Kansas City Royals Franchise Thread

[CHOWDERHEAD]

Royals Continue to Play .500 Ball, Split With Rangers

May 18 ~ KC 4 Texas 1: Jeff Francis squared off against Colby Lewis in a matchup that was delayed by 1 ½ hours due to a rainstorm. KC jumped out to an early 2-0 lead and never looked back. Francis (2-5) picked up the win by going 8 innings, allowing 1 run on 7 hits, striking out 4, and ending with a game score of 68. J. Soria came in and pitched a perfect 9th to earn his 11th save of the season. Lewis (5-2) took the loss despite going 7 innings, allowing 5 hits, 2 runs (1 earned), striking out 9. Alex Gordon was the days’ top hitter, going 2-4 (double) with 1 run and 1 walk. The Hy-Vee Royals Player of the Game went to Jeff Francis.


May 19 ~ Texas 6 KC 3: The Bonderman experiment is fast coming to an end. Bonderman (2-4) only managed to last 3 innings, allowing 9 hits, 5 runs, and 2 k's (game score of 20). While the combined effort of Tejeda, Crow, and Collins attempted to keep it close, the damage was just too much to overcome. Tommy Hunter (3-2) earned the win, while N. Feliz picked up his 12th save of the season. Leading the 10 hit attack was A. Escobar (2-4 with 2 runs, 1 rbi, 1 steal , and 1 walk) and M. Cabrera (2-3 with 1 run, 1 rbi, and 1 steal). The Hy-Vee Royals Player of the Game went to A. Escobar.


Season Record: 21-23 (3rd Place, 2 1/2 GB)

[CHOWDERHEAD]

KC Heading In Wrong Direction, Lose 2 of 3 In St. Louis

May 20 ~ KC 6 St. Louis 3: Up 3-1 heading into the top of the 9th inning, KC allowed St. Louis to score 2 unearned runs (yes, you guessed it - the 17th error by Arias on the year) to even the score at 3. Thankfully Billy Butler decided that he had enough and wanted to go home, slugging a 3 run, walk-off shot to win the game in dramatic fashion. Wasted on the day was the solid outing of Jaime Moyer who went 8 innings, allowing 1 earned run on 4 hits, and finishing with a game score of 71. Getting the win was A. Crow (3-0) with a blown save credited to J. Soria (2nd of the year). Motte (1-2) picked up the loss for the Cardinals, wasting the solid effort of Garcia. Leading the 13 hit attack for the Royals was Billy Butler’s 3-5 (1 run, 3 rbi’s, 1 HR) and Jeff Francouer’s 2-5 (1 run, 3 rbi’s. 1 HR) day. The Hy-Vee Royals Player of the Game was awarded to Billy Butler.

May 21 ~ St. Louis 10 KC 5: Despite smacking a double-digit hit total (12), KC just could not shut down the powerful St. Louis offense. KC starter Davies (4-2) lasted only 1 inning, allowing 6 runs on 6 hits and finished with a game score of 12. Picking up the win for the Cardinals was M. Boggs (4-0) and was backed by a 15 hit attack led by Albert Pujols’ 3-4, 2 HR, 2 runs, 4 rbi’s, 1 walk day. Leading the KC attack was Billy Butler who went 3-4 with 1 rbi and Pena who had a 2-4 (triple and double) 1 rbi day. The loss drops KC to 2 games under .500 on the season. The Hy-Vee Royals Player of the Game was awarded to Billy Butler.

May 22 ~ St. Louis 6 KC 1: Another loss, another sloppy day in the field. While matching the Cardinals hit total (7), KC committed 3 errors in the field (Arias picked up his 18th error of the season) and did not provide the run support needed to win the game. Picking up the win for the Cardinals was K. McClellan (7-0) while taking the loss was M. Montgomery (2-4) who pitched 6 2/3 innings, allowed 6 runs (3 earned), 8 k’s, but allowed 3 HR’s. Melky Cabrera was the top KC hitter on the day, going 3-4 (double) and 1 rbi. The Hy-Vee Royals Player of the Game was given to Melky Cabrara who is now batting .310 on the year.

