Young says results better than stuff
MINNEAPOLIS -- Royals right-hander Chris Young is very careful when evaluating his performances.
For example, Young said after both of his recent starts in which he gave up 10 runs in 11 innings that he really didn't think the results matched how well he threw.
Strangely, that's exactly how Young felt after throwing 6 1/3 hitless innings in a 2-0 win over the Twins on Tuesday night.
Young said he didn't feel that much differently than he did in his previous two outings.
"They hit some balls hard," Young said. "The results were probably better than I pitched. They hit some balls hard early that could have been hits. I learned from Greg Maddux to evaluate just on how you threw the ball."
And while Young thought he pitched a little better against the Twins than in recent starts, it wasn't by leaps and bounds.
Video: KC@MIN: Young dominates, allows one hit through 6 1/3
"Fastball command was good," he said. "I could locate down and I was able to elevate. For most pitchers, fastball command is paramount. The last couple starts maybe I didn't have that command. That's baseball."
Catcher Salvador Perez thought Young perhaps backed off his out pitch, his slider, and threw more fastballs.
"He was in the strike zone all the time," Perez said. "The fastball was good."
Even Young's final fastball, the one that Trevor Plouffe hit off the right-field wall for a triple to break up the no-no bid, wasn't a bad pitch.
"It was elevated a little," Young said. "He's a great hitter. He shortened his swing. I got behind in the count. I challenged him and I was lucky he didn't hit it out."
With Plouffe on third and one out, Royals manager Ned Yost went to his bullpen and summoned left-hander Franklin Morales to help get out of the jam.
Young agreed. And he wouldn't speculate on how long he could have stayed in the game to hunt the no-hitter.
"I felt good. But it's a moot point," Young said. "With our bullpen with the tying run on, it's an easy call."
Young finished with three walks and two strikeouts.
"We're trying to win games," Young said. "I don't get into hypotheticals. The game dictated that Franklin came in and he did a good job. Ned made the right call."