Kansas City Royals left-hander Noah Cameron found himself in an unfamiliar spot on Friday night against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park.
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Cameron came out of the bullpen for the first time in his career.
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The Royals opted to start right-hander Beck Way as the club’s opener. Way pitched one inning before handing over to Cameron.
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And admittedly, Cameron felt the whole ordeal was different.
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“You know, first time coming out of the bullpen in the minor leagues or major leagues,” Cameron said. “So a little different. But obviously, tough loss right there. Thankful, obviously, to be able to perform well and just keep us in the game.”
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The Royals lost 2-1 to the Tigers. It was a pitcher’s duel as Cameron battled opposite Tigers ace Tarik Skubal.
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Skubal was masterful with 12 strikeouts. Skubal reminded fans why he could be the most sought after midseason trade candidate this season.
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However, Cameron was also sharp on Friday. He didn’t allow a run across seven innings and registered eight strikeouts.
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And the big reason? Well, Cameron called his own pitches after consultation with the Royals pitching coaches and veteran catcher Salvador Perez.
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“It has nothing to do with obviously the pitch calling from the catchers because they have been amazing all year,” Cameron said. “Just a little bit of yeah, I guess my idea, a little stubbornness from me. And yeah, it obviously, you know, worked.”
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Cameron said he began calling his pitches in a recent bullpen. It allowed him to pitch with more conviction — as evident by his start on Friday night.
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“It was good, and I felt comfortable,” Cameron said. “I felt like I could work a little faster and just kind of go at guys and have full confidence in the pitch that was thrown.”
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The Royals were receptive to the change. And Cameron’s performance was one of his best this season.
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Cameron had command of all his pitches. There was an uptick in velocity across the board, and he paired two fastballs with stellar off-speed pitches.
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“You saw a lot of uncomfortable swings, a lot of chase,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “Thought the cutter was really good, but by far the best his slider and curveball have been. And the conviction of the fastball was outstanding.”
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Cameron is trying to return to form. Last season, he was among the best American League pitchers and finished fourth in the AL Rookie of the Year voting.
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This year, Cameron saw his earned run average skyrocket (it was 5.27 entering Friday) and he was issuing more walks than usual.
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It was clear a change was needed. So Cameron worked hard to fine-tune his approach, and it benefited him on the mound.
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And he gave credit to Perez and veteran starters Michael Wacha and Seth Lugo for the support in pursuing the chance to call his own pitches.
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“Yeah, just having those guys,” Cameron said. “(They’re like), hey, it’s your career. You know, whatever you need to do to pitch well and help the team, let’s do that. So I guess that’s kind of the mindset going in.”
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Cameron hopes to continue calling his own pitches. The small changes worked, and it’s possible it can help him turn around his season down the stretch.
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“I think that was the biggest thing, (it) was how efficient he was throughout that game,” Royals infielder Nick Loftin said. “For him to go that long to throw strikes, get outs, quick outs in and out for us on defense. It makes it easier for us to just go and focus on what we have to do, and that’s compete at the plate.”
Esta historia fue publicada originalmente. 24 de julio de 2026 a las 21:54.
Jaylon Thompson cubre a los Reales para The Kansas City Star. Anteriormente cubrió la Serie Mundial de 2021 y los Juegos Olímpicos de Verano de 2016 en Río de Janeiro, Brasil. Jaylon es un orgulloso alumno de la Universidad de Georgia.
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