Mired in an offensive black hole, Royals manager Ned Yost juggled his lineup on Sunday, moving the struggling Alex Gordon down to sixth in the order and inserting Whit Merrifield into the leadoff spot. He also put rookie outfielder Jorge Bonifacio into the No. 3 spot while center fielder Lorenzo Cain took a scheduled day off.
The moves came after three straight losses here in Texas and a week of brutal offensive production. The Royals entered Sunday having scored just seven runs in their last six games. They are averaging a major-league worst 2.59 runs per game after 17 contests.