The Worst Pitching Lines In Royals History

Former Royal Mark Redman recently yielded ten runs in the first inning of his start against the Dodgers. Even more remarkable, was that they left him in due to a spent bullpen, and he pitched five shutout innings of one-hit ball afterwards.

It got me thinking, what are some of the worst starts by Royals pitchers? I looked up the worst starts in Royals history by Game Score. Here is the gruesome list.

10. Mark Gubicza - May 14, 1996 vs. Texas
4 IP 12 H 9 R 9 ER 3 HR 2 BB 3 K
Game Score: 1

Gubie was winding down his Royals career, and this would be his last season in KC. He cruised through the first, but gave up home runs to Mickey Tettleton and Dean Palmer in the second. The Rangers continued to hit, score five runs in the inning, and only a double play saved Gubie from allowing more. Tettleton homered again to lead off the next inning, and Palmer followed with an RBI double. Gubicza finally departed after the fourth as the Royals went on to lose 10-0.

"I didn't have anything going, and they hit the ball. You have to give them credit. They did their jobs. We didn't, and they win 10-0. I obviously didn't do my job. No one did their job. "
-Mark Gubicza

9. Mark Davis - July 5, 1992 vs. Milwaukee
3 IP 9 H 9 R 9 ER 1 HR 4 BB 0 K
Game Score: 1

Mark Davis was a huge free agent signing in 1990, but by 1991 he was clearly a bust. The Royals had him try starting a few games in an effort to salvage him. He won in his previous start against the Yankees, but in Game Two of this doubleheader against the Brewers, he was bombed. He had two future Hall of Famers in Paul Molitor and Robin Yount double in the first. The first would end with two stolen bases and four runs scored. Greg Vaughn hit a three run home run in the third to make it 7-0. Davis cruised through the third, but the fourth opened with three straight hits, scoring two runs, knocking Davis out of the game. The Royals actually held the Brewers and staged a nice rally, but fell short 9-7. It would be Mark's last appearance in KC, as the Royals dealt him to Atlanta just two weeks later.

"It was a l-o-n-g day."
-Curtis Wilkerson

8. Chad Durbin - May 11, 200 vs. Cleveland
1.1 IP 9 H 9 R 9 ER 1 HR 1 BB 2 K
Game Score: 1

The Royals were actually in second place at the beginning of this game, half a game back of Chicago and one game up on the mighty Cleveland Indians. The Indians quickly put away any illusions that the Royals might compete that year. Durbin began the game allowing three straight singles. Not a good idea when you're about to face Manny Ramirez. Ramirez deposited Durbin's pitch over the wall for a grand slam. Durbin again loaded the bases for Ramirez in the second. Luckily, Ramirez didn't hit a grand slam because Royals catcher Jorge Fabregas allowed two runs to score on a wild pickoff throw. Four runs would score in the inning, knocking Durbin out of the game, and leaving the game at 9-0. The Royals would end up losing 16-0, the second worst loss in franchise history. Durbin would not bounce back from the start, getting just one out in his next outing, giving up five runs. For those two starts, his ERA was 75.60.

"He was due for one of these. He's learning, and when I went out to get him, he wasn't crying the blues or woe is me."
-Tony Muser

7. Jason Jacome - April 15, 1996 vs. Chicago
1.1 IP 8 H 9 R 9 ER 2 HR 3 BB 0 K
Game Score: -1

The Royals had picked up Jacome from the Mets the previous summer and after tossing seven shutout innings in relief, they decided to try him in the rotation in early April. Jacome allowed his first run of the season by the second hitter, when Robin Ventura singled home Tony Phillips. A three run triple by Ray Durham would stretch the first inning tally to 5-0. Frank Thomas and Chris Snopek would add two run home runs in the second, knocking Jacome out of the game. Although the Royals trailed 9-0, they would stage an impressive comeback, scoring six in the bottom of the second, and chipping away at the lead until they tied the game on a wild pitch by Matt Karchner that scored Michael Tucker when Tucker kicked the ball out of the pitcher's glove. But in true Royals fashion, they would cough up the lead the next inning, and lose 11-10.

"They came out and smoked a couple of balls."
-Bob Boone

6. Mark Redman - September 23, 2006 vs. Detroit
0.1 IP 7 H 9 R 9 ER 1 HR 2 BB 0 K
Game Score: -1

Mark's recent outing is no surprise to Royals fans because they've seen that kind of first inning before. In late September of 2006, Redman gave up a home run to Curtis Granderson to lead off the game. He then got Craig Monroe to ground out. It would get worse from there. Magglio Ordonez singled. Carlos Guilen doubled. Ivan Rodriguez walked. Brandon Inge singled. Chris Shelton singled. Placido Polanco doubled. Curtis Granderson, up again, tripled this time. Redman hit the showers after just ten hitters. But the Tigers weren't done. They sent sixteen hitters to the plate and scored ten runs in the first inning. AND THEY STILL WEREN'T DONE! They hit around again in the fourth, scoring five more runs, to take a commanding 15-0 lead. Oh, and it was "Fan Appreciation Night" at the K.

