Jakob Junis’ career record would look a whole lot different if he could pitch more often against the Detroit Tigers.
Junis owns a career mark of 25-25 and a 4.53 ERA. But in 10 appearances against the Tigers, including nine starts, he sports a 6-1 record and a 3.19 ERA. He’s 4-1 with a 3.69 ERA at Detroit’s Comerica Park, where he’ll start the finale of a four-game series on Sunday.
The 26-year-old Junis (7-10, 4.88 ERA) has posted quality outings in two starts against Detroit this season but did not figure in either decision. He gave up two runs on five hits in seven innings in Kansas City on June 11 and three runs on six hits in six innings at Detroit on April 4.
In his last start, Junis held Boston to one run on seven hits in six innings Tuesday. The Royals won 6-2, pulling away with a three-run sixth inning.
“It was nice,” Junis told MLB.com afterward. “Tight game early, and then to have that big inning and bust it open kind of took the pressure off me.”
Jorge Soler has given plenty of Kansas City hurlers runs to work with through his power hitting. Soler blasted his 33rd homer on Saturday in the Royals’ 7-0 win. The team record is 38 homers, set two seasons ago by Mike Moustakas.
“He’s a very diligent worker and is always asking questions,” manager Ned Yost said of Soler to MLB.com. “To be honest, we don’t really know what his ceiling is. We don’t. He’s obviously a big-time power hitter. But I think he’ll hit for average, too, maybe .285 or so. I don’t think he’ll ever hit .320, but he’ll have a huge OPS, in the .900s, with all that power.”
Soler was acquired from the Chicago Cubs three years ago for reliever Wade Davis and is enjoying a breakout season after a rough start to his Royals career.
“The only thing I have thought about was I was traded for a big-time pitcher and I wanted to live up to those expectations,” Soler said to MLB.com. “I didn’t do it at the beginning. But I want to thank the organization for believing in me, for trading for me with and giving up that caliber of a player [in Davis]. There’s a weight off my shoulders now because I’ve finally lived up to those expectations.”
Left-hander Daniel Norris will oppose Junis. In his last outing, Norris (3-9, 4.76 ERA) took the loss while giving up four runs on seven hits in 5 2/3 innings to the Chicago White Sox.
Norris has never found much success in Comerica Park. He’s 4-16 there in his career with a 5.20 ERA in 34 appearances, including 31 starts. Against Kansas City, Norris is 1-2 with a 3.95 ERA in 11 career outings, including 10 starts.
The Tigers learned on Saturday that starting center fielder JaCoby Jones’ season is likely over. A CT scan revealed that he has a wrist fracture after he was struck by a pitch in the series opener on Thursday. He’ll be out at least six weeks.
“He’s pretty disappointed. Really frustrated,” manager Ron Gardenhire said. “It’s kind of an internal fracture inside the bone. We had to get a CT scan to find it. We knew he was hurting. It’ll probably end his season.”