Season Record: 22-25 (4th Place, 4 GB)

[CHOWDERHEAD]

MLB News & Notes
May 16-22, 2011

AWARDS:
AL Player of the Week: Kendrys Morales took home the AL Player of the Week honors by going 13-26 with 5 HR’s and 15 RBI. Morales is among the league leaders in batting average, hitting at a .376 clip thus far.

NL Player of the Week: Jose Reyes did not waste any time earning that new contract extension, winning the NL Player of the Week award by going 14-29 on the week, with 1 HR and 7 RBI's. Now batting .318 on the season.

TRADES:
* The Washington National sent Cole Kimball to the Mariners in exchange for Jordon Shipers.
* Texas picked up Matt Guerrier from the Dodgers in exchange for David Murphy and David Perez.

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCES:
May 17 ~ Rangers pitcher Scott Feldman threw a 5 hit shutout, getting 6 k's, in a 7-0 win over the White Sox.
May 18 ~ Roy Halladay, considered by most to be the best in the business, tossed a 3 hit gem, blanking the Rockies 4-0. Halladay struck out 11 and walked 1.

[Husky51]

That kimball/shipers trade must have rocked the baseball world

[CHOWDERHEAD]

Originally Posted by Husky51

That kimball/shipers trade must have rocked the baseball world

Yeah, a real non-event, but there was not much else going on that week!

[CHOWDERHEAD]

Royals Top O's, Take 2 of 3 From Baltimore

May 24 ~ Baltimore 6 KC 0: No matter how bad the opposing team is, KC seemingly always has that "1 game" where they just cannot do anything right. Today was one of those days. Limited to just 2 hits, the KC offense could not get anything going and quickly fell behind 5-0 after just 2 innings. Taking the loss for KC was Jeff Francis (2-6) who went 4 innings, allowing 6 runs on 9 hits, 4 walks, and a game score of 23. Picking up the win was Baltimore starter Ueharar (4-4) who went 7 2/3 innings of 1 hit ball, striking out 6. The Hy-Vee Royals Player of the Game went to Alex Gordon for going 2-5 on the day.

May 25 ~ KC 10 Baltimore 3:What a day to be a KC hitter. A 10 run, 16 hit outing was more than enough to get the win for the Royals. Scoring a quick 6 runs in the 1st and 3 more in the 2nd, this game was never in doubt. Picking up the win for KC was J. Bonderman (3-4) who went 7 innings, 8 hits, 3 runs (2 earned) 6 k's, and a game score of 55. Taking the loss for the O's was B. Matusz (4-5) who only lasted 1/3 of an inning and allowed 5 hit, 6 runs, and 2 walks. Alex Gordon (3-5, 1 run, 1 rbi), Jeff Francoeur (3-5, 2 runs and 2 rbis) and Taylor Teagarden (2-4 with 3 rbis) led the way. The Hy-Vee Royals Player of the Game went to Bonderman.

May 26 ~ KC 6 Baltimore 3: KC finished out the 3 game series with a nice, come from behind win. While starter Jaime Moyer only lasted 3 innings, the combined bullpen efforts of 4 KC pitchers led the team to victory. Robinson Tejeda (5-2) picked up the win, with Crow (3) and Collins (3) picking up holds, and Soria notching his 12th save of the year; the combined effort going 6 innings, 2 hits, and 7 k's. Taking the loss for the O's was J. Lopez (1-2) and blown save for Z. Britton (2). The KC 12 hit attack was led by A. Escobar's 3-4 (double and HR) 2 run, 2 rbi day. Cabrera, Butler, and Teagarden each had 2 hits. The Hy-Vee Royals Player of the Game went to the KC bullpen (Tejeda, Crow, Collins, & Soria) for their strong combined outing.

Season Record: 24-26 (2nd Place, 1 1/2 GB)

[Husky51]

Thank goodness for Baltimore.

[CHOWDERHEAD]

Originally Posted by Husky51

Thank goodness for Baltimore.

Indeed! I am having fun using the Royals but they are sooooooo maddening. Win a few games and feel like I am on the right track and then it all falls apart. I have some real good talent in the minors and I am torn if I should leave them there, bring them up, or trade them for some more proven (albeit lower ceiling) players. Thoughts?

