Losing streaks and playoff teams

It happens.

With everyone properly freaking out about the Royals’ recent seven-game skid, and Vegas taking bets on the possibility of them missing the playoffs, let’s all take a deep breath and look at what other Kansas City playoff teams have done in the past.

And yes, I’m with you. I’m just as nervous as the next guy (or lady). We all know that this is a flawed team. At times they are a very good team, but still flawed. Their defense is okay. Most of the time. When the season started, M.J. Melendez was looked on as one of the defensive liabilities. Turns out, he’s had a solid season in left field. He’s worked hard at improving his glove work and it shows. He’s made several highlight reel plays this summer. Right field, first with Hunter Renfroe, and lately with Darion Blanco and Tommy Pham, has been a bit of a black hole. Anything over their head becomes an adventure.

The team’s offense is erratic. When they’re on, they’re fun to watch. When they’re struggling, like they have been lately (nine runs in the last five games of their losing streak), they’re very painful to watch. Their starting pitchers have been much better than expected. In fact, the starters have carried this team.

Their bullpen has been a dumpster fire from day one. GMJJ has engineered several trades to try to bolster the pen, but with limited success.

Finally, they’ve been very unlucky with the injury bug this month. First, Renfroe went down, right when he was rounding into form. Michael Lorenzen was next to the disabled list, and I think this one hurt more than people are letting on. Lorenzen gave them a solid fifth starter and had turned in several good outings.

Then came the inning from hell when Lucas Erceg AND Vinnie Pasquantino went down on the same play. Erceg is back but Vinnie is done until the playoffs, which is a shame as he is setting on 97 RBI. With Salvy and Bobby Jr. knocking on the door to 100 RBI, it would have been nice to have three 100 RBI players. I don’t recall the last time that happened with the Royals, or if it has ever happened.

Looking at some past playoff teams, the 1976 division winners only went 90-72, which included a dismal 12-16 September. That team’s longest losing streak was six games, from June 19-24, so it wasn’t a factor in the race, the September swoon was. In fact, the Royals had a comfortable 12-game lead over Oakland in early August. Oakland got hot, KC went cold and the lead shrunk to 2.5 games with four to play.

Manager Whitey Herzog gave the ball to southpaw Larry Gura, who had come over in a mid-May trade with the Yankees. Gura only made two starts in 1976 but for this one he was nails. Gura threw a four-hit, complete-game shutout on the road against Oakland, at a time the Royals desperately needed it. Kansas City had lost six of their previous seven games and many of us, me included, thought the Royals were choking away a playoff berth to the hated A’s. Gura’s masterpiece was one of the most clutch pitching performances in club history and doesn’t get nearly the respect it deserves. But it gave the Royals their first division title.

The record-setting 1977 team made us suffer through a wretched May, in which they only won ten of twenty-five games. No matter, they lit the afterburners and closed on a 64-win, 25-loss heater from July 1 on to run away with the division. That’s a .719-win percentage in case you’re wondering.

The 1978 team had a couple of stinky months: 13-17 in May and 13-16 in June. They closed with a 20-10 September to win the West for the third consecutive season.

The 1980 World Series team suffered through an eight-game bender from September 20-28. No one was too worried about that group as they had a 17 ½ game lead when the shakes hit. The lead got down to 12 ½ games but no one lost any sleep. That team could hit. The problem was manager Jim Frey forgot he had a bullpen and ran his starters into the ground.

Then of course the dark ages hit. If you were alive during this span, you grew accustomed to losing streaks. Ten in a row was a common occurrence. Sometimes it got worse. The 2005 Royals managed to put together a club-record 19-game losing streak.

The 2013 team should have made the playoffs as a Wildcard team. I’ll say it until my dying day that the 2013 Royals were a better team than Cleveland. Those baby Royals had an 8-game losing streak from May 22-29, part of a putrid 8-20 month. That month tanked their playoff chances. They went 64-46 (.582) the rest of the way, but it wasn’t enough to catch Cleveland.

2014? No major losing steaks and they closed with an August-September record of 34-21 to earn the Wildcard. We all know what happened next. Royals devil magic. Fun times.

2015? Those guys were on a mission from day one, though they did make us suffer through an 11-17 September, as they rested for the playoffs.

Bottom line? We all knew this streak would end and on Wednesday night it did. Stay positive Royal Nation. Baseball Reference has them with an 89% chance to make the playoffs. I have faith that they’ll right the ship and squeeze in.

With 21 games to play, I figure they need another 12 wins. It’ll be tough, but they can do it. And if they don’t, just remember what we’ve seen this year: A remarkable season from a team that lost 106 games in 2023. A front office that finally seems engaged and committed to fielding a winner. Bobby Witt Jr. has developed into one of the best, if not the best player in baseball. Sal Perez continues to fight off Father Time. Freddy Fermin has been a joy to watch. Seth Lugo has been excellent, as has Michael Wacha.

I could go on, but you get the idea. Kansas City will be a team that no one wants to face in the playoffs. Get your tickets now, it’s going to be fun!