ALCS Game Six

I guess I can’t start all of these with “Wow, what a game!” But wow, what a game!

There’s nothing like a narrow lead to keep the crowd in the game, and the Royals jumped off to one early. Solo shots from Ben Zobrist in the first and Mike Moustakas in the second put us on the board, and then the game settled in to a pitching duel.

The Blue Jays were having no luck against Yordano Ventura other than a one-run homer by Jose Bautista. Ah, but then it was Bautista again in the top of the eighth with a two-run blast that tied the game. Suddenly the insurance run we scored the previous inning loomed large. Fortunately at that point Ned Yost opted to stop ditzing around with the likes of Ryan Madsen and go directly to Wade Davis.

That of course put the game back in our hands in the bottom of the inning. Lorenzo Cain drew a lead-off walk, and Eric Hosmer came to the plate.

And here’s where things got good. Hosmer hit a looping single to right, and Cain was off running. Thanks to some careful observation, Mike Jirschle knew that in such situations Bautista tended to throw to the shortstop covering second rather than to the cut-off man. So when Cain came barreling around second and headed to third, the coach waved him on through.

The well-informed gamble paid off. The throw to the plate was late, and we were one run up. Of course with Davis back on the mound in the top of the ninth, the slim lead held up.

We were headed to the World Series.

For me at least this was the most overwhelming moment since the wild card win last year. I honestly didn’t think we’d ever make it this far. We seemed far more like the sort of team that would thrive in the regular season and then fail in a short series in October. Especially after our awful slump in September, we didn’t feel like the scrappy underdogs who’d best the big market teams and emerge victorious.

We do now.

BLUE JAYS (3) AT ROYALS (4)

BLUE JAYS            AB  R  H BI  ROYALS               AB  R  H BI
Ben Revere            5  1  2  0  Alcides Escobar       4  0  1  0  
Josh Donaldson        5  0  0  0  Ben Zobrist           3  1  1  1  
Jose Bautista         4  2  2  3  Lorenzo Cain          3  1  1  0  
Edwin Encarnacion     3  0  1  0  Eric Hosmer           4  0  1  1  
Chris Colabello       4  0  1  0  Kendrys Morales       4  0  1  0  
Troy Tulowitzki       4  0  0  0  Mike Moustakas        4  2  2  1  
Russell Martin        3  0  1  0  Salvador Perez        4  0  0  0  
Kevin Pillar          2  0  0  0  Alex Gordon           3  0  0  0  
Ryan Goins            3  0  0  0  Alex Rios             3  0  2  1  
 Dioner Navarro       1  0  0  0                                    
TOTALS               34  3  7  3  TOTALS               32  4  9  4

BLUE JAYS                     000 100 020 -- 3  
ROYALS                        110 000 11x -- 4  

LOB--BLUE JAYS 8, ROYALS 6. 2B--Edwin Encarnacion, Ben
Revere. HR--Jose Bautista (2), Ben Zobrist, Mike Moustakas.
SB--Kevin Pillar, Dalton Pompey (2), Alex Rios.

 BLUE JAYS                       IP    H    R   ER   BB   SO   HR
David Price                    6.67    5    3    3    1    8    2
Aaron Sanchez                  0.33    2    0    0    0    0    0
Roberto Osuna                  1.00    2    1    1    1    0    0
 ROYALS                     
Yordano Ventura                5.33    4    1    1    2    5    1
Kelvin Herrera                 1.67    0    0    0    0    2    0
Ryan Madson                    0.33    2    2    2    1    1    1
Wade Davis                     1.67    1    0    0    1    3    0

WP--Wade Davis. SO--Russell Martin, Chris Colabello, Dioner
Navarro, Troy Tulowitzki (2), Josh Donaldson (2), Ben Revere
(2), Ryan Goins (2), Kendrys Morales, Alex Gordon (2),
Alcides Escobar, Eric Hosmer, Mike Moustakas, Salvador Perez
(2). BB--Russell Martin, Edwin Encarnacion, Kevin Pillar
(2), Ben Zobrist, Lorenzo Cain.

ALCS Game Two

Going into the series with Toronto, it seemed not unlikely that we’d see some friction. The two teams butted heads in early August, and then the Blue Jays really got into it – including two bench-clearing altercations in one hour-long inning – while putting the Rangers away. The first game of the ALCS looked clean (at least from where we were sitting), but this one got a little noisy. Jose Bautista was especially bad, faking a toss into the stands and then later badmouthing a teammate for a bad play that was at least partially his own fault.

Still, his frustration – if not its expression – was understandable. Starter David Price threw six innings of excellent baseball. He gave up a first-pitch-of-the-game single to Alcides Escobar, but after that it was 18 straight outs. Behind him, the Jays scored one in the third and two in the sixth. It wasn’t a commanding lead, but it was starting to look like it might hold up.

It looked like our dismal luck would continue when Ben Zobrist led off the seventh with a pop-up to shallow right. But when Bautista and Ryan Goins both looked like they might come up short, the crowd noise picked up. Apparently it was enough to disrupt the “I got it” shouts they needed to complete the play. The ball dropped between them – one of Joe Morgan’s “team errors” – and Zobrist was safe at first.

Four singles and a double later, we’d scored five runs and taken a lead we’d hold until the end of the game. More station-to-station hitting tacked on another run in the bottom of the next inning, but it was just insurance. Our bullpen shut the Jays down, and we found ourselves headed to Toronto with a two-to-nothing lead in the series.

This afternoon the Royals did what they’ve been doing best. We’ve got the new trick of the late inning comeback combined with the old trick of ace relievers holding our leads. If I had any hair to raise, games like this would be a hair-raising experience. But if that’s how we win games, so be it.

BLUE JAYS (3) AT ROYALS (6)

BLUE JAYS            AB  R  H BI  ROYALS               AB  R  H BI
Ben Revere            5  0  0  0  Alcides Escobar       4  0  1  0  
Josh Donaldson        5  1  1  0  Ben Zobrist           4  1  1  0  
Jose Bautista         4  1  0  0  Lorenzo Cain          3  1  1  0  
Edwin Encarnacion     4  0  2  1  Eric Hosmer           3  2  1  1  
Chris Colabello       4  0  2  0  Kendrys Morales       3  0  0  1  
Troy Tulowitzki       4  0  2  1  Mike Moustakas        4  1  2  2  
Russell Martin        3  0  0  0  Salvador Perez        4  0  0  0  
Kevin Pillar          4  1  2  0  Alex Gordon           3  1  1  1  
Ryan Goins            3  0  1  1  Alex Rios             3  0  1  1  
 Cliff Pennington     0  0  0  0                                    
TOTALS               36  3 10  3  TOTALS               31  6  8  6

BLUE JAYS                     001 002 000 -- 3  
ROYALS                        000 000 51x -- 6  

LOB--BLUE JAYS 9, ROYALS 4. 2B--Chris Colabello, Troy
Tulowitzki, Ryan Goins, Kevin Pillar, Alex Gordon.

 BLUE JAYS                       IP    H    R   ER   BB   SO   HR
David Price                    6.67    6    5    5    0    8    0
Aaron Sanchez                  0.67    1    0    0    1    0    0
Aaron Loup                     0.33    1    1    1    2    0    0
Mark Lowe                      0.33    0    0    0    0    0    0
 ROYALS                     
Yordano Ventura                5.33    8    3    3    2    6    0
Luke Hochevar                  0.67    0    0    0    0    0    0
Danny Duffy                    1.00    0    0    0    0    1    0
Kelvin Herrera                 1.00    1    0    0    0    2    0
Wade Davis                     1.00    1    0    0    1    2    0

SO--Jose Bautista, Russell Martin, Chris Colabello, Troy
Tulowitzki, Edwin Encarnacion (2), Josh Donaldson (2), Ben
Revere (2), Ryan Goins, Kendrys Morales, Alex Rios, Ben
Zobrist, Alex Gordon, Alcides Escobar, Eric Hosmer (2),
Salvador Perez. BB--Jose Bautista, Russell Martin, Cliff
Pennington, Kendrys Morales, Lorenzo Cain, Eric Hosmer.

ALCS Game One

If you told me two years ago that I’d see the Royals end up on the winning side of a shut-out in the American League Championship Series, I would have looked at you like you had lobsters crawling out of your ears. For that matter, if you told me the same thing two weeks ago I still would have treated you to some serious side eye.

And yet here it was. The Blue Jays got some hits and walks here and there, but they never managed to string enough of them together to come around and score. For our part, doubles were the name of the game. Salvador Perez hit a single shot over the wall in the fourth, but otherwise the strategy was to get runners on and then double them in. It put five runs on the board, which proved to be enough.

It was a well-played game and we finished on top. What more could any fan ask from the playoffs?

BLUE JAYS (0) AT ROYALS (5)

BLUE JAYS            AB  R  H BI  ROYALS               AB  R  H BI
Ben Revere            4  0  0  0  Alcides Escobar       3  2  2  1  
Josh Donaldson        3  0  1  0  Ben Zobrist           4  1  1  0  
Jose Bautista         1  0  0  0  Lorenzo Cain          4  0  1  1  
Edwin Encarnacion     3  0  0  0  Eric Hosmer           4  0  1  1  
 Justin Smoak         1  0  0  0  Kendrys Morales       3  0  1  1  
Chris Colabello       4  0  1  0  Mike Moustakas        4  0  0  0  
Troy Tulowitzki       4  0  0  0  Salvador Perez        3  1  1  1  
Dioner Navarro        4  0  0  0  Alex Gordon           3  1  1  0  
Kevin Pillar          3  0  0  0  Alex Rios             3  0  0  0  
Ryan Goins            3  0  1  0                                    
TOTALS               30  0  3  0  TOTALS               31  5  8  5

BLUE JAYS                     000 000 000 -- 0  
ROYALS                        002 100 02x -- 5  

LOB--BLUE JAYS 9, ROYALS 4. ERR--Josh Donaldson, Mike
Moustakas. 2B--Alex Gordon, Alcides Escobar (2), Eric
Hosmer. HR--Salvador Perez. HBP--Alcides Escobar.
SACF--Kendrys Morales. SACB--Ryan Goins. SB--Lorenzo Cain.

