The hitting attack came through against the Rangers on Friday night. A season high 12 runs and 19 hits led by Mark Teahen's performance going 5-6 with a home run and 3 runs scored and a triple shy of hitting for the cycle.
The 5 through 9 spots of Teahen, Mike Jacobs, John Buck, Alberto Callaspo, and Willie Bloomquist, went a combined 10 for 23 scoring 10 runs, 3 walks, and 7 rbi. Leadoff hitter CoCo Crisp added 1 hit, 2 walks, and 3 rbi. Teahan, Crisp, and Jacobs all homered.
It is a good thing that the lower part of the order delivered as the 2 through 4 spots went a combined 4 for 16 with 2 rbi and 2 walks with the bright spot out of this part of the order was that they had only 1 strikeout.
Gil Meche got his first win of the season going 6 innings. Callaspo had a defensive gem at 2nd that can't easily be explained. You have to watch the replay.
The numbers:
Royals score 12 runs on the 12th day of their regular season schedule.
Gil Meche is The Beast as he throws a 666 to the Rangers (6 innings, 6 strikeouts, 6 hits).
Almost a Record:
Mark Teahan nearly ties an over 100 year old record (hitting for the cycle and getting 6 hits) if he would have got one more hit (triple).
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Buck is It!
Is John Buck the spark that the Royals need to get their hitting attack going? After his home run on Sunday against the Yankees and his 2 home runs (one a grand slam)and 5 rbi last night against the Indians, Buck is the hot bat in the line up and leading the offensive charge for the Royals. If you want to know how bad the offense has been, Buck is the RBI leader and he has played in only 2 games.
The bullpen again proved great as a combined relief performance of Tejeda, Cruz and Waechter closed the door on the Indians. Starter Kyle Davies got the win improving his record to 2-0. The 1-2-3 combo of Meche, Greinke and Davies have given the Royals their 5 wins on the season as they sit on top of the AL Central.
The Royals at times are showing some patience at the plate so maybe we are seeing a turn around. They need to score runs to take pressure off the pitching, especially for Soria as he finally got a break last night with not having to come in to close the game with the big lead the offense provided. More runs will also help secure wins when the back end of the rotation pitches. All the losses with the exception of Opening Day have come against the 4 and 5 spot in the rotation.
Today the Royals go for a sweep against the Indians to try to close out a successful opening homestand in the new renovated K.
The bullpen again proved great as a combined relief performance of Tejeda, Cruz and Waechter closed the door on the Indians. Starter Kyle Davies got the win improving his record to 2-0. The 1-2-3 combo of Meche, Greinke and Davies have given the Royals their 5 wins on the season as they sit on top of the AL Central.
The Royals at times are showing some patience at the plate so maybe we are seeing a turn around. They need to score runs to take pressure off the pitching, especially for Soria as he finally got a break last night with not having to come in to close the game with the big lead the offense provided. More runs will also help secure wins when the back end of the rotation pitches. All the losses with the exception of Opening Day have come against the 4 and 5 spot in the rotation.
Today the Royals go for a sweep against the Indians to try to close out a successful opening homestand in the new renovated K.
Monday, April 13, 2009
Monday April 13
Baseball and its fans suffered two losses today with the passing of longtime Phillies broadcaster Harry Kalas and former Tigers pitcher Mark Fidrych.
I made it clear in my last post that the Royals need to start hitting. Well they started to hit a little more and it added up to wins on Sunday afternoon against the Yankees and Monday night against the Indians.
Zack Greinke pitched five innings and got 9 strike outs giving up no runs. The Royals scored 4 runs on an economy of 5 hits. Soria gave up 2 runs in the ninth to make it interesting but hung on to get his 4th save.
Just over 10,000 braved the cold and windy weather but the fans that were there were rewarded with the Royals 4th win of the season.
Statistic of note: Greinke now has 25 consecutive scoreless innings dating back to 2008.
The Royals should consider to start hitting a little more. It might help Kyle Davies get his 2nd win of the season on Tuesday.
