Royals' Taylor Clarke: Struggles again Monday

Clarke (1-3) allowed five runs on five hits and a walk in one-third of an inning, taking the loss Monday versus the Twins.

The Royals entered the bottom of the eighth inning tied at 3-3, but Clarke was on the hook for all of the Twins' five-run rally. Over his last seven appearances, Clarke has just one scoreless outing while giving up 15 runs in 5.2 innings and taking all three of his losses on the year. The rough stretch comes after a scoreless streak that lasted over a month and earned him setup duties. For the season, he's at a 6.06 ERA, 1.74 WHIP and 39:15 K:BB with nine holds and two blown saves through 35.2 innings. With Aroldis Chapman traded to Texas, there will be late-inning chances available, but it's unclear if Clarke will be the one to pick them up if he can't turn things around.