By late Friday evening, after Johnny Cueto had receded to a quiet perch in the Royals’ dugout, and after a late-inning comeback had commenced, Ned Yost turned toward Dave Eland, the club’s pitching coach of four seasons.
The discussion point: Johnny Cueto, the mercurial starter who had walked the tight-rope in the early innings before grinding through the sixth against the Houston Astros.
“I looked at Dave and said: ‘What do you think of his outing?’” Yost would say. “Dave said he pitched good enough to win. I said I agree with this.”
The Royals’ dramatic partnership with Cueto survived another six innings Friday in the Royals’ 5-4 victory in Game 2 of the American League Division Series.