Noah Cameron gave Kansas City eight steady innings, then Michael Massey supplied the swing that beat Minnesota.
Noah Cameron entered Wednesday needing a clean outing, and he gave the Royals much more than that by pitching eight innings in Kansas City's 2-1 win over Minnesota.
Cameron allowed one run on two hits, tied his career high with nine strikeouts, and retired the final 14 hitters he faced, while Michael Massey helped create the tying run before hitting the home run that won the game.
Quatraro's Message
Minnesota created its only real threat in the fourth inning, when Josh Bell walked, Kody Clemens reached after Massey double-clutched a possible double-play ball, and Royce Lewis bunted to load the bases.
Cameron allowed one run when Victor Caratini grounded into a double play, but he struck out Brooks Lee to end the inning, and that response kept a difficult frame from becoming the type that could have ended his night early.
Manager Matt Quatraro believed the way Cameron responded was the most important part of the outing, especially after the pitcher had been working to correct the problems from his recent starts.
Quatraro said, “I think he challenged himself to be better, and you're seeing the results of that.”
Cameron has now allowed one earned run in 23 innings over his past three outings and those results show how important he has become to Kansas City.
He has also given up only two earned runs in 27 innings across four starts against Minnesota, but this performance was about more than a favorable matchup, as he worked through the only trouble he faced and finished eight innings for the second straight start.
Cameron has become one of the club's bright spots, and this start offered another reason to believe that success can continue.
He called his own pitches, used his changeup to get ahead, and leaned more on his slider, which kept Minnesota from sitting on one speed once the lineup turned over.
Massey Gives Cameron Enough Support
Kansas City did not create much offense, but Massey and Isaac Collins opened the fifth with singles, John Rave walked to load the bases, and Kyle Isbel brought home the tying run with a sacrifice fly.
Massey came back in the seventh, and he drove an A.J. Minter pitch 422 feet to right-center, giving the Royals a lead they could hand directly to the ninth inning.
Massey's power has often arrived in stretches, but his value in this game went beyond the home run, as he helped start the tying rally two innings earlier.
The Royals protected their main group at the trade deadline, and games like this can help the front office learn which supporting players should remain part of the plan.
The state of the farm system makes Cameron's progress especially important, because Kansas City needs young pitching that can carry real innings instead of only offering hope for the future.
Cameron escaped the one inning that could have turned against him, and he attacked the rest of the way, while Massey's home run gave Kansas City enough offense to make eight innings from Cameron hold up in a 2-1 win.
