When the Royals completed the trade in January that sent a fan favorite to the Seattle Mariners for pitcher Nathan Karns, general manager Dayton Moore was resolute.
“Pitching, as we know, is so important,” Moore said at the time. “Power pitching is hard to get.”
Some scoffed, believing that the Royals had not received a big enough return in that deal that sent outfielder Jarrod Dyson to the Mariners.
But on Saturday night, Karns looked the part of a power pitcher, albeit one who got most of strikeouts with a curveball. Karns fanned 12 Orioles in five innings, the first Royals pitcher who has ever accomplished that feat.