KANSAS CITY ROYALS NEWS

Nicky Lopez - On base four times Sunday Lopez went 2-for-3 with a pair of walks, one RBI, a stolen base and two runs scored in Sunday's 9-1 win over the Cubs.

Impact The shortstop has taken quite nicely to batting second in the order against right-handed pitching. Lopez has slashed .361/.425/.472 with a home run, four RBI and seven runs scored in his last 10 games. He's emerged as an effective contact hitter this year with a .282 average, and he's added speed when he gets aboard by going a perfect 18-for-18 on stolen base attempts.

AUGUST 23, 2021 • ROTOWIRE

MLB Power Rankings: Giants, Dodgers proving the power lies out West

The Giants and Dodgers are setting up an epic race in the NL West. See where they land in Ben Verlander's power rankings.

AUGUST 23, 2021

Hunter Dozier - Plates two runs Sunday Dozier went 2-for-5 with a double, two RBI and two strikeouts Sunday against the Cubs.

Impact Dozier was out of the starting lineup for the first two games of the series in Chicago while he felt under the weather, but he made his presence felt Sunday when he delivered an RBI single that scored Andrew Benintendi in the first inning. He also plated the former Red Sox star with an RBI double in the fifth, giving him his first multi-hit game since Aug. 11. He's hitting .266 with a .766 OPS, two homers, seven RBI and 10 runs scored across 68 plate appearances in August, though he's also struck out 21 times in that span.

AUGUST 23, 2021 • ROTOWIRE

Royals vs Astros Prediction and Pick for MLB Game Tonight From FanDuel Sportsbook Tonight's slate of MLB games includes a clash between the Kansas City Royals and Houston Astros. Royals vs Astros Prediction and Pick Tonigh...

AUGUST 23, 2021 • FANDUEL.COM

Andrew Benintendi - Finding rhythm at plate Benintendi went 3-for-4 with a double, three RBI and two runs Sunday in the Royals' 9-1 win over the Cubs.

Impact Benintendi extended his hitting streak to eight games in his first at-bat of the afternoon in the second inning, when he reached on an infield single. He didn't let up after that, delivering a two-run double, a leadoff single and a sacrifice fly to complete a productive weekend in Chicago. During the eight-game streak, Benintendi is slashing .452/.438/.677 with a home run, four doubles, eight runs and four RBI.

AUGUST 23, 2021 • ROTOWIRE

Carlos Hernández - Silences Chicago bats in fourth win Hernandez improved to 4-1 after holding the Cubs to one run while striking out eight across seven innings Sunday in the Royals' 9-1 victory. He scattered four hits and three walks...

Impact The seven-inning outing represented a new career high for Hernandez, who brought his ERA under 4.00 for the first time all season. The 24-year-old right-hander has put himself on the mainstream fantasy radar over his last five starts, submitting a 2.05 ERA and 0.98 WHIP while striking out 22 in 30.2 innings over that stretch. He'll get a favorable landing spot in his next projected start in Seattle on Saturday, when he'll face a Mariners offense that ranks in the bottom six in the majors in batting average (.234) and strikeout rate (24.4 percent) in the second half.

AUGUST 23, 2021 • ROTOWIRE

Nicky Lopez's former coach (and infield guru) dissects the shortstop's Gold Glove-caliber plays The Royals shortstop continues to play elite defense, so we asked his influential mentor to break down some recent highlights.

AUGUST 23, 2021 • THEATHLETIC.COM

Greinke expected to start as Houston hosts Kansas City

The Astros are expected to send Zack Greinke to the mound Monday and the Royals plan to give Daniel Lynch the start

AUGUST 23, 2021 • ASSOCIATED PRESS

Hernández strikes out eight; Royals batter Cubs 9-1

Andrew Benintendi drove in three runs, and the Kansas City Royals beat the sliding Chicago Cubs 9-1 for a sweep of their weekend series

AUGUST 22, 2021 • ASSOCIATED PRESS

Kansas City Royals offense pours it on in 9-1 win to complete sweep of Chicago Cubs Andrew Benintendi had three hits and three RBIs and Carlos Hernández threw a career-best performance for the Royals

AUGUST 22, 2021 • KANSASCITY.COM

Ryan O'Hearn - Takes seat Sunday O'Hearn is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Cubs.

Impact The lefty-hitting O'Hearn will be squeezed out of the lineup against a right-hander (Alec Mills), mostly as a result of no designated hitter being available in Chicago. Hunter Dozier will pick up a start in right field, the position O'Hearn manned in the first two games of the series.

AUGUST 22, 2021 • ROTOWIRE

Hunter Dozier - Cleared to start Sunday Dozier (illness) will start in right field and bat sixth Sunday against the Cubs.

Impact Dozier was out of the starting nine for the first two games of the series in Chicago while he felt under the weather, but the Royals never provided any indication that his absence was the result of a COVID-19-related concern. With the 30-year-old seemingly reporting to the ballpark healthy Sunday, he'll draw back into the starting nine for the series finale.

AUGUST 22, 2021 • ROTOWIRE

Salvador Perez - Ready to go Sunday Perez (neck/head) will start at catcher and bat third Sunday against the Cubs.