 BLUE JAYS                       IP    H    R   ER   BB   SO   HR
Marco Estrada                  5.33    6    3    3    0    6    1
Aaron Loup                     0.67    0    0    0    0    0    0
Mark Lowe                      1.00    0    0    0    0    1    0
LaTroy Hawkins                 1.00    2    2    2    0    0    0
 ROYALS                     
Edinson Volquez                6.00    2    0    0    4    5    0
Kelvin Herrera                 1.00    0    0    0    0    2    0
Ryan Madson                    1.00    1    0    0    1    0    0
Luke Hochevar                  1.00    0    0    0    0    0    0

SO--Jose Bautista, Dioner Navarro, Troy Tulowitzki (2),
Edwin Encarnacion, Ben Revere, Ryan Goins, Kendrys Morales
(2), Alex Rios (2), Lorenzo Cain, Mike Moustakas (2).
BB--Jose Bautista (3), Josh Donaldson, Kevin Pillar.

ALDS Game Five

Ah, now that's a good deal more like it. This one felt like the wild card game felt last year, the same craziness on the field and in the stands.

The game got off to a mixed start. Johnny Cueto finally started doing the big-game pitching we hired him for. Other than a single and a home run (sadly back to back) in the second, he no-hit one of the best teams in baseball.

Eschewing our previous practice of getting off to an early lead, we held back until the middle innings and then put some offense together. In the bottom halves of the innings, the game played a lot like the Monday victory that got us back home to begin with.

The fifth inning was particularly sweet. We took the lead with station-to-station hitting. Then for the fans of the long ball, Kendrys Morales padded the lead with a three-run blast to center. Nobody wanted to repeat the mistake made by the Governor of Texas (who on Monday during the game tweeted that the Astros were headed to the ALCS), but at that point it looked like we had it in the bag.

Which we did. Pandemonium in the stands. Celebration on the field. Ned Yost got the ice bucket (though it could just as easily have been dumped on Cueto).

For the first time this postseason, things seemed more like 2014.

ASTROS (2) AT ROYALS (7)

ASTROS               AB  R  H BI  ROYALS               AB  R  H BI
Jose Altuve           4  0  0  0  Alcides Escobar       3  1  1  0  
George Springer       4  0  0  0  Ben Zobrist           2  0  0  1  
Carlos Correa         3  0  0  0  Lorenzo Cain          3  2  1  0  
Colby Rasmus          3  0  0  0  Eric Hosmer           4  0  1  1  
Carlos Gomez          3  0  0  0  Kendrys Morales       4  1  1  3  
Evan Gattis           3  1  1  0  Mike Moustakas        4  0  0  0  
Luis Valbuena         3  1  1  2  Salvador Perez        2  1  1  0  
Chris Carter          3  0  0  0  Alex Gordon           3  1  1  0  
Jason Castro          2  0  0  0  Alex Rios             3  1  2  2  
 Preston Tucker       1  0  0  0                                    
TOTALS               29  2  2  2  TOTALS               28  7  8  7

ASTROS                        020 000 000 -- 2  
ROYALS                        000 130 03x -- 7  

LOB--ASTROS 0, ROYALS 2. 2B--Alex Rios, Alex Gordon, Alcides
Escobar. HR--Luis Valbuena, Kendrys Morales. HBP--Salvador
Perez. SACF--Ben Zobrist. SACB--Alcides Escobar.

 ASTROS                          IP    H    R   ER   BB   SO   HR
Collin McHugh                  4.00    5    3    3    1    1    0
Mike Fiers                     1.00    1    1    1    0    0    0
Tony Sipp                      1.67    0    0    0    0    1    0
Pat Neshek                     0.33    0    0    0    0    1    0
Dallas Keuchel                 1.00    2    3    3    1    0    1
 ROYALS                     
Johnny Cueto                   8.00    2    2    2    0    8    1
Wade Davis                     1.00    0    0    0    0    1    0

SO--Colby Rasmus (3), Carlos Gomez, Chris Carter, Evan
Gattis, George Springer (2), Preston Tucker, Alex Rios, Ben
Zobrist, Alex Gordon. BB--Ben Zobrist, Lorenzo Cain.

ALDS Game Two

This one picked up where the last one left off. The Astros took an early lead. We had a little more luck scoring against Scott Kazmir, but we still found ourselves trailing early and not managing to catch up.

Then in the bottom of the sixth things finally turned around. We quit gunning for the fences and put together a string of station-to-station plays that tied the game. It was especially satisfying to see Eric Hosmer (who represented the tying run) go first to third on a single by Kendrys Morales that probably wouldn’t have happened if the Astros hadn’t been playing yet another stupid shift.

Alcides Escobar led off the bottom of the seventh with a triple (always fun to see one of those regardless of the circumstances) and then became what proved to be the winning run. The best part about our two good innings is that they finally brought the crowd back into the game. The ballpark was as loud as it was last year, which seemed to help in no small measure.

The final nail for Houston was dramatic pick-off at first in the top of the ninth, Wade Davis’s first in years (literally). Such a play would have been exciting by itself, but here it was made more so by the success of an appeal of the first base umpire’s bad “safe” call.

That was actually the second appeal that went our way. The other was also at first, when Escobar bunted for what was clearly a single but was called out nonetheless. I’m still iffy on instant replay, but it was certainly handy this afternoon.

So that was much better than we’ve seen recently. I even liked the 2:45 start time, which allowed us to get out to the K without too much traffic trouble and got the game done in time for us to grab Touch of Asia for dinner. I hope we didn’t jinx the team by indulging in our usual last-game-of-the-season meal!

ASTROS (4) AT ROYALS (5)

ASTROS               AB  R  H BI  ROYALS               AB  R  H BI
Jose Altuve           5  0  0  0  Alcides Escobar       5  1  2  0  
George Springer       3  1  1  2  Ben Zobrist           4  0  2  1  
Carlos Correa         4  0  1  0  Lorenzo Cain          4  1  1  0  
Colby Rasmus          3  1  2  2  Eric Hosmer           4  1  1  1  
Evan Gattis           4  0  1  0  Kendrys Morales       4  0  1  0  
Luis Valbuena         4  0  1  0  Mike Moustakas        3  0  0  0  
Chris Carter          4  1  1  0  Salvador Perez        3  1  2  2  
Jason Castro          2  1  0  0  Alex Gordon           3  0  1  0  
 Jed Lowrie           1  0  0  0  Alex Rios             3  1  1  0  
Jake Marisnick        3  0  1  0   Paulo Orlando        1  0  0  0  
 Preston Tucker       0  0  0  0                                    
TOTALS               33  4  8  4  TOTALS               34  5 11  4

ASTROS                        121 000 000 -- 4  
ROYALS                        011 002 10x -- 5  

LOB--ASTROS 6, ROYALS 8. 2B--Colby Rasmus, Alex Rios,
Lorenzo Cain. 3B--Alcides Escobar. HR--Colby Rasmus,
Salvador Perez. SB--Jarrod Dyson.

 ASTROS                          IP    H    R   ER   BB   SO   HR
Scott Kazmir                   5.33    5    3    3    1    4    1
Oliver Perez                   0.00    2    1    1    1    0    0
Josh Fields                    0.67    0    0    0    1    2    0
Will Harris                    0.67    2    1    1    0    0    0
Tony Sipp                      0.67    0    0    0    0    0    0
Pat Neshek                     0.67    2    0    0    0    1    0
 ROYALS                     
Johnny Cueto                   6.00    7    4    4    3    5    1
Kelvin Herrera                 1.00    1    0    0    0    1    0
Ryan Madson                    1.00    0    0    0    0    2    0
Wade Davis                     1.00    0    0    0    1    1    0

SO--Luis Valbuena (2), Jed Lowrie, Chris Carter (2), Jake
Marisnick, George Springer, Carlos Correa (2), Kendrys
Morales (2), Alex Rios, Alex Gordon, Alcides Escobar,
Salvador Perez, Paulo Orlando. BB--Colby Rasmus, Jason
Castro, George Springer, Preston Tucker, Alex Gordon, Mike
Moustakas, Salvador Perez.

ALDS Game One

The feel of the postseason is definitely much different this year. In 2014 we were the scrappy underdogs who ended a 29-year drought by barely squeaking in as the wild card winner. This time around we were on top of the division by mid season but limped over the finish line thanks to a dismal September.

Sadly, the limping team showed up to play this evening. The Royals weren’t bad, really. The Astros were just better. Other than two solo-shot home runs by Kendrys Morales, we put together pretty much no offense at all. The Astros weren’t exactly tearing the covers off the balls, but they managed to take the lead early and hold onto it.

An extended rain delay didn’t exactly help matters. Yordano Ventura wasn’t off to a stellar start, so it was actually helpful when Chris Young took his place at the end of the delay. However, the extended down time gave a large chunk of the crowd enough time to get drunk on expensive beer, which overall tended to make them even less engaged once play resumed. Without massive cheering to buoy our guys up and freak out the visitors, the Royals never seemed to have a chance.

It’s hard not to imagine that this is how the rest of the series will go. Guess we’ll find out tomorrow.

ASTROS (5) AT ROYALS (2)

ASTROS               AB  R  H BI  ROYALS               AB  R  H BI
Jose Altuve           5  1  3  1  Alcides Escobar       4  0  0  0  
George Springer       4  2  2  1  Ben Zobrist           4  0  2  0  
Carlos Correa         5  0  1  0  Lorenzo Cain          4  0  1  0  
Colby Rasmus          3  1  1  2  Eric Hosmer           4  0  0  0  
Evan Gattis           4  0  1  1  Kendrys Morales       4  2  2  2  
Luis Valbuena         3  0  0  0  Mike Moustakas        3  0  0  0  
Chris Carter          4  0  1  0  Salvador Perez        4  0  0  0  
Jason Castro          4  0  0  0  Alex Gordon           4  0  1  0  
Jake Marisnick        4  1  2  0  Alex Rios             2  0  0  0  
TOTALS               36  5 11  5  TOTALS               33  2  6  2

ASTROS                        210 010 010 -- 5  
ROYALS                        010 100 000 -- 2  

LOB--ASTROS 7, ROYALS 6. 2B--Jake Marisnick. HR--Colby
Rasmus, George Springer, Kendrys Morales (2). HBP--Mike
Moustakas. SB--Colby Rasmus, Ben Zobrist.

