Philadelphia Phillies at Kansas City Royals

Every start Luinder Avila makes this season as a rookie is going to bring something new to experience, and he faced a good test Sunday against a Phillies lineup full of All-Stars. By the end of it, he was passing with a pretty good grade. In search of their first win on this homestand, Avila led the Royals to a 5-2 victory over the Phillies at Kauffman Stadium with five strong innings, allowing one run on three hits with one walk and four strikeouts. “They have some good hitters on that team, and you can watch and tell that he made them a little uncomfortable,” center fielder Lane Thomas said. “It was cool to see, maybe give him a little confidence that, ‘Hey, my stuff plays in the zone.’” Sunday marked the Royals’ first win since a week ago in Chicago, when Avila was also on the mound, but allowed four runs in four innings against the White Sox. Avila was happy about the team win that day, but he was clearly frustrated with his performance, in which he needed 86 pitches through the four innings, had to navigate three walks and put a lot on the bullpen to hold onto that 5-4 win. This time out, Avila was more efficient, and even when he was wild -- like the second pitch of the game sailing over Trea Turner -- Avila was able to get back in the zone and execute. He was at 69 pitches by the time the bullpen gates swung open in the sixth inning, the Royals likely not wanting Avila to face the Phillies' lineup a third time through with the order flipping over. Plus, the Royals held onto a slim lead that their bullpen kept intact until Salvador Perez, playing in his first game since Wednesday due to right elbow soreness, lined a two-run double in the bottom of the eighth to provide needed insurance. “Even going back to \[Avila’s\