[Husky51]

Originally Posted by CHOWDERHEAD

Indeed! I am having fun using the Royals but they are sooooooo maddening. Win a few games and feel like I am on the right track and then it all falls apart. I have some real good talent in the minors and I am torn if I should leave them there, bring them up, or trade them for some more proven (albeit lower ceiling) players. Thoughts?

I don't know. Since i started with ioopt, i have been overcoming my strat mentality against using players who have no "history" (those players with no actual call ups or games played are not available in strat, either in the cards or pc game). But i am getting used to it and starting to enjoy seeing how players with potential actually perform. That being said, i kind of like as played replays, too, so you can see my conundrum. Like i have noted in other posts, you have to play ioopt not wishing it was strat (and i am no longer!). Besides, the seasons i know own with ioopt would have broke my bank buying them all from other sim games!

[CHOWDERHEAD]

Originally Posted by Husky51

I don't know. Since i started with ioopt, i have been overcoming my strat mentality against using players who have no "history" (those players with no actual call ups or games played are not available in strat, either in the cards or pc game). But i am getting used to it and starting to enjoy seeing how players with potential actually perform. That being said, i kind of like as played replays, too, so you can see my conundrum. Like i have noted in other posts, you have to play ioopt not wishing it was strat (and i am no longer!). Besides, the seasons i know own with ioopt would have broke my bank buying them all from other sim games!

Good insight. I think I am going to want to move some of my minor league talent - I don't think my owner will be too patient if I don't make some headway over the next year or two. I think the minor league talent is at least that far away or longer. Be on the lookout for some trades in the near future...

[CHOWDERHEAD]

Rangers Rough Up Royals, Sweep KC!

May 27 ~ Texas 9 KC 1: Its one thing to beat up the likes of the O's and other bottom dwellers, but the chance to face off against one of the best is where a quality team really shines. Clearly KC is not a quality team yet. Out hit, out pitched, and out coached, the Rangers thumped the Royals before a rocking crowd of nearly 50,000 crazed Rangers fans. Texas jumped on KC starter K. Davies for 3 runs in the 1st and did not look back. Davies (4-3) went 6 2/3 innings, allowing 6 runs (5 earned) on 10 hits, striking out 3, and finishing with a game score of 33. Brandon Webb (1-0), making his first start of the season, went 7 1/3, allowing 1 run on 3 hits and striking out 8. Texas hitters smacked 14 hits on the day including 5 HR's. The only KC hitter that had any luck on the day was G. Blanco who went 3-4 with 2 runs and 2 rbi's. The Hy-Vee Royals Player of the Game was awarded to Blanco.

May 28 ~ Texas 5 KC 3: A better day at the plate for the KC hitters, but same result as yesterday. Montgomery (2-5) took the loss, giving up 5 runs on 7 hits over 5 innings. Getting the win for Texas was C. J. Wilson (7-2) who pitched 5 2/3 innings, allowing 3 runs (1 earned) on 5 hits and struck out 4. N. Feliz pitched a perfect 9th inning to notch his 15th save of the season. Gordon, Francouer, and Butler each had 2 hits on the day, Aviles hit a solo shot in the 1st, and Teagarden went 1-2 and drew 3 walks on the day. The Hy-Vee Royals Player of the Game went to Alex Gordon for his 2-3 (double), 1 rbi, 2 walk day. Gordon is now batting .312 on the season.


May 29 ~ Texas 7 KC 5: The sweep is complete! KC starter Jeff Francis has had some bad days before, but today was exceptionally bad. Francis (2-7) lasted just 1 1/3 innings, allowing 6 runs on 8 hits, striking out 2, and finished with a game score of 10 (YIKES). Picking up the win for Texas was Bruce Chen (3-2), who went 7 2/3 innings, allowing 5 hits on 9 hits, striking out 3 and a game score of 44. KC pounded out 10 hits, led by Cabrera (2-4), Arias (2-4 with 1 run), and Francoeur (1-3 with 1 run and 3 rbi's). The Hy-Vee Royals Player of the Game went to Jeff Francoeur who is now batting .458 on the season.

