Abbott (10-10) took the loss Sunday, allowing four runs on six hits and one walk over five innings against the Royals. He struck out four.
Abbott didn't pitch particularly poorly but was mainly done in by the ninth spot in the order, with Dairon Blanco leading off the third with a bunt single and a stolen base that eventually led to the initial run, then a homer by Blanco in the fifth that pushed the deficit to three. An additional run scored on a sac fly, and Abbott's outing was over after five innings. Sunday marked the eighth consecutive outing for Abbott in which he's alternated allowing two runs or less followed immediately by four runs or more. It was also his fourth loss in five decisions after winning eight of his previous 10. If the trend holds, Abbott would notch a quality start during his next outing, and the matchup seems to fall in line with that possibility as he's next slated for a road matchup against the punchless Pirates.