 ASTROS                          IP    H    R   ER   BB   SO   HR
Collin McHugh                  6.00    4    2    2    1    1    2
Tony Sipp                      1.00    0    0    0    0    0    0
Will Harris                    0.67    2    0    0    0    1    0
Oliver Perez                   0.33    0    0    0    0    0    0
Luke Gregerson                 1.00    0    0    0    0    2    0
 ROYALS                     
Yordano Ventura                2.00    4    3    3    1    2    0
Chris Young                    4.00    3    1    1    2    7    1
Kelvin Herrera                 1.00    1    0    0    0    2    0
Ryan Madson                    1.00    2    1    1    0    3    1
Luke Hochevar                  1.00    1    0    0    0    0    0

SO--Colby Rasmus, Luis Valbuena (3), Chris Carter (2), Jason
Castro (3), Evan Gattis, Jake Marisnick, George Springer,
Carlos Correa (2), Kendrys Morales, Alex Rios, Alcides
Escobar, Salvador Perez. BB--Colby Rasmus, Luis Valbuena,
George Springer, Alex Rios.

The tickets are here

Yes, real honest-to-goodness tickets. And parking passes.

Just makes it seem all the more real.

Game 21 vs. Cleveland

This is the way the season ends. The regular season, anyway.

The Royals clinched the AL Central last night. On the plus side, that meant we got to see the official flag go up the pole for the first time. On the minus side, that meant Ned Yost opted to give the A Team the night off. So we got to watch Cleveland trounce the Storm Chasers.

I’m glad the guys got some rest time. But the game really wasn’t much fun to watch. Carlos Carrasco completely shut us down. Two walks and a weak single up the middle were the only things separating him from a perfect game. The closest this came to exciting were the two foul balls that popped into the stands unusually close to us.

And it was Buck Night. And there were no fireworks.

Thank goodness for the postseason. If I’d known it going to go this way, I might have skipped it and driven up to Des Moines the night before the regatta instead of going up the morning of.

INDIANS (6) AT ROYALS (0)

INDIANS              AB  R  H BI  ROYALS               AB  R  H BI
Jason Kipnis          5  0  2  0  Jarrod Dyson          4  0  0  0  
Jose Ramirez          5  1  2  1  Ben Zobrist           4  0  0  0  
Francisco Lindor      4  0  0  1  Alex Rios             3  0  1  0  
Carlos Santana        2  0  0  0  Paulo Orlando         3  0  0  0  
Lonnie Chisenhall     5  0  0  0  Jonny Gomes           3  0  0  0  
Chris Johnson         4  1  1  0  Cheslor Cuthbert      3  0  0  0  
Abraham Almonte       3  2  1  2  Christian Colon       2  0  0  0  
Roberto Perez         4  1  1  2  Drew Butera           2  0  0  0  
Michael Martinez      3  1  1  0  Francisco Pena        3  0  0  0  
TOTALS               35  6  8  6  TOTALS               27  0  1  0

INDIANS                       120 000 201 -- 6  
ROYALS                        000 000 000 -- 0  

LOB--INDIANS 8, ROYALS 2. 2B--Jason Kipnis. HR--Jose
Ramirez, Abraham Almonte, Roberto Perez.

 INDIANS                         IP    H    R   ER   BB   SO   HR
Carlos Carrasco                9.00    1    0    0    2   15    0
 ROYALS                     
Edinson Volquez                6.00    4    3    3    2    7    2
Franklin Morales               0.33    3    2    2    1    1    1
Danny Duffy                    0.67    0    0    0    1    0    0
Miguel Almonte                 1.00    0    0    0    0    0    0
Scott Alexander                1.00    1    1    1    2    0    0

SO--Chris Johnson (2), Carlos Santana (2), Michael Martinez
(2), Lonnie Chisenhall, Jason Kipnis, Alex Rios, Ben Zobrist
(3), Jonny Gomes (3), Drew Butera, Jarrod Dyson, Francisco
Pena, Christian Colon, Cheslor Cuthbert, Paulo Orlando (3).
BB--Carlos Santana (3), Michael Martinez, Abraham Almonte,
Francisco Lindor, Drew Butera, Christian Colon.

Game 20 vs. Minnesota

Our guys have been on a real losing streak lately. We blew all three games of a weekend series in Chicago, and then we lost the series opener against the Twins yesterday. Dropping some contests against the cellar-dwelling White Sox wasn’t the end of the world, especially if Ned needed the leeway to tinker with the lineup. But we need to beat Minnesota. We shave two games off our magic number every time we do.

And tonight we did. Edinson Volquez got off to a bit of a shaky start, but a double play rescued him in the top of the first. Then in the bottom of the inning we went to work, scoring the first four guys who came up against Kyle Gibson. Other than a brief Minnesota rally in the third, that was it for scoring.

We did get to see some impressive fielding, however. Alex Rios made an impressive snow cone catch to keep the lead batter off base in the top of the eighth. And in the top of the ninth Alcides Escobar made his nightly bid for the Web Gems segment on SportsCenter by twisting and firing from his knees to throw Joe Mauer out by a hair at first. Appeal overruled.

TWINS (2) AT ROYALS (4)

TWINS                AB  R  H BI  ROYALS               AB  R  H BI
Aaron Hicks           4  0  2  0  Ben Zobrist           4  1  1  0  
Brian Dozier          3  1  1  1  Alex Gordon           4  1  3  0  
Joe Mauer             4  0  2  1  Lorenzo Cain          3  1  0  0  
Trevor Plouffe        4  0  0  0  Eric Hosmer           4  1  1  3  
Eddie Rosario         4  0  0  0  Kendrys Morales       3  0  1  1  
Torii Hunter          3  0  0  0  Mike Moustakas        2  0  0  0  
Eduardo Escobar       3  0  0  0  Salvador Perez        3  0  0  0  
Chris Herrmann        2  0  0  0  Alex Rios             3  0  0  0  
 Ervin Santana        1  0  0  0  Alcides Escobar       3  0  0  0  
Byron Buxton          3  1  1  0                                    
TOTALS               31  2  6  2  TOTALS               29  4  6  4

TWINS                         002 000 000 -- 2  
ROYALS                        400 000 00x -- 4  

LOB--TWINS 3, ROYALS 3. 2B--Joe Mauer, Kendrys Morales, Alex
Gordon, Eric Hosmer. HBP--Brian Dozier. SB--Byron Buxton.

 TWINS                           IP    H    R   ER   BB   SO   HR
Kyle Gibson                    8.00    6    4    4    2    4    0
 ROYALS                     
Edinson Volquez                7.00    6    2    2    0    3    0
Wade Davis                     1.00    0    0    0    0    1    0
Greg Holland                   1.00    0    0    0    0    0    0

SO--Joe Mauer, Brian Dozier, Chris Herrmann, Byron Buxton,
Alex Rios, Ben Zobrist, Alcides Escobar, Eric Hosmer.
BB--Lorenzo Cain, Mike Moustakas.

Game 19 vs. Detroit

Welcome to September baseball. In years past this would have been our golden opportunity to watch the Omaha Storm Chasers take the field as Bob Boone or Tony Muser got an early start on setting lineups for the start of spring training next year. Now of course it’s Ned Yost getting an early start on setting lineups for the postseason this year. Thus I was quite glad the iScore app did most of the work of keeping track of all the comings and goings.

It was a strange game even aside from the substitutions. Yordano Ventura hit Ian Kinsler with a pitch in the top of the first. Apparently Detroit thought hitting Sal Perez in the bottom of the second would be a good way to get payback for that. It was the first time in my recent memory when I’ve seen an umpire issue a warning to both benches.

Then in the top of the fourth Miguel Cabrera really let his temper get the better of him. After looking at strike three, he took considerable umbrage with the home plate umpire. Getting nowhere there, he ambled down the third base line (bat in hand) to take the matter up with the crew chief. Who promptly ejected him.

And then of all the crazy things, Cheslor Cuthbert ended up being player of the game. He was subbing for Mike Moustakas at third, where he made a couple of really solid plays (to the good-hearted cheer of “not-mooooooose!”). And in the fifth he hit his first major league home run. Of course at that point it was icing on an already substantial lead, but it was still a good moment for him.

I should also mention at this point that the Royals have a magic number for the first time since 1985. I remember back then that the Star would print it at the top of the front page every morning. Thirty years later of course one finds it in one’s Twitter feed mere moments after the games end. Still, it’s quite a feeling. Wonderful but disorienting, sort of like the postseason last year.

TIGERS (1) AT ROYALS (12)

TIGERS               AB  R  H BI  ROYALS               AB  R  H BI
Anthony Gose          4  1  1  0  Alcides Escobar       4  0  1  1  
Ian Kinsler           2  0  0  1   Christian Colon      1  0  0  0  
 Rajai Davis          1  0  0  0  Ben Zobrist           2  2  1  1  
Miguel Cabrera        2  0  1  0   Omar Infante         2  0  0  0  
 Andrew Romine        2  0  0  0  Lorenzo Cain          3  2  2  3  
J.D. Martinez         3  0  1  0   Jarrod Dyson         2  0  1  0  
 Bryan Holaday        1  0  0  0  Eric Hosmer           3  1  1  0  
Victor Martinez       4  0  0  0   Drew Butera          1  0  0  0  
Nick Castellanos      3  0  0  0  Kendrys Morales       5  2  2  3  
Tyler Collins         3  0  1  0  Jonny Gomes           2  1  1  0  
Jose Iglesias         3  0  1  0   Terrance Gore        1  0  0  0  
Alex Avila            3  0  0  0  Salvador Perez        2  1  0  0  
                                  Cheslor Cuthbert      3  1  2  4  
                                  Paulo Orlando         4  2  3  0  
TOTALS               31  1  5  1  TOTALS               35 12 14 12

TIGERS                        000 001 000 -- 1  
ROYALS                        121 530 00x -- 12 

LOB--TIGERS 5, ROYALS 5. 2B--J.D. Martinez, Jonny Gomes,
Lorenzo Cain, Paulo Orlando (2). 3B--Anthony Gose, Paulo
Orlando. HR--Kendrys Morales, Ben Zobrist, Lorenzo Cain,
Cheslor Cuthbert. HBP--Ian Kinsler, Salvador Perez.

