from .288 to .347. The power numbers are coming too, with Butler hitting 2 homers and 11 RBI during this stretch.
Butler’s strike out to walk ratio isn’t all that impressive yet, mainly because he doesn’t walk much, not because he strikes out too often. He does provide some badly needed pop in the middle of the Royals lineup though, and should team with Alex Gordon, to give the Royals a strong 1-2 punch the in the heart of their lineup for years to come.
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