That 10-run first inning had Tigers running everywhere. Picture the riot scene at the end of "Animal House." Get the idea? The only difference was no Katy exclaiming, "Officer, they're looting the Food King."
-Bob Dutton

5. Mike Magnante - June 26, 1994 vs. Minnesota
3 IP 11 H 10 R 10 ER 2 HR 1 BB 1 K
Game Score: -3

Magnante had been a pretty effective reliever, posting a 3.24 ERA at that point, but he was asked to make a spot start for the injured Kevin Appier. Kirby Puckett hit a two run homer in the first, but that was all the damage the Twins would do that inning. Matt Walbeck hit a two run double in the second, followed by a two run home run by light hitting Jeff Reboulet. Things really got ugly in the third however. The Twins hit four straight singles, knocking Magnante out of the game. All the runners would score when Shane Mack then tripled, and the inning would end with the Twins up 11-0. Magnante's ERA jumped a full two runs after that game, and he would never be asked to start a game ever again.

"Well, I truly thought the best team won today."
-Bob Hamelin

4. Chris George - July 24, 2004 vs. Cleveland
3 IP 11 H 10 R 10 ER 0 HR 2 BB 1 K
Game Score: -4

Chris George had allowed nine runs in three innings in his last start, which earned him a demotion to Omaha. He was recalled for this start because it was a doubleheader and the Royals needed an extra pitcher. He crusied through the first, but ran into serious trouble in the second. George gave up five straight singles to start the inning, including hits to lightweights like Lou Merloni and Tim Laker. After a walk, George induced Coco Crisp and Omar Vizquel into groundouts, giving hope he could escape the inning. But he then gave up a two run double to Ron Belliard, a single to Victor Martinez and a two run single to that pesky Lou Merloni. In the third, Cleveland scored two more runs, running the score to 10-0. Even though the Royals had fifteen innings of baseball left to trudge through, Tony Pena brought the hook for Chris George after just three innings.

Oh, and remember Chad Durbin? He went the distance for Cleveland, giving up just one earned run, to get the win.

"Today is not a happy day."
-Tony Pena

3. Tom Gordon - October 1, 1995 vs. Cleveland
1 IP 9 H 10 R 1 ER 0 HR 4 BB 1 K
Game Score: -8

It was the last game of the season, and the last game Tom Gordon would ever pitch for the organization that had drafted and developed him. Cleveland had been a juggernaut in the strike shortened season, with 99 wins in just 143 games. To get win number 100, the Indians started many of their regulars against Gordon. It wasn't pretty. Kenny Lofton led off the game with a single, then made his way around the basepaths on successive steals of second and third. Carlos Baerga drove him home and the Indians were off to the races. Eddie Murray hit a two run single. Jim Thome hit an RBI single. Manny Ramirez hit an RBI single. Omar Vizquel hit an RBI single. The Indians led 6-0 after one frame. Cleveland hit three straight singles to begin the second, and after a walk to Manny Ramirez, Gordon was pulled. All four Indians would score, making the game 10-0. Gordon's ERA would rise from 3.97 to 4.43. Nonetheless, Boston signed him to a multi-million dollar deal that winter.

"It's not the ideal way to end the season; that's for sure."
-Mark Gubicza

2. Luke Hudson - August 13, 2006 vs. Cleveland
0.1 IP 8 H 11 R 10 ER 1 HR 3 BB 1 K
Game Score: -9

Luke was a pretty heartwarming comeback story in 2006, and had begun the season with a 4.65 ERA by this August start. This would not be his day. He walked Grady Sizemore, gave up a single to Jason Michaels, and walked Travis Hafner to begin the game. The next three hitters collected hits, scoring four runs. An Angel Berroa error allowed Jhonny Peralta to reach base and the Indians capitalized with two more singles and a walk. That brought up Travis Hafner again, and Hudson should have walked him because he blasted a pitch for a grand slam, to make it 11-0. Hudson was lifted, his ERA having jumped to 6.39.

"It can't get worse than that."
-Luke Hudson

1. Zack Greinke - June 10, 2005 vs. Arizona
4.1 IP 15 H 11 R 11 ER 3 HR 2 BB 2 K
Game Score: -11

Au contraire, Mr. Hudson! It can get worse! This was a miserable season for Zack, and it probably led to some of the anxiety issues he suffered that led him to miss nearly all of 2006. He was actually having a pretty decent season in 2005 with a 4.23 ERA by the end of May, although his record was just 1-6. He was rocked in his first June start against Texas, and this game against Arizona undoubtedly shook Greinke and put his season on a downward spiral. Greinke gave up three doubles in the first, but left the inning down just 4-1. He left the Diamondbacks scoreless in the second, and gave up solo home runs to Shawn Green in the third and the fourth innings. Zack had thrown 80 pitches through four innings at that point, and had labored in every inning, giving up seven runs. It was an interleague game, and Zack was due to bat in the fifth. A lot of managers would have pulled a young pitcher like Greinke, to protect him.

Not Buddy Bell. Like the Great Santini, Buddy wanted to toughen Zack up by teaching him a lesson. Buddy kept Zack in the game and for a moment it looked like a genius move. Zack became the first Royal in almost thirty years to hit a home run, when he slammed a pitch 411 feet to dead center. But he fell apart in the bottom of the frame, allowing a home run to catcher Kelly Stinnett, a double to pitcher Russ Ortiz and singles to Craig Counsell and Alex Cintron. All of those runners scored, meaning Greinke had given up eleven runs, the most by a starter in Royals franchise history. The Royals amazingly tied the game up late, but the Diamondbacks won it with a walk off Troy Glaus home run in the tenth.

"Wondering why the Royals allowed Zack Greinke , their prospective young ace, to absorb such a pounding Friday night in a 12-11 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks? To prove a point, apparently. He s a young kid who just has to figure it out, manager Buddy Bell said. That s why we left him out there. He s a smart kid. Sometimes, that might get in the way."
-Bob Dutton