 TIGERS                          IP    H    R   ER   BB   SO   HR
Randy Wolf                     3.67    8    8    8    3    2    2
Guido Knudson                  0.33    4    4    4    1    1    2
Buck Farmer                    3.00    2    0    0    1    1    0
Tom Gorzelanny                 1.00    0    0    0    0    2    0
 ROYALS                     
Yordano Ventura                7.00    5    1    1    1   11    0
Franklin Morales               1.00    0    0    0    0    0    0
Scott Alexander                1.00    0    0    0    0    1    0

WP--Randy Wolf, Yordano Ventura. SO--Ian Kinsler, Miguel
Cabrera, Alex Avila (3), J.D. Martinez, Anthony Gose (2),
Nick Castellanos (3), Tyler Collins, Kendrys Morales, Jonny
Gomes, Drew Butera, Cheslor Cuthbert, Terrance Gore, Paulo
Orlando. BB--Nick Castellanos, Ben Zobrist, Jonny Gomes,
Eric Hosmer, Salvador Perez, Cheslor Cuthbert.

Game 18 vs. Baltimore

Based solely on the line score, I could have copied the last entry and pasted it in here. Once again the visitors drew first blood. And once again we made a decisive come-back in the bottom of the sixth. But there was a lot more to this game than that.

Manny Machado led off the first with what was ruled a catch at the wall by Lorenzo Cain. On a challenge, however, replay showed that the ball bounced out of Cain’s glove and hit the wall before coming to rest in his grip, making it a ground rule double. We’ve seen a lot of challenges this season, but that’s the first one I can recall where I thought “wow, that really did need to be reversed.” I’m just sorry it went against us, especially as Machado then scored on a two-run homer by Adam Jones.

Despite struggling at the plate in the early going, our guys hung in there. Mike Moustakas in particular was on fire. He made a “!!” play in the fifth and a “!” play in the sixth. Combine that with a home run in the bottom of the sixth, and he was definitely the guy of the game.

Speaking of the sixth, we batted around plus two. Omar Infante even hit his first of two triples in the game. Dramatic stuff!

ORIOLES (3) AT ROYALS (8)

ORIOLES              AB  R  H BI  ROYALS               AB  R  H BI
Manny Machado         4  1  1  0  Alcides Escobar       5  1  1  0  
Gerardo Parra         4  0  0  0  Ben Zobrist           4  2  2  0  
Adam Jones            4  2  2  2  Lorenzo Cain          5  0  3  2  
Chris Davis           3  0  0  0  Eric Hosmer           4  1  1  1  
Steve Clevenger       3  0  1  1  Kendrys Morales       3  0  0  0  
Matt Wieters          3  0  0  0  Mike Moustakas        4  1  1  2  
Jonathan Schoop       3  0  1  0  Salvador Perez        4  1  1  0  
Henry Urrutia         2  0  0  0  Alex Rios             4  1  2  0  
 Steve Pearce         1  0  0  0  Omar Infante          4  1  2  2  
Ryan Flaherty         3  0  0  0                                    
TOTALS               30  3  5  3  TOTALS               37  8 13  7

ORIOLES                       200 100 000 -- 3  
ROYALS                        001 007 00x -- 8  

LOB--ORIOLES 0, ROYALS 7. ERR--Ryan Flaherty. 2B--Steve
Clevenger, Manny Machado, Alex Rios, Eric Hosmer. 3B--Omar
Infante (2). HR--Adam Jones, Mike Moustakas.

 ORIOLES                         IP    H    R   ER   BB   SO   HR
Ubaldo Jimenez                 5.67   10    7    7    1    3    1
Brad Brach                     1.00    2    1    1    0    0    0
Jorge Rondon                   1.33    1    0    0    1    2    0
 ROYALS                     
Kris Medlen                    6.00    5    3    3    0    6    1
Franklin Morales               2.00    0    0    0    0    0    0
Luke Hochevar                  1.00    0    0    0    0    2    0

SO--Gerardo Parra (2), Chris Davis (2), Matt Wieters (2),
Steve Clevenger, Manny Machado, Alcides Escobar, Lorenzo
Cain, Mike Moustakas, Salvador Perez (2). BB--Kendrys
Morales, Ben Zobrist.

Game 17 vs. Los Angeles of Anaheim

This one started off to be the sort of thing we all dreaded before last year. Shane Victorino led off the first with a double, coming around to score on another one by Mike Trout. In the past such a beginning could well have presaged a drawn-out, offense-free debacle ending in a one-run loss.

Indeed, that seemed to be how it was shaping up even with this year’s team in the game. Through the first five innings we managed one single, one walk and a couple of hit batters.

But then LA’s wheels came off in the bottom of the sixth. Ben Zobrist doubled and then scored on a pair of Angel errors. Then Eric Hosmer hit a two-run blast that put us ahead, where we stayed for the rest of the game. Additional small ball put another run on the board for us in the eighth, but it proved to be unnecessary insurance.

ANGELS (1) AT ROYALS (4)

ANGELS               AB  R  H BI  ROYALS               AB  R  H BI
Shane Victorino       2  1  1  0  Alcides Escobar       5  0  0  0  
 David Murphy         2  0  1  0  Ben Zobrist           4  1  2  0  
Kole Calhoun          3  0  0  0   Jarrod Dyson         0  0  0  0  
Mike Trout            3  0  2  1  Lorenzo Cain          4  1  1  1  
Albert Pujols         4  0  0  0  Eric Hosmer           4  1  1  2  
C.J. Cron             4  0  0  0  Kendrys Morales       2  0  0  0  
Johnny Giavotella     4  0  0  0  Mike Moustakas        1  0  0  0  
Carlos Perez          4  0  0  0  Alex Rios             4  0  1  0  
Conor Gillaspie       4  0  2  0  Omar Infante          4  0  0  0  
Taylor Featherston    2  0  1  0  Drew Butera           3  0  1  1  
 David DeJesus        1  0  0  0  *Paulo Orlando        0  1  0  0  
TOTALS               33  1  7  1  TOTALS               31  4  6  4

ANGELS                        100 000 000 -- 1  
ROYALS                        000 003 01x -- 4  

LOB--ANGELS 10, ROYALS 9. ERR--Jered Weaver, Albert Pujols,
Ben Zobrist. 2B--Shane Victorino, Conor Gillaspie, Mike
Trout, Ben Zobrist. HR--Eric Hosmer. HBP--Shane Victorino,
Kole Calhoun, Taylor Featherston, Drew Butera, Mike
Moustakas. SB--Alcides Escobar, Lorenzo Cain.

 ANGELS                          IP    H    R   ER   BB   SO   HR
Jered Weaver                   6.00    4    3    2    2    3    1
Fernando Salas                 0.67    1    0    0    0    0    0
Cesar Ramos                    0.33    0    1    1    2    0    0
Joe Smith                      1.00    1    0    0    0    0    0
 ROYALS                     
Danny Duffy                    6.00    5    1    1    0    2    0
Ryan Madson                    1.00    1    0    0    2    0    0
Kelvin Herrera                 1.00    0    0    0    0    1    0
Greg Holland                   1.00    1    0    0    0    3    0

SO--Shane Victorino, David DeJesus, Conor Gillaspie, Mike
Trout, Kole Calhoun, C.J. Cron, Kendrys Morales, Omar
Infante, Mike Moustakas. BB--Mike Trout, Kole Calhoun,
Kendrys Morales (2), Mike Moustakas (2).

Game 16 vs. Detroit

At the beginning of the season the Royals and Tigers looked to be the hot AL Central rivalry. Apparently that was based on an over-estimation of Detroit and a slight under-estimation of Minnesota. But on this particular evening the Tigers’ woes played to our advantage.

Despite the somewhat lopsided score, this was actually a really good game. In the top of the fourth Jarrod Dyson (subbing for Alex Gordon) ran down a long double and fired it Alcides Escobar at cut-off, who then gunned down James McCann at the plate. It was one of those plays that would have failed if it had gone even slightly differently. Those are such fun to watch.

Our runs came mostly from the long ball, which I admit isn’t my favorite kind of offense. But when it leads to a comfortable win, I’ll take what I can get.

TIGERS (1) AT ROYALS (6)

TIGERS               AB  R  H BI  ROYALS               AB  R  H BI
Anthony Gose          2  0  0  0  Alcides Escobar       4  0  0  0  
 Rajai Davis          1  0  0  1  Ben Zobrist           4  0  0  0  
Jose Iglesias         3  0  0  0  Lorenzo Cain          4  2  4  1  
Ian Kinsler           3  0  0  0  Eric Hosmer           4  2  1  2  
Victor Martinez       3  0  0  0  Kendrys Morales       3  1  0  0  
J.D. Martinez         2  0  0  0  Mike Moustakas        4  1  2  3  
Tyler Collins         3  0  1  0  Salvador Perez        3  0  1  0  
James McCann          4  0  0  0   Drew Butera          0  0  0  0  
Jefry Marte           4  1  1  0  Paulo Orlando         4  0  1  0  
Andrew Romine         4  0  1  0  Jarrod Dyson          3  0  0  0  
TOTALS               29  1  3  1  TOTALS               33  6  9  6

TIGERS                        000 000 100 -- 1  
ROYALS                        200 003 01x -- 6  

LOB--TIGERS 9, ROYALS 5. ERR--Tyler Collins, Ben Zobrist.
2B--Jefry Marte, Lorenzo Cain, Paulo Orlando. HR--Lorenzo
Cain, Eric Hosmer, Mike Moustakas. SACF--Rajai Davis.
SB--Eric Hosmer.

