KANSAS CITY -- The Royals secured two wins out of the All-Star break, only to see it all crumble again in Sunday’s 19-2 loss to the Padres at Kauffman Stadium, another reminder of the challenges this team has faced all season long.
Noah Cameron allowed seven runs on nine hits in five innings, continuing a rough stretch for the left-hander. The game got completely out of hand when the Padres batted around in the eighth inning off relievers Beck Way and Lucas Erceg, and again in the ninth off position player Tyler Tolbert.
“You’re having a [position player] throw the ninth inning, so it stinks for everybody to be out there in that situation,” manager Matt Quatraro said. “You never want to be in that spot, but that’s the spot we put ourselves in.”
With a lineup that didn’t include Bobby Witt Jr., who is dealing with minor back tightness, nor Vinnie Pasquantino, whose playing time will be managed as he makes his way back from last month’s hamate bone injury, the Royals managed just two runs on eight hits. One was Jac Caglianone’s no-doubt solo home run in the first inning, a Statcast-projected 432-foot moonshot that gave the Royals an early lead.
Cameron quickly coughed that lead back up in a four-run second inning for the Padres. The Royals really only had one more opportunity to get back in the game when they loaded the bases with no outs in the fourth inning, only for Carter Jensen to strike out and Nick Loftin to hit into an inning-ending double play.
“I feel like I let the team down a lot,” Cameron said. “Obviously, coming into today trying to get a sweep. Come out, that first inning is good, but after that, things kind of went downhill.”
It’s been a particularly rough stretch for Cameron. In seven starts since June 13, he’s allowed 31 runs in 35 innings, good for a 7.97 ERA. He’s allowed five runs or more in four of his last five starts since June 24. There’s been different reasons for his struggles, but command and pitch execution are atop the list.
Following a rookie season in which he posted a 2.99 ERA across 24 starts, there was some expectation that Cameron would endure a few more bumps in his sophomore season. That tends to be normal across the league as hitters adjust.
But Cameron has yet to make the adjustment back. He could probably use a reset; he’s quickly approaching his Major League career-high in innings, hitting 100 2/3 for the season on Sunday after logging 138 1/3 innings last year. But the Royals are so challenged with their depth that they need Cameron to continue to eat innings.
Another pitcher hit the injured list Sunday in Stephen Kolek, who had already been away from the team for an extended time and is now dealing with a right flexor strain.
With the injuries to Cole Ragans (UCL repair) and Kris Bubic (right shoulder soreness), the Royals are already dipping into their depth with the Major League rotation. But pitchers that they thought they could rely on this year when those injuries happened are also hurt, including Kolek, Ryan Bergert (Tommy John surgery), and even prospect Ben Kudrna (stress fracture in right elbow).
They’re relying on rookie Luinder Avila for far more innings than they’d like to in his first full season in the big leagues and as a starter. Randy Dobnak, who wasn’t even in the organization at the beginning of June, is now occupying a full-time spot in the rotation.
So, they need Cameron to pick up innings right now, and he understands that.
“We’re banged up,” Cameron said. “Obviously, I’m throwing a lot of stressful innings. It’s been tough. But realistically, I just have to stay healthy and keep throwing innings, and hopefully things will decrease numbers-wise and I can have some good outings. Try to stay healthy as much as we can. We obviously need it.”
The Royals do want to rely on Cameron, now and in the future. They saw how effective he can be last year, so the focus is getting him back to that version of himself. Otherwise, days like Sunday and stretches like this one can spiral even more out of control.
“He’s also had some really good stretches in games where he’s shown that he can eat innings and he can be really effective,” Quatraro said. “We want him to pitch. He’s good, and he’s had a couple of tough games, but we need him.”