HOUSTON
Speculation about the Royals’ pitching rotation for their American League Division Series with the Astros occurred outside of the coaches’ meeting room but never inside. Manager Ned Yost and the staff were going with Yordano Ventura in Game 4 all along.
“We sat down as a group and looked at it,” Yost said. “Ventura bounces back really, really well. We wanted to have our bets power arms coming at these guys.”
That’s why the Royals set up the rotation with Ventura in Games 1 and 4, Johnny Cueto in Games 2 and 5 and Edinson Volquez in Game 3.