 TIGERS                          IP    H    R   ER   BB   SO   HR
Anibal Sanchez                 5.33    7    5    5    1    4    3
Neftali Feliz                  0.67    0    0    0    0    2    0
Al Alburquerque                1.00    0    0    0    0    1    0
Tom Gorzelanny                 1.00    2    1    0    1    1    0
 ROYALS                     
Yordano Ventura                6.00    1    0    0    6    8    0
Franklin Morales               0.33    2    1    1    1    0    0
Luke Hochevar                  2.67    0    0    0    0    3    0

SO--Victor Martinez, Ian Kinsler, Andrew Romine (2), J.D.
Martinez, Anthony Gose (2), Tyler Collins (2), Jefry Marte
(2), Kendrys Morales, Jarrod Dyson (3), Eric Hosmer,
Salvador Perez, Paulo Orlando (2). BB--Victor Martinez, Ian
Kinsler, Jose Iglesias, J.D. Martinez (2), Anthony Gose,
Tyler Collins, Kendrys Morales, Drew Butera.

Game 15 vs. Houston

Now this was a little more like it, especially compared to the last one.

Both Danny Duffy and Astros’ starter Scott Feldman threw outstanding games. This was one of those contests where it seemed like any scoring opportunity, no matter how small, could be the single deciding factor in the game.

So when Jose Altuve singled to start the sixth and then came around to score on a double by Marwin Gonzalez, it honestly felt like that might be it. But then in the bottom of the seventh we scraped together a little offense of our own and tied it up.

Which ended up taking it to extras. At that point I was beyond tired (I rowed in the Sunflower State Games earlier in the day) and Amy spent a chunk of the day at work. So it came as quite a relief when Paulo Orlando singled in the bottom of the tenth, stole second and came around to score on another single by Alcides Escobar.

Beyond that the game was primarily notable for replay appeals, none of which went Houston’s way.

ASTROS (1) AT ROYALS (2)

ASTROS               AB  R  H BI  ROYALS               AB  R  H BI
Jose Altuve           4  1  2  0  Alcides Escobar       5  1  2  1  
Marwin Gonzalez       4  0  2  0  Mike Moustakas        4  0  1  0  
Carlos Correa         3  0  0  1  Kendrys Morales       4  0  1  0  
Evan Gattis           4  0  0  0  Eric Hosmer           3  0  1  0  
Preston Tucker        4  0  1  0  Salvador Perez        2  0  0  1  
Chris Carter          4  0  0  0  Alex Rios             4  0  0  0  
Colby Rasmus          3  0  0  0  Omar Infante          4  0  0  0  
Hank Conger           3  0  0  0  Paulo Orlando         4  1  2  0  
Jake Marisnick        3  0  0  0  Jarrod Dyson          4  0  0  0  
TOTALS               32  1  5  1  TOTALS               34  2  7  2

ASTROS                        000 001 000 0 -- 1  
ROYALS                        000 000 100 1 -- 2  

LOB--ASTROS 3, ROYALS 6. ERR--Preston Tucker. 2B--Marwin
Gonzalez, Kendrys Morales. 3B--Eric Hosmer. SACF--Carlos
Correa, Salvador Perez. SB--Paulo Orlando.

 ASTROS                          IP    H    R   ER   BB   SO   HR
Scott Feldman                  7.67    4    1    1    1    2    0
Pat Neshek                     1.00    1    0    0    0    1    0
Will Harris                    1.00    2    1    1    1    0    0
 ROYALS                     
Danny Duffy                    6.33    3    1    1    1    3    0
Ryan Madson                    0.67    0    0    0    0    1    0
Wade Davis                     1.00    0    0    0    0    1    0
Greg Holland                   1.00    1    0    0    0    1    0
Kelvin Herrera                 1.00    1    0    0    0    0    0

SO--Colby Rasmus, Evan Gattis, Jake Marisnick (3), Preston
Tucker, Kendrys Morales, Alcides Escobar, Eric Hosmer.
BB--Colby Rasmus, Eric Hosmer, Salvador Perez.

Game 14 vs. Toronto

This one was as terrible as the last one was great. Both teams seemed to be slouching their way into the All Star break. Normally this would mean time off for pretty much our whole team, but this year we actually have a significant presence going to the game. Voted in and everything.

Back here, however, the game was awful. Both teams were plagued by lackluster hitting, fielding errors and a general minor-league approach to the sport.

Nor was the weather cooperative. It was both hot and rainy, not a good combination when we were expected at Kulture Kurry for an anniversary dinner after the game. I finally got so disgusted with the damp and the sucking that I quit keeping score in the sixth inning, something I’ve never done before.

Game 13 vs. Tampa Bay

This was what we’ve come to hope for – if not exactly expect – from our team. We got off to a great start and then held on for the rest of the game.

The fun got started in the top of the first when Jarrod Dyson – subbing for Alex Gordon in left – made a spectacular, run-saving catch at the wall and then fired it in swiftly enough to pick off the runner at first for a double play.

Then in the bottom of the inning Lorenzo Cain hit a three-run blast that set the tone for the rest of the game. The Rays briefly rallied in the fifth, but we regained the lost runs in the bottom of the inning and cruised into the finish.

Because this was a rare Thursday day game, I don’t have stats (the iPad is unusable in bright sunlight).

Game 12 vs. Minnesota

This was an almost surreal blend of the Old Royals and the New Royals.

For much of the game the guys played like the hapless team we’d gotten used to over the course of three decades. Though the Twins weren’t exactly mounting major offense, somehow we never seemed to catch a break against them. Un-thrilling moments included two errors in one inning by players (Mike Moustakas and Omar Infante) who really shouldn’t have. Then in the bottom of the ninth a MLB-premiere rookie pinch running for Sal Perez got stuck in a run-down. Sigh.

But then somehow the Spirit of the Postseason re-entered the ballpark in the bottom of the tenth. Lorenzo Cain – sorry, make that 2014 ALCS MVP Lorenzo Cain – hit a lead-off double, advanced to third on a wild pitch and then barely beat the tag at the plate on a weak single by designated hitter Jarrod Dyson.

Paul Molitor’s appeal was the second of the game, both of which went the Royals’ way. Nothing like a game that ends twice.

We also stayed for the fireworks after the game.

TWINS (2) AT ROYALS (3)

TWINS                AB  R  H BI  ROYALS               AB  R  H BI
Brian Dozier          5  0  0  0  Alcides Escobar       2  0  1  0  
Torii Hunter          4  0  1  0  Mike Moustakas        5  0  0  0  
Joe Mauer             3  0  0  0  Lorenzo Cain          4  2  3  1  
Trevor Plouffe        4  0  0  0  Eric Hosmer           5  0  0  0  
Eddie Rosario         4  1  1  0  Kendrys Morales       4  0  2  1  
Miguel Sano           4  1  2  1   Jarrod Dyson         1  0  1  1  
Kurt Suzuki           4  0  0  0  Alex Gordon           4  0  0  0  
Eduardo Escobar       4  0  1  0  Salvador Perez        4  0  1  0  
Aaron Hicks           3  0  0  1  Alex Rios             4  1  2  0  
                                  Omar Infante          3  0  1  0  
TOTALS               35  2  5  2  TOTALS               36  3 11  3

TWINS                         010 010 000 0 -- 2  
ROYALS                        001 000 010 1 -- 3  

LOB--TWINS 5, ROYALS 10. ERR--Omar Infante, Mike Moustakas.
2B--Eddie Rosario, Miguel Sano, Kendrys Morales, Lorenzo
Cain. SACF--Aaron Hicks. SACB--Omar Infante, Alcides
Escobar. SB--Lorenzo Cain.

 TWINS                           IP    H    R   ER   BB   SO   HR
Tommy Milone                   6.00    5    1    1    2    5    0
Blaine Boyer                   1.00    0    0    0    0    0    0
Casey Fien                     1.00    2    1    1    0    0    0
Ryan Pressly                   0.33    2    0    0    1    0    0
Aaron Thompson                 1.00    2    1    1    0    1    0
 ROYALS                     
Jeremy Guthrie                 7.33    5    2    2    1    4    0
Ryan Madson                    0.67    0    0    0    0    1    0
Greg Holland                   1.00    0    0    0    0    2    0
Wade Davis                     1.00    0    0    0    0    0    0

WP--Aaron Thompson. SO--Joe Mauer, Trevor Plouffe, Brian
Dozier, Eddie Rosario (2), Miguel Sano (2), Kendrys Morales,
Alex Gordon (2), Eric Hosmer (2), Salvador Perez. BB--Joe
Mauer, Alcides Escobar (2), Lorenzo Cain.

Game 11 vs. Boston

What an awful game. I’m almost glad the afternoon sun prevented me from using my iPad to keep score.

Not that the sun was out much. It rained off and on throughout the game, never hard enough to halt play but often requiring umbrellas and ponchos. The temperature stayed cool, one of the few saving graces during a terrible performance.

The Red Sox took a commanding lead early and then kept piling on. The only saving grace was that thanks to a couple of late inning runs we didn’t get completely shut out. This outing had neither a player nor a play of the game.

Forget it and move on to July, I guess.

Game Ten vs. Milwaukee

This game was primarily noteworthy as the victory that officially made Ned Yost the winningest manager in Royals history. Sadly, overall he still has a losing record. But if he can stick around awhile longer, maybe the guys can help him turn that around too.

We got to Brewers’ starter Jimmy Nelson early, which turned out to be a good thing. We had no luck against their bullpen, and even the dreaded HDH combo served up a hair-raising moment or two (particularly Wade Davis loading the bases in the eighth). But all’s well that ends well.

The player of the game was Jeremy Guthrie, who had an outstanding start. Play of the game went to a tough catch by Lorenzo Cain in the seventh. Mike Moustakas came in second with a solid job fielding a weak grounder earlier in the game.

