LOS ANGELES — There are a lot of reasons the Kansas City Royals have gone from a team wondering about its future to a contender for the American League Central title.
Ian Kennedy is one of them. The veteran right-hander has been brilliant in his last four starts, helping the Royals overcome a horrendous April that had everyone in baseball speculating that the Royals, with a handful of standout players coming up on free agency, would soon be breaking up the nucleus of their 2015 World Series championship team.
Instead, they’ve won 18 of their last 25 games to move into contention in the AL Central as baseball nears its annual All-Star break.