We wanted to check out Rivals Sports Bar tonight but the wait was too long so we were given the option to sit upstairs on the Bud Light Party Deck for dinner since the party deck was not rented out for the night. It was cold and windy on the party deck but the view was great. The menu was limited with Buffalo Wings, Nachos, and 2 kinds of burgers. I had the Flamer Burger which is a hamburger with wing sauce and pepper jack cheese. It was a good size burger with fresh lettuce and tomato. It would have been worth the $9 price if it had a bit more fries to go with it. The party at the next table ordered the nachos and that looked great. I will have to try that the next time I go to Rivals/Bud Light Party Deck. After the first inning we went to our seats to escape the wind.
The look of the New K is dramatically different at night then it was on opening day. The night time glow of the high definition scoreboard and all the ribbon boards made for a different look.
Our next tickets are for Saturday April 25 which happens to be the 40th anniversary jersey night promotion. I doubt if they will have any in my size but it will make a nice collector item unless I can lose enough weight to fit into it.
I made it clear in my last post that the Royals need to start hitting. Well they started to hit a little more and it added up to wins on Sunday afternoon against the Yankees and Monday night against the Indians.
Zack Greinke pitched five innings and got 9 strike outs giving up no runs. The Royals scored 4 runs on an economy of 5 hits. Soria gave up 2 runs in the ninth to make it interesting but hung on to get his 4th save.
Just over 10,000 braved the cold and windy weather but the fans that were there were rewarded with the Royals 4th win of the season.
Statistic of note: Greinke now has 25 consecutive scoreless innings dating back to 2008.
The Royals should consider to start hitting a little more. It might help Kyle Davies get his 2nd win of the season on Tuesday.
We wanted to check out Rivals Sports Bar tonight but the wait was too long so we were given the option to sit upstairs on the Bud Light Party Deck for dinner since the party deck was not rented out for the night. It was cold and windy on the party deck but the view was great. The menu was limited with Buffalo Wings, Nachos, and 2 kinds of burgers. I had the Flamer Burger which is a hamburger with wing sauce and pepper jack cheese. It was a good size burger with fresh lettuce and tomato. It would have been worth the $9 price if it had a bit more fries to go with it. The party at the next table ordered the nachos and that looked great. I will have to try that the next time I go to Rivals/Bud Light Party Deck. After the first inning we went to our seats to escape the wind.
The look of the New K is dramatically different at night then it was on opening day. The night time glow of the high definition scoreboard and all the ribbon boards made for a different look.
Our next tickets are for Saturday April 25 which happens to be the 40th anniversary jersey night promotion. I doubt if they will have any in my size but it will make a nice collector item unless I can lose enough weight to fit into it.
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Game #4 and 5.
Opening day was exciting. The New K looks great with all the new renovations. The Outfield experience was out of this world. You can stand almost next to the scoreboard. You can walk right up to the light standards. You can stand right in front of or behind the water fountains. You can stand where a street once stood. It was money well spent and kudos to us Jackson Countians for passing the sales tax to fund the renovations of both The K and Arrowhead.
Now about the games. The Royals need to start hitting. You can't ask for much better than your #4 starter on Friday. Contrary to popular belief, Sir Sidney did not pitch that bad. The boo birds were in force in the first inning when the Yankees scored 2 runs. The defense did not help Ponson out at all in what turned out to be a decent pitching performance from him. The offense did not help much either. The Royals need to start hitting.
Much of the same happened on Saturday vs CC Sabathia and the Yankees. By the way, the Royals need to start hitting. Although Royals starter Horacio Ramirez gave up 6 runs on 8 hits in 4 1/3 innings, the Royals really need to start hitting. Keep in mind Ramirez is our #5 starter. He is no Gil Meche, Zack Greinke or Kyle Davies. One thing would have helped though, the Royals need to start hitting.
The Royals got 1 run on 7 hits. You can't win many games with this kind of hitting attack. Meche and Greinke would have to through a lot of shut outs to win on this offense. By the way, the Royals need to start hitting.
One thing you can say is that these games are against the Yankees and we will see Greinke and Davies pitching against the Indians on Monday and Tuesday. Winning the central division games is the goal here and we have a good chance to win the series this week against the Indians. We know the Yankees are going to win against everyone in our division but you know, the Royals need to start hitting.
The Royals have an excellent chance in winning whenever Meche, Greinke and Davies pitch. They even have a decent shot at winning when the #4 and 5 guys pitch. But in order for this to happen, (you guessed it) the Royals need to start hitting.