Impact Perez exited Friday's 6-2 win in the series opener with posterior neck soreness, but a headache was attributed to him being scratched from the lineup ahead of Saturday's 4-2 victory. The one-day respite appears to have provided enough time for Perez to recover from both issues, as he'll be back behind the plate for the series finale. With a .275 average, 32 home runs, 80 RBI, 57 runs and a stolen base across 492 plate appearances this season, Perez has been the most valuable catcher in the vast majority of fantasy formats.

AUGUST 22, 2021 • ROTOWIRE

Hernandez scheduled to start for Kansas City against Chicago

The Cubs are expected to send Alec Mills to the mound Sunday and the Royals plan to give Carlos Hernandez the start

AUGUST 22, 2021 • ASSOCIATED PRESS

Michael A. Taylor - Contributes steal in win Taylor went 1-for-3 with a walk and a stolen base in Saturday's 4-2 win over the Cubs.

Impact Four of Taylor's 11 stolen bases this year have come in 17 games in August. The outfielder has a less-than-spectacular .239/.298/.356 slash line through 404 plate appearances, but he's contributed 10 home runs, 42 RBI and 46 runs scored in a near-everyday role.

AUGUST 22, 2021 • ROTOWIRE

KC manager calls no-hit weather delay an 'embarrassment' A weather delay put a wedge in the no-hit bid of Kansas City starter Kris Bubic on Saturday at Wrigley Field. It never rained during the 30-...

AUGUST 22, 2021 • DAILYHERALD.COM

Kansas City Royals manager Mike Matheny is upset about a weather delay during pitcher Kris Bubic's no-hit bid versus the Chicago Cubs: 'I've never seen anything like that' Kansas City Royals manager Mike Matheny was upset when the Chicago Cubs delayed a game for weather reasons during Kris Bubic's no-hit bid. T...

AUGUST 22, 2021 • CHICAGOTRIBUNE.COM

Nicky Lopez - Two steals Saturday Lopez went 3-for-5 with a double, an RBI and two stolen bases in Saturday's 4-2 win over the Cubs.

Impact The top of the order did its job and then some for Kansas City, as Lopez and Whit Merrifield combined for six hits and three steals. Lopez is now up to 17 steals on the season, including seven in the last six games.

AUGUST 22, 2021 • ROTOWIRE

Whit Merrifield - Three hits in Saturday's win Merrifield went 3-for-5 with two runs scored and a stolen base in Saturday's 4-2 win over the Cubs.

Impact The top of the order did its job and then some for Kansas City, as Merrifield and Nicky Lopez combined for six hits and three steals. Merrifield's MLB-leading stolen base total is up to 37, including eight in his last 13 games, and he's closing in on surpassing the career-high 45 he swiped in 2018.

AUGUST 22, 2021 • ROTOWIRE

Scott Barlow - Nails down eighth save Barlow tossed a perfect ninth inning Friday to record his eighth save of the season in a 4-2 win over the Cubs. He didn't walk or strike out a batter.

Impact The right-hander needed only eight pitches (six strikes) to breeze through the top of the Cubs' order. Barlow has converted two straight save chances after blowing his prior two opportunities, and he remains the top closing option in the Royals' bullpen with a 2.55 ERA and 74:22 K:BB through 60 innings.

AUGUST 22, 2021 • ROTOWIRE

Kris Bubic - Fans nine in win over Cubs Bubic (4-6) picked up the win in Saturday's 4-2 victory over the Cubs, allowing two runs on one hit and two walks over 6.1 innings. He struck out a season-high nine.

Impact The young southpaw took a no-hitter into the seventh inning before a 34-minute rain delay derailed his momentum, and he served up a two-run blast to Patrick Wisdom once play resumed in the seventh. Bubic bounced back in fine fashion from a seven-run disaster in his last outing, but performances like Saturday's have been the norm for him since the All-Star break as he has five quality starts in his last seven trips to the mound. Over that stretch, he sports a 4.21 ERA and 34:16 K:BB through 36.1 innings.

AUGUST 22, 2021 • ROTOWIRE

Chicago Cubs tie a franchise record with their 12th straight loss at Wrigley Field, managing only 1 hit in a 4-2 defeat to the Kansas City Royals Keegan Thompson pitched four innings in his second start for the Chicago Cubs. But they managed only one hit and lost to the Kansas City Roy...

AUGUST 21, 2021 • CHICAGOTRIBUNE.COM

Bubic takes no-hitter into 7th, Royals beat Cubs 4-2

Kris Bubic carried a no-hitter into the seventh inning, and the Kansas City Royals beat the Chicago Cubs 4-2

AUGUST 21, 2021 • ASSOCIATED PRESS

Kris Bubic's no-hit bid derailed by Mother Nature as Kansas City Royals beat Chicago Cubs Bubic didn’t give up a hit until after a seventh-inning weather delay.

AUGUST 21, 2021 • KANSASCITY.COM

Royals' Bubic loses no-hit bid in 7th inning after delay

Kansas City Royals left-hander Kris Bubic has lost his bid for a no-hitter against the Chicago Cubs after a weather delay in the seventh inning

AUGUST 21, 2021 • ASSOCIATED PRESS