Bubic’s success in Sunday’s Kansas City Royals win began and ended with his fastball

Kris Bubic’s finishing kick in his sophomore season has been something to behold. The Kansas City Royals left-hander has been extra-stingy in the last month, and he kept that train rolling on Sunday in Detroit.

Bubic tossed seven scoreless innings on the road against a division rival, and he made two runs seem like a mountain for the Detroit Tigers to climb.

The Tigers made a late charge against the KC bullpen but couldn’t complete the rally as the Royals triumphed 2-1 in the series finale at Comerica Park.

Bubic allowed just two hits, one walk and a hit batsman, while he also struck out six and matched his longest career outing: seven innings. Bubic, who racked up elevated pitch counts regularly last year in his debut season, got through seven with 95 pitches Sunday.

“It all starts with the fastball,” Bubic said. “It’s a lot harder to pitch a game where you don’t have your fastball. You can try to nibble with your off-speed, but as long as my fastball is there and I have at least one of my off-speed going that day, then for the most part I should be fine.

“(The key today was) just being able to rely on the good life I had on the fastball today and getting quick outs with it.”

Bubic’s outing actually began and ended with fastballs, thrown to Tigers leadoff hitter Akil Baddoo in the first inning and No. 7 hitter Niko Goodrum on a strikeout to end the seventh.

Bubic (6-6) didn’t give up a hit until he had two outs in the fourth inning, having faced 14 batters before giving up an infield single.

He stranded two men on base in the second after a walk and an error. He also stranded two in the fourth on a hit-by-pitch and an infield single. He also induced his team-leading 19th double play of the season in the fifth inning.

Bubic relied heavily on his fastball, which averaged 91.1 mph, and he used it effectively. He threw it 68% of the time on Sunday and evenly distributed the rest of his offerings between his curveball and changeup (16 % each).

“He threw a high percentage of those fastballs, but they were well-located fastballs and he did it right from the very first pitch of the game,” Royals manager Mike Matheny said. “He established it on both sides, but especially on the third-base side to the righties. That opened up when he did need his changeup. He used his breaking ball just as much as he used his changeup today. …

“A well-located fastball is the best pitch in the game, and it allows you to use your other stuff more effectively.”

Bubic entered the day having thrown the changeup on 31.6% of his 2,015 pitches this season, the third-highest usage in the majors (minimum 2,000 total pitches).

“He pitched great. He did a great job getting ahead, which is huge for him and really all of our pitchers — especially our young pitchers,” Royals All-Star second baseman Whit Merrifield said. “Getting ahead is something that’s really important for them to have success, and he did a great job. He threw his fastball a lot today, which is a good pitch for him. I know he likes how that changeup plays when his fastball is doing what it was doing today.”

Bubic now has five outings this season of at least six innings and two or fewer hits, the third-most in the majors. He’s posted back-to-back starts of six innings and two hits allowed.

Bubic entered the day having gone 2-0 in six games (five starts) since August 21. He posted a 3.94 ERA, .215 on-base percentage, 14 walks and 30 strikeouts in 29 2/3 innings. The Royals went 5-1 in those six games.

“I’ve been in a pretty good rhythm here lately, I think just using the fastball as effectively as I can,” Bubic said. “Today, I threw a lot of fastballs. ... Maybe that’s a product of facing this team again or just feeling good with it. I was in a good rhythm with Cam (Gallagher) all day, but I think making pitches, getting ahead in the count, was huge today.

“At the end of the day, the game is designed for the pitcher to win. You get in good counts, you stay ahead in the count, you execute your pitches, more often than not you get the job done. But the defense was great. The offense got the early lead, so it was all good from there.”