Season Record: 24-29 (3rd, 3 1/2 GB)

[CHOWDERHEAD]

Post 1,000 - only took me 8+ years to reach "All Star Starter"

[CHOWDERHEAD]

MLB News & Notes
May 23-29, 2011

AWARDS:
AL Player of the Week: Texas second baseman Ian Kinsler picked up the AL PoW honors by going 11-19 (.579), smacking 2 HR's, 5 RBI's, and scoring 9 runs. Kinsler is batting .341 on the season.

NL Player of the Week: Justin Upton earned the NL PoW honors by going 10-24 (.417) with 3 HR's and 8 RBI's. Upton is batting .296 on the year.


SIGNINGS:
* The Pirates signed Joe Beimel to a one year deal worth $1,930,000.
* The Rays signed 38 year old Manny Ramirez to a 2 year deal for $12,560,000 per. I guess there is no steroid testing in my league.

TRADES:
* The Rockies sent Ian Stewart to the Indians in exchange for Joe Smith.

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCES:
May 24 ~ The NY Yankees celebrated the 3,000 hit (weak single to right) of Derek Jeter, as the Yankee captain went 1-4 in the Yankees win over the Blue Jays.
May 25 ~ King Felix continues to shine, twirling a 4 hit shutout over the Twins. Hernandez ran his record to 8-1 on the year and lowered his ERA to 1.47.
May 25 ~ Oakland A's starter Gio Gonzales pitched a 5 hit shutout over the Angels. Gonzales is 5-4 on the year with a 2.52 ERA.

[CHOWDERHEAD]

KC Loses 2 of 3 v. Angels, End With 11-17 May Record

May 30 ~ Angels 12 Royals 6: It was not a good day to be a starting pitcher. A combined 18 runs on a combined 27 hits sure can put a dent in one’s ERA. KC starter J. Bonderman only lasted 4 innings, allowing 7 hits, 6 runs, 2 k’s, and finished with a game score of 24. Angels starter J. Weaver didn’t fare any better, going 3 1/3 innings, allowing 9 hits, 6 runs, 2 k’s, and a game score of 18. Despite KC jumping out to an early 3-0 lead, and then a 6-3 lead, it could not keep the Angels hitters off of the base paths. Picking up the win for the Angles was F. Rodney (1-0) who lasted 1 2/3 innings, striking out 2, and allowing 0 hits. Taking the loss was M. Lincoln (2-1) who went 2 1/3 innings, allowing 5 hits, 5 runs, and 3 walks. With 11 hits on the day, KC was led by RF Mitch Maier’s 3-4, 1 run day, A. Escobar’s 2-5 (double), 2 run, 2 rbi, 1 steal outing, and Alex Gordon’s 2 run blast – his 8th of the year. The Hy-Vee Royals Player of the Game went to A. Escobar for his solid performance.

May 31 ~ Royals 5 Angels 3: Extra inning games are always fun given the suddenness in which they can end. Tonight’s game was no different. Down 3-2 with 2 runners on and 2 outs, the infamous J. Arias smashed a 3 run blast to win the game in dramatic fashion. KC starter Jaime Moyer, despite not getting a decision, went a season high 9 1/3 innings, allowing 9 hits, 3 ER, 2 k’s, and earned a game score of 59. Picking up the win for KC was closer J. Soria (1-3) who pitched 2/3 of an inning, allowing 1 hit, and striking out 2 to pick up the victory. Angels starter E. Santana also did not factor into the decision, went 6 1/3 innings, allowing 2 runs on 5 hits, striking out 5, and ending with a game score of 56. Taking the loss for the Angels was Scott Downs (1-3) who went 1 2/3 innings, allowing 3 runs on 1 hit, striking out 2. Pacing the 8 hit attack was Alex Gordon (2-4, batting .312 on the year) and J. Arias who went 2-4 with 1 run, 3 rbi, and a stolen base. The Hy-Vee Royals Player of the Game went to Arias for his walk-off blast.

