CLEVELAND (AP) — Trevor Bauer felt the rules beat him before the Royals did.
Bauer allowed Lucas Duda’s homer on his first pitch in the seventh inning for the game’s only run and Ian Kennedy pitched six shutout innings, leading Kansas City to a 1-0 win over the Cleveland Indians on Saturday in frigid, football-like weather conditions.
Duda’s shot off Bauer (0-1) was one of only three hits by Kansas City and a rare highlight as the two teams survived nine innings with the temperature hovering around freezing.
But afterward, Bauer complained that he didn’t have enough time to warm up following the sixth inning. In an attempt to speed up play this season, Major League Baseball has cut the time between innings from 2 minutes, 25 seconds to 2:05.
“First pitch of the inning, coming out, I tried to get loose, but with the new [commissioner] Rob Manfred time [nonsense], we have only a certain amount of time between innings, it’s hard to get loose sometimes, especially in conditions like that. It’s not safe, but, whatever.”
Bauer said at one point plate umpire Will Little told him to speed up and he refused.
“I was like, ‘Look, I’ll take the fine if I need to, but I’m not going to put myself at risk and I’m not going to put the team at risk of me having exactly what happened happen,'” Bauer said. “Throw a pitch that you’re not ready to compete on because you’re still trying to get loose and it gets hit over the fence, and we lose because of it — not because of it, but it was a contributing factor.”
Bauer said the elements — temperatures were in the low 30s — made everything difficult.
“Since I don’t cheat like a lot of guys and put stuff on my hand, just grab the ball and throw it, my pitches were somewhat inconsistent,” said Bauer, who allowed only three hits in eight innings. “It’s like a cue ball. It slips out of your hand. But, it is what it is. It’s worse for the hitters. I was looking forward to it. I thought I pitched pretty well overall.”
So did Kennedy (1-0), who allowed four hits, walked none and struck out eight. The right-hander was only in trouble once but worked out of the sixth-inning jam. Blaine Boyer and Justin Grimm pitched an inning apiece before closer Kelvin Herrera worked a perfect ninth for his second save.
The temperature for the first pitch was 34, one degree above the coldest start to a game in the 25-year history of Progressive Field. Players on both teams bundled up, with several wearing hoods under their caps to try to stay warm.
“The ball feels like it’s an ice cube when it gets thrown to you,” Kennedy said. “For me it was probably my body, trying to keep it warm. You start to get a little cold at the end of the game. Your flexibility starts to die down a little bit. That was the main thing, heat packs, anything to stay warm.”
The Indians came in with an AL-low .157 batting average and stayed as chilly at the plate as the unseasonably cold April. Cleveland hasn’t scored in 17 innings.
Limited to one hit through six innings by Bauer, the Royals got the one run they needed on Duda’s second homer, a rocket into the seats in right field.
Duda jumped on Bauer’s 90 mph fastball and drove it over the wall for Kansas City’s first run since the Royals scored two in the first inning Friday. Duda has both of Kansas City’s homers this season.
CHISENHALL HURT
Indians right fielder Lonnie Chisenhall is likely headed to the disabled list with a right calf injury. He got hurt while making a running catch in the first and was lifted for a pinch-hitter in the second.
Chisenhall missed nearly two months last season with a strained right calf.
Manager Terry Francona indicated Tyler Naquin will be recalled from Triple-A Columbus. He was optioned to the minors Friday when Michael Brantley was activated.
K FOR KENNEDY
Kennedy has struck at least one batter in each of his 271 career appearances. He’s tied with Boston’s David Price for the longest such streak among active pitchers.
STRIKE UP THE BAND
Indians DH Yonder Alonso got an early birthday present as his family and a few teammates arranged for a mariachi band to play in the clubhouse before the game. Alonso, who turns 31 on Sunday, even busted out some dance moves while being serenaded.
“They didn’t make me dance, but I just can’t help it,” Alonso said. “I’m from Miami. I’m a Cuban guy. So, it’s just kind of in the blood.”
UP NEXT
Cleveland’s Mike Clevinger is 3-0 with a 2.42 ERA in four career starts against the Royals, who will go with right-hander Jason Hammel in the series finale. Hammel went 3-2 in five starts against the Indians last season.
— Associated Press —
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Missouri Western junior Shi Qing Ong shot a 2-over-par 74 to tie for the lead after one round at the Central Region Spring Preview at Rivercut Golf Course Monday. The Griffons are in fifth place as a team after shooting a 317 after the opening round.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Mizzou Baseball junior lefty Michael Plassmeyer (St. Louis, Mo.) is the SEC Co-Pitcher of the Week, announced Monday by the league office. The award comes on the heels of his first career complete game shutout last Saturday vs. Alabama. Plassmeyer is the second Mizzou pitcher to earn the honor this season, joining junior RHP Bryce Montes De Oca (Lawrence, Kan.) who earned the award after throwing the first 7.0 innings of a combined no-hitter vs. UMBC March 2.
ST. LOUIS (AP) — David Peralta hit a tiebreaking, two-run homer off Dominic Leone in the eighth, A.J. Pollock went deep later in the inning and Arizona Diamondbacks beat the St. Louis Cardinals 4-1 Sunday in a game marred by a benches-clearing incident in the second inning.
The Northwest Missouri State University baseball team fell to the University of Central Missouri, 7-5,