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5 hours ago
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It certainly was not pretty for the Royals’ left-hander on Wednesday night.
The month of June has not been overly kind to Kris Bubic, but he did enough to garner his sixth win of the season, as Kansas City won 6–3.
After a month of May that saw Bubic absolutely dominate opponents, June has not been the same. Bubic tossed 32.1 innings and allowed just 20 hits and two earned runs during the entire month of May. In those starts, he struck out 33 batters and walked just eight.
After a strong start that ended in a loss to begin June, his last two outings have been much shorter and less effective.
On Wednesday, Bubic threw 101 pitches and retired just 16 batters. Over his last two starts, it has taken 198 pitches to cover 9.2 innings. In June, he has allowed 19 hits and nine earned runs over just 16.2 innings. His strikeouts are down a bit as well, with only 18.
Over the month of June, Bubic’s ERA is 4.86, which has increased from 1.43 on June 1 to 2.12 following this start.
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I would not get too concerned yet if I were Royals manager Matt Quatraro, but as the Royals sit two games under .500 and in fourth place in the American League Central, the club certainly cannot afford an average Bubic.
Many are hoping the 27-year-old has figured some things out and that it’s not just a hot streak. Coming into this season, Bubic was 11-29 in his career. Last season, he did not even get an opportunity to start, following just three starts in 2023. His 2022 season was one of the worst in the league, going 3-13 with a 5.58 earned run average.
Kansas City ranks fifth in Major League Baseball in team earned run average, currently sitting at 3.40 for the season. They are right in the middle of the pack when it comes to strikeouts from their pitching staff. The Royals have struck out 606 batters. The MLB leader is Houston, with 723 on the season.
Bubic’s next start should come at home. Kansas City begins a three-game series with the Rays on June 24.
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