BREWERS (2) AT ROYALS (3)

BREWERS              AB  R  H BI  ROYALS               AB  R  H BI
Gerardo Parra         4  0  2  1  Alcides Escobar       4  2  3  0  
Jonathan Lucroy       4  0  2  1  Mike Moustakas        3  0  1  1  
Ryan Braun            4  0  0  0  Lorenzo Cain          3  0  1  1  
Adam Lind             3  0  0  0  Eric Hosmer           4  1  2  0  
Aramis Ramirez        4  0  1  0  Kendrys Morales       3  0  1  1  
Scooter Gennett       4  0  0  0  Alex Gordon           4  0  2  0  
Jean Segura           4  0  0  0  Salvador Perez        4  0  1  0  
Shane Peterson        4  1  1  0  Alex Rios             4  0  1  0  
Hernan Perez          4  1  2  0  Omar Infante          3  0  1  0  
TOTALS               35  2  8  2  TOTALS               32  3 13  3

BREWERS                       000 020 000 -- 2  
ROYALS                        210 000 00x -- 3  

LOB--BREWERS 8, ROYALS 8. ERR--Alcides Escobar. 2B--Hernan
Perez, Alcides Escobar, Eric Hosmer. SACF--Gerardo Parra,
Lorenzo Cain. SB--Gerardo Parra, Alex Rios, Alex Gordon,
Alcides Escobar.

 BREWERS                         IP    H    R   ER   BB   SO   HR
Jimmy Nelson                   5.00   11    3    3    2    0    0
Michael Blazek                 2.00    2    0    0    0    3    0
Will Smith                     0.33    0    0    0    0    1    0
Jeremy Jeffress                0.67    0    0    0    0    0    0
 ROYALS                     
Jeremy Guthrie                 6.00    7    2    2    0    4    0
Kelvin Herrera                 1.00    0    0    0    0    0    0
Wade Davis                     1.00    1    0    0    1    1    0
Greg Holland                   1.00    0    0    0    0    2    0

PB--Salvador Perez. WP--Michael Blazek. SO--Adam Lind,
Hernan Perez, Shane Peterson (2), Scooter Gennett (3), Alex
Gordon, Omar Infante, Mike Moustakas, Salvador Perez.
BB--Adam Lind, Kendrys Morales, Mike Moustakas.

Game Nine vs. Texas

Sadly, this one was a little like watching the Royals of old. Yordano Ventura coughed up two in the first and two in the second. Though we mounted a little offense here and there, it somehow felt like we weren’t going to catch up. And we didn’t.

On the plus side, our defense continues to be outstanding. Replacement shortstop Christian Colon flipped a ball to Alcides Escobar that missed the mark considerably. But Escobar grabbed it, tagged second and fired a shot to first for the double play, a move more than a little reminiscent of his great fielding in the last game we saw.

We also got to see Prince Fielder get picked off clean at first. That’s a rare but fun experience.

However, play of the game went to Lorenzo Cain for a diving catch that put a stop to a big scoring threat by the Rangers. In a game that generally wasn’t going our way, it helped turn things around at least a little.

Player of the game was reliever Joe Blanton. Though he was working for the third game in a row, he provided long relief for the stumbling Ventura and held Texas scoreless.

And alas, no stats for this game. I took my iPad, but I forgot that one of the few disadvantages to our current seats is that during day games the glare of the sun renders the screen completely unreadable.

Game Eight vs. Cleveland

Earlier this week I completely forgot that we had tickets to this game. So going out to the ballpark was a pleasant surprise. The weather remains cool and damp, but the rain stopped long enough for us to get the game in.

Which was a good thing, because it was a good game right from the start. We led off with two base hits on two pitches, taking an early lead. Cleveland caught up in the second and pulled ahead in the third. But then in the bottom of the third we put a string of doubles together, giving us a 4 to 2 lead that held for the rest of the game.

The player of the game was Greg Holland, in part because he did exactly what you want your closer to do (three straight outs) and in part because it was nice to see him again. The play of the game once again goes to Alcides “Sportscenter” Escobar. In the top of the eighth he took what looked like a certain infield single and turned it into an out by throwing hard and on target when it honestly looked like he would never have had time to even get a grip on the ball.

INDIANS (2) AT ROYALS (4)

INDIANS              AB  R  H BI  ROYALS               AB  R  H BI
Jason Kipnis          4  0  1  0  Alcides Escobar       4  2  2  0  
Mike Aviles           4  0  1  1  Mike Moustakas        4  0  2  1  
Carlos Santana        4  0  1  0  Lorenzo Cain          4  1  1  1  
Ryan Raburn           3  1  1  0  Eric Hosmer           4  1  1  1  
 David Murphy         1  0  0  0  Kendrys Morales       4  0  1  1  
Nick Swisher          4  0  0  0  Alex Gordon           2  0  0  0  
Brandon Moss          4  0  1  1  Alex Rios             3  0  1  0  
Yan Gomes             4  0  1  0  Omar Infante          3  0  0  0  
Lonnie Chisenhall     4  0  1  0  Drew Butera           3  0  0  0  
Michael Bourn         3  1  3  0                                    
TOTALS               35  2 10  2  TOTALS               31  4  8  4

INDIANS                       011 000 000 -- 2  
ROYALS                        103 000 00x -- 4  

LOB--INDIANS 6, ROYALS 4. ERR--Jason Kipnis, Lorenzo Cain.
2B--Michael Bourn, Brandon Moss, Kendrys Morales, Alcides
Escobar, Lorenzo Cain, Eric Hosmer.

 INDIANS                         IP    H    R   ER   BB   SO   HR
Corey Kluber                   8.00    8    4    4    1    9    0
 ROYALS                     
Jason Vargas                   6.33    8    2    2    0    3    0
Ryan Madson                    0.67    2    0    0    0    0    0
Kelvin Herrera                 1.00    0    0    0    0    0    0
Greg Holland                   1.00    0    0    0    0    1    0

PB--Yan Gomes. SO--Brandon Moss, Nick Swisher, Lonnie
Chisenhall, Jason Kipnis, Alex Rios, Alex Gordon, Omar
Infante, Alcides Escobar (2), Drew Butera (2), Lorenzo Cain,
Mike Moustakas. BB--Alex Gordon.

Game Seven vs. St. Louis

What a change this was from past Cardinals games! St. Louis has always had one of the better teams in the National League, so of course when the Royals didn’t stand much of a chance against them, it was small wonder that the K became Busch West, a vast sea of red cheering uniformly for the visiting team.

Not tonight. This was to be no push-over ballgame for either team. Indeed, the victor would walk away in sole possession of the best win-loss record in the majors. How sweet it was to see so much blue in the stands and to know that our team actually stood a chance of winning.

As it turned out, we stood more than a chance. The Royals took a three-run lead in the bottom of the first thanks to a monster blast over the left field wall launched by Kendrys Morales. Who then hit another one during his next at-bat in the third.

The five runs we scored via his homers were the only scoring done by either team. The Cardinals threatened several times, especially in the late innings. But how sweet it was to be on the edge of our seats hoping for a shut out rather than a simple win or merely avoidance of total humiliation. And sweeter still to actually get a scoreless game, the second one we saw this week.

Morales was obviously the player of the game. Play of the game went to Alcides Escobar. In the top of the eighth he made an impossible behind-the-back flip to Omar Infante to nail Matt Holliday on a fielder’s choice. The out most likely prevented the Cardinals from scoring later in the inning.

After all those years of actively avoiding our games against St. Louis, it was a definite season highlight to finally get to see a solid victory in the company of fellow Kansas City fans.

CARDINALS (0) AT ROYALS (5)

CARDINALS            AB  R  H BI  ROYALS               AB  R  H BI
Kolten Wong           3  0  1  0  Alcides Escobar       3  1  0  0  
Matt Carpenter        4  0  3  0  Mike Moustakas        4  0  0  0  
Matt Holliday         4  0  0  0  Lorenzo Cain          4  2  2  0  
Matt Adams            5  0  0  0  Eric Hosmer           4  0  0  0  
Jhonny Peralta        4  0  1  0  Kendrys Morales       4  2  3  5  
Randal Grichuk        4  0  1  0  Alex Gordon           4  0  1  0  
Yadier Molina         3  0  2  0  Salvador Perez        4  0  3  0  
Jason Heyward         4  0  0  0  Omar Infante          4  0  0  0  
Peter Bourjos         3  0  0  0  Paulo Orlando         3  0  2  0  
TOTALS               34  0  8  0  TOTALS               34  5 11  5

CARDINALS                     000 000 000 -- 0  
ROYALS                        302 000 00x -- 5  

LOB--CARDINALS 13, ROYALS 6. 2B--Matt Carpenter, Salvador
Perez. HR--Kendrys Morales (2). HBP--Matt Holliday.

 CARDINALS                       IP    H    R   ER   BB   SO   HR
Lance Lynn                     6.33   10    5    5    1    4    2
Carlos Villanueva              1.67    1    0    0    0    2    0
 ROYALS                     
Chris Young                    6.00    6    0    0    2    2    0
Franklin Morales               1.00    0    0    0    1    0    0
Ryan Madson                    1.00    1    0    0    1    1    0
Jason Frasor                   1.00    1    0    0    1    1    0

WP--Lance Lynn. SO--Matt Holliday, Jhonny Peralta, Matt
Adams, Randal Grichuk, Alex Gordon (2), Lorenzo Cain, Eric
Hosmer (2), Salvador Perez. BB--Yadier Molina, Peter
Bourjos, Matt Carpenter, Kolten Wong (2), Alcides Escobar.

Game Six vs. Cincinnati

Amy lucked into some tickets (alas, only two), so back out to the chilly ballpark we went. I can’t remember the last time we went to two games in a row. And because the Royals have the day off tomorrow, Friday will make three in a row. I couldn’t do this on a regular basis, but for a rare treat it’s been fun.

This game was also a strong reminder of how wise it was to move upstairs. Our seats weren’t far from where we used to sit before the move, and the “fans” down there haven’t changed at all. Further, it got more than a little chilly by the end of the game as the temperature dropped and the crowd dwindled.

The game, on the other hand, was outstanding. We took an early one-run lead in the second, padded with a strong fourth and added some insurance in the eighth, playing great station-to-station small ball the whole time.