June 1 ~ Angels 8 Royals 3: It’s funny how things can change so quickly in baseball. For the second night in a row, the Royals and Angels battled into extra innings, but unfortunately for the KC crowd, the game did not end as favorably as last night. Tied 3-3 going into the top of the 13th inning, the Angels exploded for 5 runs on 6 hits and 2 walks to put the game away. KC starter K. Davies did not factor into the decision, but did have a solid outing of 8 innings, allowing 2 ER on 8 hits, striking out 8, and finishing with a game score of 66. J. Soria was credited with his 3rd blown save of the year, with R. Tejeda (5-3) talking the loss. Picking up the win for the Angels was S. Downs (2-3), with Angel starter J. Pinero going 7 innings with a game score of 50. J. Arias had another big day, going 3-5 with 1 RBI (batting .298 on the year) and Alex Gordon smacking his 9th HR of the year. The Hy-Vee Royals Player of the Game went to Arias who is quickly helping fans forget his horrible defensive play.

Season Record: 25-31 (4th Place, 4 GB)

[CHOWDERHEAD]

Royals Topple Twins, Take 3 of 4 From Minnesota

June 2 ~ KC 9 Twins 1: Pounding out 12 hits, the Royals were able to take the first game of the four game series rather easily. Picking up the win for the Royals was L. Hochevar (2-2) who went 7 innings, allowing 0 runs on 6 hits, striking out 5, and finishing with a game score of 68. Taking the loss for the Twins was Francisco Liriano who lasted on 1 2/3 innings due to the 7 ER he allowed on 6 hits and the game score of 10. The Royals had a couple of big hitters who led the way, including A. Escobar 3-5, 2 runs; Jeff Francoeur 2-3 (HR), 2 run, 1 rbi, 1 walk; and Billy Butler 3-4 (double and grand slam) 2 run, 5 rbi’s. The Hy-Vee Royals Player of the Game went to Billy Butler.

June 3 ~ Twins 3 Royals 2: While it was a tough loss for Jeff Francis, KC sure made this one interesting. Down 3-0 heading into the bottom of the 9th, Billy Butler launched a 2 run blast off of closer Joe Nathan to bring the game within 1. After a quick walk and a subsequent single, the Twins were forced to remove Nathan and bring in Nick Blackburn to save the day. Sadly, a J. Arias weak groundout ended the game for the Royals. Picking up the win for the Twins was Scott Baker (4-4), allowed 0 runs on 3 hits over 8 innings and finished with a game score of 77, while Jeff Francis (2-8) went 7 1/3 innings, allowing 3 runs (1 earned) on 7 hits, striking out 8, and finishing with a game score of 63. Picking up his first hold of the season was Joe Nathan, while Nick Blackburn recorded his 1st save. The Hy-Vee Royals Player of the Game went to Billy Butler for his 1-4, 2 run blast in the 9th inning.

June 4 ~ KC 4 Twins 1: The ageless one, aka Jamie Moyer (4-2), pitched another strong out. Going 8 innings in which he allowed 1 earned run on 5 hits, striking out 5 and finishing with a game score of 72, Moyer picked up his 4th win of the year. Taking the loss for the Twins was Carl Pavano (5-6) who pitched a complete game 4 hitter in the loss. The winning run(s) were brought in by Ka’aihue’s 4th inning bases-loaded double. Getz had a nice 2-2, 1 run, 1 walk day. The Hy-Vee Royals Player of the Game went to Moyer who is turning in a rather solid season at age 48. The question is, does GM Chowderhead resign him?

June 5 ~ KC 9 Twins 7: While not the best outing of the year, KC starter J. Bonderman (4-4) did just enough to get the “W”. Bonderman lasted 5 2/3 innings, allowing 6 runs on 11 hits, while striking out 8. Collins (4) and Tejeda (3) each picked up a hold, while J. Soria notched his 13th save of the year. Twins starter Mijanes (1-4) took the loss. Billy Butler continues to shine as he went 4-5 (16th double of the year) with 2 run and 3 rbi, while Taylor Teagarden went 2-5 (4th HR of the year) with 2 runs and 2 rbi’s. The Hy-Vee Royals Player of the Game went to Billy Butler.

