Crown points

• After an 8-20 finish in May, the Royals bounced back with their best June record since 2008 at 16-11. In the four years since, the Royals had gone 46-61.

The Royals pitching staff finished the month ranked second with a 3.04 ERA, second with a .236 opponents' batting average and third in wins. The bullpen led the American League with nine wins and ranked second with a 2.41 ERA.

The offense heated up, too, finishing June ranked fifth in the league in batting average behind big months from Mike Moustakas and Eric Hosmer. Moustakas bottomed out at .177 on June 9, but has batted .323 since entering Tuesday. Hosmer batted .303 in June and has six home runs in his last 16 games after hitting just one homer in his first 223 at-bats.

• The Royals will be giving away an exclusive KC Stars & Stripes Cap on Wednesday to the first 10,000 fans in celebration of Independence Day. Fans will also be treated to fireworks after the game against the Indians.

On Thursday, the Royals and Indians will be sporting a similar design on the field to honor veterans. The caps as well as other Stars & Stripes gear will be available for sale with all proceeds going to the Welcome Back Veterans fund, which is an initiative that raises awareness and provides support for veterans as they transition back into civilian life.