KANSAS CITY -- The streak is over.
Royals manager Ned Yost had hinted in recent weeks that he eventually would rest shortstop Alcides Escobar, and that day came Sunday. After 421 straight starts -- a franchise record and the longest active consecutive-games streak in the Major Leagues -- Escobar did not start against the Red Sox.
Why did Yost pick Sunday as the day to end the streak?
"Because I decided today was the day," Yost said. "I just decided today was it. I don't have a 'scientifical' equation where I went out and looked at 19 different factors and looked at how the stars lined up with the moon.