Season Record: 28-32 (2nd Place, 2 1/2 GB)

[CHOWDERHEAD]

MLB News & Notes
May 30 – June 5, 2011

AWARDS:
AL Player of the Week: Evan Longoria was picked as the AL PoW by going 14-31 (.452), smacking 2 HR's, 9 RBI's, and scoring 6 runs. Longoria is batting .307 on the season.

NL Player of the Week: Albert Pujols earned the NL PoW honors by going 12-24 (.500) with 4 HR's and 11 RBI's. Pujols is batting .332 on the year.

SIGNINGS:
* The Cubs signed RP Kerry Wood to a 2 year deal worth a total of $9,820,000. Wood is 2-0 on the year with 8 holds and 3 saves.

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCES:
May 30 ~ M. Cuddyer of the Twins went 5-5 on the day with 2 doubles and 4 RBI’s.
May 31 ~ Carlos Zambrano tossed a 4 hit gem, striking out 7 Astro batters, in the 3-0 win. Zambrano is 6-4 on the year with a 3.57 ERA.
June 1 ~ Freddy Garcia shutdown the Oakland A’s as he twirled a 1 hitter, in the 4-0 victory. Garcia is 4-1 on the year with a 2.88 ERA.

[CHOWDERHEAD]

May Players of the Month

Hitters:
AL ~ Tampa Bay Rays slugger Ben Zobrist was named the American League’s May Batter of the Month. The Tampa Bay powerhouse belted .396 (42-106), hit 10 HR’s, 24 RBI’s, and scored 30 runs. Zobrist is batting .325 on the year.

NL ~ NY Mets superstar Jose Reyes was named the National League’s May Batter of the Month. Reyes posted a .375 batting average with 5 home runs, 15 RBIs, scored 28 runs, and is now batting .325 on the year.


Pitchers:
AL ~ It was announced today that Jon Lester had been named the AL’s Pitcher of the Month, after posting a 5-0 record with 24 k’s in 6 starts and a 0.77 ERA. Lester is 7-3 with a 1.62 ERA on the year.

NL ~ Clayton Kershaw took the NL honors this month, as he was named May’s Pitcher of the Month. Kershaw went 4-1 in 6 starts, striking out 40 batters in 41 innings, and posted a 2.37 ERA. Kershaw is now 5-5 on the year with a 3.42 ERA.


Rookies:
AL ~ Minnesota Twins rookie Tsuyoshi Nishoka, showed why he belongs in the majors as he belted a .320 batting average, with 4 rbi’s, 9 runs, a .354 OBP, and 6 steals. He is batting .328 on the year.

NL ~ It looks like the Cardinals struck gold as youngster Allen Craig took NL Rookie of the Month honors by hitting .479 (YIKES) with 23 hits, 6 homeruns, 17 RBI’s, and 9 runs. He is batting .422 on the year.

[Husky51]

KC making a little run there. Minnesota eerily performing like in real life. Nice performance out of Nishioka (coming back from that broken leg!).

[CHOWDERHEAD]

Blue Jays Blast Royals, Take 3 of 4 From KC

June 6 ~ Blue Jays 5 KC 1: In attempt to get something going from the staff, the Royals juggled their rotation and moved Aaron Crow up from the bullpen to the #5 position, getting his first start of the night. Unfortunately for the Royals, Crow didn't get the job done. Crow (3-1) took the loss after throwing 4 1/3 innings, allowing 3 ER on 5 hits and finishing with a game score of 41. Picking up the win for the Blue Jays was B. Cecil (5-6) who went 8 1/3 innings, allowing 1 run on 5 hits and striking out 4. Lone bright spot for the Royals was A. Escobar who went 2-4 with 1 run, 1 walk and take the Hy-Vee Royals Player of the Game. Blue Jay second baseman Aaron Hill had a big night going 4-4 with a triple, HR, 3 runs, and 2 RBI's.


