Erasmo Ramirez (4-4) had a difficult time fooling the Royals lineup in his loss to Kansas City in the second half of Sunday's twin billing. In his five innings of work, he surrendered five earned runs on eight hits, and recorded two strikeouts and zero walks.
Fantasy Implications: Although he pounded the strike zone (50 of 65 pitches for strikes)
and allowed no free-passes, Ramirez was way too hittable. He served up three long balls, including two solo shots to Whit Merrifield and Eric Hosmer, and a three-run blast to Melky Cabrera. In his two starts since coming over to Seattle from Tampa Bay on July 28, the 27-year-old right-hander has garnered a 7.56 ERA,1.56 WHIP, and an odious 5.4 HR/9 over 8.1 innings. His next scheduled start is Saturday against the Angels in Safeco Field. Ramirez is best suited for the bullpen, where in 2017 he is allowing a respectable .187/.232/.311 slash line.