Play of the game went to Alex Gordon for a spectacular catch at the wall to end the fifth inning. At the time we had a shutout going, so the play was as important as it was impressive. Too bad Ryan Madson stumbled a bit and gave up a run in the seventh. That would have been three in a row!

REDS (1) AT ROYALS (7)

REDS                 AB  R  H BI  ROYALS               AB  R  H BI
Zack Cozart           5  1  1  0  Alcides Escobar       4  0  1  0  
Brandon Phillips      5  0  3  1  Mike Moustakas        4  1  3  0  
Joey Votto            3  0  1  0  Lorenzo Cain          4  2  1  0  
Todd Frazier          3  0  1  0  Eric Hosmer           4  2  1  1  
Marlon Byrd           4  0  0  0  Kendrys Morales       3  1  1  2  
Jay Bruce             4  0  1  0  Alex Gordon           3  0  1  2  
Devin Mesoraco        4  0  0  0  Salvador Perez        3  0  1  1  
Billy Hamilton        3  0  1  0  Omar Infante          4  0  1  0  
 Skip Schumaker       1  0  1  0  Paulo Orlando         2  1  0  0  
Tucker Barnhart       3  0  0  0                                    
 Brennan Boesch       1  0  0  0                                    
TOTALS               36  1  9  1  TOTALS               31  7 10  6

REDS                          000 000 100 -- 1  
ROYALS                        010 310 02x -- 7  

LOB--REDS 10, ROYALS 4. 2B--Skip Schumaker, Brandon
Phillips, Kendrys Morales, Eric Hosmer. HBP--Paulo Orlando.
SACF--Kendrys Morales, Alex Gordon. SB--Eric Hosmer.

 REDS                            IP    H    R   ER   BB   SO   HR
Jason Marquis                  3.67    4    4    4    0    1    0
Ryan Mattheus                  1.33    2    1    1    0    0    0
Burke Badenhop                 1.00    0    0    0    0    1    0
Michael Lorenzen               1.00    1    0    0    0    0    0
Raisel Iglesias                1.00    3    2    2    1    0    0
 ROYALS                     
Jeremy Guthrie                 6.00    5    0    0    2    3    0
Ryan Madson                    1.00    2    1    1    0    1    0
Wade Davis                     1.00    1    0    0    0    1    0
Luke Hochevar                  1.00    1    0    0    0    2    0

WP--Jason Marquis, Raisel Iglesias, Wade Davis. SO--Marlon
Byrd, Brandon Phillips, Jay Bruce, Brennan Boesch, Tucker
Barnhart (3), Kendrys Morales, Alex Gordon. BB--Joey Votto,
Todd Frazier, Salvador Perez.

Game Five vs. Cincinnati

Interleague play returns to the K. The closest we ever came to seeing the Reds before today was a game many years ago that was postponed due to some kind of bizarre mishap with the stadium’s electrical wiring. That was the first time an interleague game wasn’t played on schedule.

And this outing was somewhat historical as well. This was the first time since 1992 that the Royals recorded back-to-back shut-outs. We’d gone more than 3000 games since the last time we pulled it off, more than double the Brewers’ second place streak.

Needless to say, it was a genuine pleasure (despite the unseasonal cold) to watch such a well-played game. Lorenzo Cain stood out in particular, making two spectacular plays in center that kept the Reds off the board.

REDS (0) AT ROYALS (3)

REDS                 AB  R  H BI  ROYALS               AB  R  H BI
Zack Cozart           4  0  0  0  Alcides Escobar       3  0  0  0  
Brayan Pena           4  0  0  0  Mike Moustakas        4  0  3  2  
Joey Votto            4  0  0  0  Lorenzo Cain          4  0  0  0  
Todd Frazier          4  0  1  0  Eric Hosmer           4  1  1  0  
Marlon Byrd           3  0  0  0  Kendrys Morales       3  0  0  0  
Brandon Phillips      3  0  0  0  Alex Gordon           4  0  0  0  
Jay Bruce             3  0  1  0  Salvador Perez        3  0  1  0  
Devin Mesoraco        2  0  2  0  Omar Infante          3  1  2  1  
Billy Hamilton        2  0  0  0  Paulo Orlando         3  1  2  0  
TOTALS               29  0  4  0  TOTALS               31  3  9  3

REDS                          000 000 000 -- 0  
ROYALS                        010 010 10x -- 3  

LOB--REDS 4, ROYALS 6. 2B--Mike Moustakas (2), Salvador
Perez. SACB--Billy Hamilton, Alcides Escobar.

 REDS                            IP    H    R   ER   BB   SO   HR
Johnny Cueto                   8.00    9    3    3    1    4    0
 ROYALS                     
Yordano Ventura                7.00    4    0    0    0    6    0
Kelvin Herrera                 1.00    0    0    0    1    1    0
Wade Davis                     1.00    0    0    0    0    2    0

WP--Yordano Ventura. SO--Marlon Byrd (2), Joey Votto, Jay
Bruce, Brayan Pena (2), Todd Frazier, Billy Hamilton (2),
Alex Gordon, Lorenzo Cain, Eric Hosmer, Salvador Perez.
BB--Devin Mesoraco, Kendrys Morales.

Game Four vs. Cleveland

Comparing the last game to this one, I have to say that I prefer pitching duels to slugfests. Especially when we’re on the receiving end of the slugging.

We didn’t exactly bring our A-game to the mound this evening. Danny Duffy suffered some kind of second inning collapse and had to leave the game early. Nor did the bullpen do a spectacular job of keeping us in the game.

The only noteworthy moments were the unusually large number of foul balls that came close to our seats.

INDIANS (10) AT ROYALS (3)

INDIANS              AB  R  H BI  ROYALS               AB  R  H BI
Jason Kipnis          4  0  2  1  Alex Gordon           4  0  0  0  
Carlos Santana        3  2  1  1  Mike Moustakas        3  0  1  0  
Michael Brantley      4  1  1  0  Lorenzo Cain          4  2  1  0  
Ryan Raburn           3  0  1  1  Eric Hosmer           4  0  1  1  
 Michael Bourn        1  1  0  0  Kendrys Morales       3  1  1  2  
Brandon Moss          5  2  2  3  Salvador Perez        3  0  0  0  
Nick Swisher          5  1  1  0   Francisco Pena       1  0  0  0  
Mike Aviles           4  2  3  1  Omar Infante          3  0  0  0  
Lonnie Chisenhall     4  1  1  1   Orlando Calixte      1  0  0  0  
Brett Hayes           3  0  1  1  Jarrod Dyson          3  0  0  0  
                                  Christian Colon       3  0  1  0  
TOTALS               36 10 13  9  TOTALS               32  3  5  3

INDIANS                       130 100 401 -- 10 
ROYALS                        000 201 000 -- 3  

LOB--INDIANS 7, ROYALS 4. ERR--Lonnie Chisenhall.
2B--Brandon Moss, Ryan Raburn, Lonnie Chisenhall, Jason
Kipnis, Eric Hosmer, Christian Colon. 3B--Lorenzo Cain.
HR--Brandon Moss, Kendrys Morales. HBP--Mike Aviles, Ryan
Raburn. SACF--Carlos Santana. SACB--Brett Hayes. SB--Jarrod
Dyson.

 INDIANS                         IP    H    R   ER   BB   SO   HR
Carlos Carrasco                8.00    5    3    3    2    7    1
Zach McAllister                1.00    0    0    0    0    2    0
 ROYALS                     
Danny Duffy                    1.00    6    4    4    0    0    0
Brandon Finnegan               2.67    1    1    1    3    2    0
Chris Young                    2.33    0    0    0    0    2    0
Franklin Morales               1.00    4    4    4    1    0    0
Kelvin Herrera                 1.00    0    0    0    0    1    0
Jason Frasor                   1.00    2    1    1    0    0    1

WP--Franklin Morales, Danny Duffy. SO--Brandon Moss, Mike
Aviles, Ryan Raburn, Carlos Santana (2), Kendrys Morales
(2), Alex Gordon (4), Omar Infante, Lorenzo Cain, Francisco
Pena. BB--Michael Brantley, Carlos Santana, Lonnie
Chisenhall, Jason Kipnis, Kendrys Morales, Mike Moustakas.

Game Three vs. Detroit

This contest was a case of outstanding pitching by both teams. The starters and relievers threw a combined 15 innings worth of shut-out ball. Edinson Volquez walked the lead-off batter in the third (bottom-of-the-order Rajai Davis), and of course the runner came around to score on an error by replacement shortstop Christian Colon. Despite a solo shot in the ninth, our guys came up a little short.

But it was still hard not to love the game. Mike Moustakas once again made the opponents pay for their shift nonsense, this time with a clean single down the left field line. This is getting to be kinda like having some road-raging moron speed past you in a no-passing zone and then get to see him pulled over by a cop just a few miles later. Treasure these moments.

It’s also nice to see the batter-hitting, trash-talking, bench-clearing nonsense from the start of the season calming down a bit. The only drama in this game was a disputed call over Anthony Gose getting called out at second for failing to retag the bag on his way back to first after a fly out.

TIGERS (2) AT ROYALS (1)

TIGERS               AB  R  H BI  ROYALS               AB  R  H BI
Anthony Gose          4  1  3  0  Alex Gordon           4  0  1  0  
Ian Kinsler           4  0  2  1  Mike Moustakas        4  0  1  0  
Miguel Cabrera        3  0  0  0  Lorenzo Cain          4  1  1  1  
Victor Martinez       4  0  0  0  Eric Hosmer           4  0  0  0  
Yoenis Cespedes       4  0  2  0  Kendrys Morales       3  0  0  0  
Alex Avila            4  0  0  0  Salvador Perez        3  0  2  0  
Nick Castellanos      3  0  0  0  Omar Infante          3  0  0  0  
Jose Iglesias         4  0  0  0  Paulo Orlando         3  0  0  0  
Rajai Davis           3  1  0  0  Christian Colon       3  0  1  0  
TOTALS               33  2  7  1  TOTALS               31  1  6  1

TIGERS                        001 010 000 -- 2  
ROYALS                        000 000 001 -- 1  

LOB--TIGERS 7, ROYALS 3. ERR--Christian Colon. 2B--Anthony
Gose. HR--Lorenzo Cain.

