The Kansas City Royals avoided a sweep by the Washington Nationals on Wednesday, winning the series finale 6-2.<\/p>\n
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While the offense took control early with solo home runs from Carter Jensen, Lane Thomas, John Rave and Michael Massey, the pitching staff did its part as well.<\/p>\n
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One pitcher in particular bounced back with a strong outing after struggling in his previous appearance.<\/p>\n
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Luinder Avila\u00a0gave the Nationals trouble on Wednesday<\/h2>\n
<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Before Wednesday, Royals rookie pitcher\u00a0Luinder Avila\u00a0was coming off a rough outing. The 24-year-old took the mound against the Houston Astros on Friday, but the start did not go as planned.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n It’s safe to say it was an outing Avila would rather forget. He recorded just two outs, allowing eight earned runs on five hits, including two home runs, in just two-thirds of an inning.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n He also walked three batters and did not record a single strikeout.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n This was the worst start of Avila’s young career, so many were intrigued to see how he would respond.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Wednesday made it clear that Avila did not let the rough outing affect him. He tossed 5 2\/3 innings against the Nationals, allowing just one earned run on three hits. He also walked one batter and struck out five.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Seeing this type of performance from the rookie is encouraging. The ability to put a poor outing behind you and bounce back is an important trait for pitchers at this level, and Avila demonstrated that on Wednesday.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Royals’ rotation has been plagued by injuries to two key arms. Adding to those concerns, Kansas City announced Wednesday that Cole Ragans had been transferred to the 60-day injured list<\/a>, dealing another significant blow to the pitching staff.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Kris Bubic also remains sidelined, as his injury rehab has encountered some setbacks.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n With two key arms currently sidelined, more opportunities should open up for Avila. Whether his long-term role is in the rotation or the bullpen remains to be seen, but for now, the Royals need him in their starting rotation.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The rookie has plenty of potential thanks to his velocity and deep pitch mix. His average fastball velocity of 96.4 mph, according to Statcast<\/a>, paired with a five-pitch arsenal, gives hitters plenty to think about at the plate.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n It will be intriguing to watch Avila as the season progresses and he continues to take the mound more frequently.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/assets.minutemediacdn.com\/platform\/google_discover_icon.svg\"){kind=icon}
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