June 7 ~ Blue Jays 8 KC 0: Ouch, rough game! Blue Jay starter B. Morrow (1-0) went 8 innings, scattering 4 hits, and striking out 8, finishing with a game score of 80. Taking the loss for the Royals was M. Montgomery (2-6) who went 4 2/3 innings, allowing 6 runs (1 earned), scattering 3 hits, and walking 5. There have been moments when Montgomery looks like he is ready to take the next step, then he has games like tonight. The Royals had three errors on the night (Montgomery, Escobar, and Getz). Billy Butler went 1-3 (triple) and 1 walk; taking the Hy-Vee Royals Player of the Game.


June 8 ~ Blue Jays 5 KC 3: Just when it seemed like it could not get any worse, the Roylas blew a 3-1 lead to send the game into extra innings and then lose it in the 10th. Getting the win for the Jays was F. Francisco (2-1), while taking the loss was R. Tejeda (5-4). Pacing the 9 hit KC attack was Billy Butler who went 2-3 with 2 walks, and M. Maier's 2-5 with 1 run and 2 rbi's. The Hy-Vee Royals Player of the Game went to K. Davies for his wasted 7 1/3, 3 run, 6 hit, 9 k performance.


June 9 ~ KC 3 Blue Jays 1: Finally, a win! Nice outing by J. Francis (3-8) who went 8 innings, 1 run, 3 hits, and 7 k's. Game score of 74. J. Soria picked up his 14th save of the season. Taking the loss for the Jays was D. McGowan who had a solid 8 inning, 3 run CG loss. K. Ka'aihue went 2-4 with 1 run and 1 rbi, while Jeff Francoeur went 1-3 (HR) with 1 run and 1 rbi. The Hy-Vee Royals Player of the Game went to Jeff Francis.

Season Record: 29-35 (4th Place, 5 GB)

[CHOWDERHEAD]

Angels Top KC, Take 2 of 3

June 10 ~ KC 8 Angels 4: Nice win for the Royals as they pounded out 15 hits on their way to the victory. Getting the win for the Royals (after Collins blew the lead for Moyer) was Robinson Tejada (6-4), with J. Soria picking up his 15th save of the year. While some may blame Collins for Moyer not getting a shot at the win, it really was the sloppy defensive play of J. Arias who committed his 21st error of the season. There is a fair amount of buzz in the clubhouse that the Royals are aggressively shopping Arias to anyone who will listen. Something will happen soon! Taking the loss for the Angels was Scott Downs (2-4) who could not maintain the effort given by starter J. Weaver. The big hitters on the day were Melky Cabrera (4-5 with 2 run and 2 rbi), C. Getz (3-5 with 2 rbi's), and Alex Gordon (2-3 [13th double of the season] with 2 runs and 2 walks). The Hy-Vee Royals Player of the Game went to Cabrera.


June 11 ~ Angels 4 KC 3: The Aaron Crow (3-2) as starting pitcher experiment has run its course. Throwing 104 pitches over just 3 2/3 innings, Crow allowed 3 runs on 8 hits, walking 5 and finishing with a game score of 29. GM Chowderhead alluded to the fact that Crow might be looking for a new home over the next few weeks, as KC is rumored to be shopping Crow in a package deal for a top of the rotation guy. Picking up the win for the Angles was E. Santana (5-5), with Bulger getting his 7th hold of the year and Downs recording his 9th save. Despite getting 10 hits on the day, only Alex Gordon had more than one hit. The Hy-Vee Royals Player of the Game went to Gordon for his 2-4, 1 run, 1 rbi, 1 walk day.


June 12 ~ Angels 1 KC 0: KC is heading in the wrong direction! In what turned out to be a rather good outing for M. Montgomery, KC could not put any runs on the scoreboard. Montgomery went 7 2/3 innings, allowing 1 run on 7 hits and struck out 7 - game score of 62. Picking up the win for the Angels was Scott Kazmir (5-5), who went 7 1/3 innings, allowing 6 hits, striking out 9, and a game score of 73. Pitcher K. Jepsen recorded his 7th hold of the year, with Clay Meredith notching his 4th save. Bill Butler was the lone bright spot, going 2-4 (double); earning the Hy-Vee Royals Player of the Game.

Season Record: 30-37 (3rd Place, 4 GB)

Shows you how weak the division is when I lose 2 out of 3 and gain ground on the 1st place team.