 TIGERS                          IP    H    R   ER   BB   SO   HR
David Price                    9.00    6    1    1    0    3    1
 ROYALS                     
Edinson Volquez                6.00    5    2    1    3    4    0
Franklin Morales               1.00    1    0    0    0    0    0
Yohan Pino                     2.00    1    0    0    0    0    0

WP--Edinson Volquez. SO--Alex Avila (2), Yoenis Cespedes,
Anthony Gose, Kendrys Morales, Omar Infante, Eric Hosmer.
BB--Rajai Davis, Miguel Cabrera, Nick Castellanos.

Game Two vs. Detroit

Though it’s impossible to tell this early in the season, this match-up is likely to be the big rivalry in the American League this year. It’s going to be interesting to see how the Royals and Tigers fare. Though if tonight is any indication, it won’t be much of a contest.

Detroit definitely didn’t bring its A-game to the field. We got off to an early lead in the third with a three-run homer from Eric Hosmer, and in the fifth we scored five runs and sent the whole team to the plate. If Jose Iglesias (their number nine hitter) hadn’t snuck in a lead-off triple in the eighth, this could easily have been a shut-out.

The highlight of the game was the moment we’ve all been waiting for (especially since the postseason last year). The Tigers put the usual extreme shift on Mike Moustakas, and he responded by bunting a perfect shot right down the vacant third base line. Finally! At long last!

What a great way to get the season underway.

TIGERS (1) AT ROYALS (8)

TIGERS               AB  R  H BI  ROYALS               AB  R  H BI
Rajai Davis           4  0  1  1  Alex Gordon           4  1  2  2  
Ian Kinsler           3  0  0  0  Mike Moustakas        5  1  2  1  
Miguel Cabrera        2  0  1  0  Lorenzo Cain          5  1  1  0  
Victor Martinez       4  0  2  0  Eric Hosmer           4  1  1  2  
J.D. Martinez         4  0  0  0  Kendrys Morales       4  1  1  1  
Yoenis Cespedes       4  0  0  0  Salvador Perez        4  1  2  1  
Nick Castellanos      4  0  1  0  Omar Infante          4  0  1  0  
James McCann          4  0  1  0  Jarrod Dyson          4  1  3  0  
Jose Iglesias         3  1  1  0  Christian Colon       4  1  1  1  
TOTALS               32  1  7  1  TOTALS               38  8 14  8

TIGERS                        000 000 010 -- 1  
ROYALS                        003 050 00x -- 8  

LOB--TIGERS 7, ROYALS 8. 2B--Kendrys Morales, Mike
Moustakas, Salvador Perez. 3B--Jose Iglesias. HR--Eric
Hosmer. SB--Lorenzo Cain, Christian Colon.

 TIGERS                          IP    H    R   ER   BB   SO   HR
Alfredo Simon                  4.33    9    6    6    2    6    1
Alex Wilson                    1.67    3    2    2    0    2    0
Al Alburquerque                1.00    2    0    0    0    0    0
Angel Nesbitt                  1.00    0    0    0    0    2    0
 ROYALS                     
Danny Duffy                    7.00    7    1    1    2    7    0
Jason Frasor                   1.00    0    0    0    1    2    0
Brandon Finnegan               1.00    0    0    0    0    1    0

WP--Danny Duffy. SO--Rajai Davis, Miguel Cabrera, J.D.
Martinez (3), Yoenis Cespedes (2), Nick Castellanos (2),
James McCann, Alex Gordon, Omar Infante, Lorenzo Cain (3),
Eric Hosmer (3), Mike Moustakas, Christian Colon. BB--Ian
Kinsler, Miguel Cabrera (2), Alex Gordon, Eric Hosmer.

Game One vs. Oakland

It seems odd to be out at the K for the first time so late in April. Though I’m glad we didn’t go out for Opening Day, it would have been nice to have seen at least one game before April 19. If nothing else, it kinda throws a wrench in the whole “stay for three or four innings and then go get Indian” tradition.
But if the games are going to be like this, they’ll be worth staying for.

Of late our guys seem to be taking a lot of abuse. Several of our batters have been hit by pitches. And on Friday Brett Lawrie slid hard into Alcides Escobar, dealing him an injury that with luck won’t keep him out too long.

The trend continued this evening with hit batters and a nearly-bench-clearing incident in the late innings. Though it’s great to see the team and the fans this fired up about the game, I do hope things settle down a bit as the season progresses. Exciting baseball is one thing. Unnecessary drama is something else.

ATHLETICS (2) AT ROYALS (4)

ATHLETICS            AB  R  H BI  ROYALS               AB  R  H BI
Craig Gentry          3  0  0  0  Paulo Orlando         3  1  0  0 
 Sam Fuld             2  0  0  0  Mike Moustakas        4  0  0  0 
Mark Canha            3  1  1  0  Lorenzo Cain          3  1  1  1 
Ben Zobrist           2  0  2  2  Eric Hosmer           3  1  1  0 
 Eric Sogard          1  0  1  0  Kendrys Morales       4  0  1  2 
Billy Butler          2  0  0  0  Omar Infante          2  0  2  0 
Cody Ross             3  0  0  0   Orlando  Calixte     2  1  0  0 
Josh Phegley          4  0  0  0  Erik Kratz            3  0  0  0 
Brett Lawrie          4  0  1  0   Alex Gordon          1  0  0  0 
Josh Reddick          4  0  2  0  Christian Colon       3  0  2  0 
Marcus Semien         3  1  0  0  Jarrod Dyson          2  0  1  1 
                                   Salvador Perez       1  0  0  0 
TOTALS               31  2  7  2  TOTALS               31  4  8  4

ATHLETICS                     001 010 000 -- 2 
ROYALS                        000 010 03x -- 4 

LOB--ATHLETICS 8, ROYALS 6. 2B--Eric Sogard, Kendrys
Morales, Omar Infante, Lorenzo Cain. HBP--Lorenzo Cain.
SB--Ben Zobrist, Mark Canha, Lorenzo Cain.

 ATHLETICS                       IP    H    R   ER   BB   SO   HR
Scott Kazmir                   7.33    6    2    2    1    5    0
Eric O'Flaherty                0.67    2    2    2    1    0    0
 ROYALS                    
Danny Duffy                    5.00    4    2    2    5    5    0
Jason Frasor                   1.00    2    0    0    1    0    0
Ryan Madson                    1.00    1    0    0    0    1    0
Kelvin Herrera                 0.67    0    0    0    0    0    0
Franklin Morales               0.33    0    0    0    0    0    0
Wade Davis                     1.00    0    0    0    0    2    0

WP--Scott Kazmir, Danny Duffy. SO--Sam Fuld (2), Craig
Gentry (2), Brett Lawrie (2), Marcus Semien, Mark Canha,
Lorenzo Cain, Erik Kratz (2), Salvador Perez, Paulo Orlando.
BB--Cody Ross, Ben Zobrist, Billy Butler (2), Marcus Semien,
Mark Canha, Eric Hosmer, Paulo Orlando.

The new ticket scheme

Good news on the ticket front. Though the Royals won’t print tickets for us anymore, they’ve at least made it possible for us to print our own. So we won’t have to mess with whatever smart phone app nonsense they’re trying to get people to do (like that’s ever going to work reliably).

I’m still a little fuzzy on how parking is going to work, but I imagine we’ll get it figured out.

I’ve also got a userid and password for our ticket account, so we’ll all be able to access it as needed. I’ll get the info to you in a less public forum (i.e. the next time I see you).

Here we go with this again

http://kansascity.royals.mlb.com/kc/fan_forum/play_it_forward.jsp

At least this time they’re setting “Minnie the Moocher” up for early elimination, so I won’t have to bother getting my hopes up.

Our 2015 tickets

I finally managed to get onto our account at the Royals’ web site. Thus we now know which games we have tickets for. So here’s the deal:

Sunday, April 19 @ 1:10 vs. Oakland - Scout Day

Thursday, April 30 @ 7:10 vs. Detroit

Saturday, May 2 @ 6:10 vs. Detroit - Sal Perez bobblehead

Wednesday, May 6 @ 7:10 vs. Cleveland

Tuesday, May 19 @ 7:10 vs. Cincinnati - Tourism Night

Friday, May 22 @ 7:10 vs. St. Louis - Legends Night / Buck Night / Fireworks

Wednesday, June 3 @ 7:10 vs. Cleveland

Saturday, June 6 @ 1:10 vs. Texas - Lorenzo Cain bobblehead

Thursday, June 18 @ 7:10 vs. Milwaukee

Sunday, June 21 @ 1:10 vs. Boston - Men’s barbecue apron

Friday, July 3 @ 7:10 vs. Minnesota - Beers of the K / Buck Night / Fireworks

Thursday, July 9 @ 1:10 vs. Tampa

Sunday, July 12 @ 1:10 vs. Toronto - Kids Sluggerrr Magnet Set / KidsFest

Saturday, July 25 @ 6:10 vs. Houston - Yordano Ventura bobblehead

Tuesday, August 11 @ 7:10 vs. Detroit - T-shirt Tuesday

Friday, August 14 @ 7:10 vs. Anaheim - Buck Night / Fireworks

Monday, August 24 @ 7:10 vs. Baltimore

Wednesday, September 2 @ 7:10 vs. Detroit - Irish Heritage Night

Tuesday, September 8 @ 7:10 vs. Minnesota

Friday, September 25 @ 7:10 vs. Cleveland - Futures Night


Not bad. Not bad at all.

Stadium Blessing 2015

This year’s pilgrimage to the ballpark was an especially apt transition from the mad wonder of 2014 to the uncertain promise of the coming spring. Delayed by a plumbing problem, we arrived late. The weather was fine as anything we had the right to expect, given the snow we’ve trudged through and ice we’ve slid over in years past.

Though the stadium complex was empty save a single, chatty security guard, the World Series lingered still in the fading paint on a nearby hill. I paid it a visit, took pictures and scattered my glitter among the chips of red, white and blue.