I will be checking out the new Rivals Sports Bar and Grill in right field on Monday night. Greinke is scheduled to pitch. Should be a good game. Even better if...... the Royals start hitting.
Now about the games. The Royals need to start hitting. You can't ask for much better than your #4 starter on Friday. Contrary to popular belief, Sir Sidney did not pitch that bad. The boo birds were in force in the first inning when the Yankees scored 2 runs. The defense did not help Ponson out at all in what turned out to be a decent pitching performance from him. The offense did not help much either. The Royals need to start hitting.
Much of the same happened on Saturday vs CC Sabathia and the Yankees. By the way, the Royals need to start hitting. Although Royals starter Horacio Ramirez gave up 6 runs on 8 hits in 4 1/3 innings, the Royals really need to start hitting. Keep in mind Ramirez is our #5 starter. He is no Gil Meche, Zack Greinke or Kyle Davies. One thing would have helped though, the Royals need to start hitting.
The Royals got 1 run on 7 hits. You can't win many games with this kind of hitting attack. Meche and Greinke would have to through a lot of shut outs to win on this offense. By the way, the Royals need to start hitting.
One thing you can say is that these games are against the Yankees and we will see Greinke and Davies pitching against the Indians on Monday and Tuesday. Winning the central division games is the goal here and we have a good chance to win the series this week against the Indians. We know the Yankees are going to win against everyone in our division but you know, the Royals need to start hitting.
The Royals have an excellent chance in winning whenever Meche, Greinke and Davies pitch. They even have a decent shot at winning when the #4 and 5 guys pitch. But in order for this to happen, (you guessed it) the Royals need to start hitting.
I will be checking out the new Rivals Sports Bar and Grill in right field on Monday night. Greinke is scheduled to pitch. Should be a good game. Even better if...... the Royals start hitting.
Friday, April 10, 2009
Win #2 at Chicago
The Royals again had yet another strong starting pitching performance on Thursday at Chicago as they defeated the White Sox 2-0. This time the solid pitching came from Kyle Davies. Royals starters in 3 games have given up only 1 run. We knew we were going to get great pitching from Meche and Greinke but Davies showed he can pitch just as good. If this keeps up, the Royals may have the best 1,2,3 combo in their history.
Today Sir Sidney Ponson opens the New K against the Yankees. It is kind of fitting that a member of Royalty is the starting pitcher for the Royals new castle. If Sir Sidney can match the performance of Monarch Meche, Greinke the Great and King Kyle, then the Royals might have the best hand in the division for a starting pitching staff. Ponson might be in the rotation short term until Hochaver and Bannister are recalled in May. But, if he can contribute some quality starts he can help this team win some meaningful early season games and provide veteran leadership.
Center fielder CoCo Crisp hit a 2 run homer in the 9th that proved to be the margin of victory. We would like to see some more hitting from the Royals but they did face strong starting pitching against the White Sox. It is nice to see them hang on to win 2 of 3 in what could be a wide open AL Central race.
Today the Yankees come to the New Kauffman Stadium. With a sell out crowd excited about a new stadium and high expectations for the team, Opening Day this year should be very festive.
See you at The K.
Today Sir Sidney Ponson opens the New K against the Yankees. It is kind of fitting that a member of Royalty is the starting pitcher for the Royals new castle. If Sir Sidney can match the performance of Monarch Meche, Greinke the Great and King Kyle, then the Royals might have the best hand in the division for a starting pitching staff. Ponson might be in the rotation short term until Hochaver and Bannister are recalled in May. But, if he can contribute some quality starts he can help this team win some meaningful early season games and provide veteran leadership.
Center fielder CoCo Crisp hit a 2 run homer in the 9th that proved to be the margin of victory. We would like to see some more hitting from the Royals but they did face strong starting pitching against the White Sox. It is nice to see them hang on to win 2 of 3 in what could be a wide open AL Central race.
Today the Yankees come to the New Kauffman Stadium. With a sell out crowd excited about a new stadium and high expectations for the team, Opening Day this year should be very festive.
See you at The K.
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Game 2 Win #1 of the Season
Greinke the Great pitched 3 hit shut out ball and the bullpen made it stick to give the Royals their first win of the season on Wednesday at Chicago. Pitching was the bright spot for both teams. The Royals took advantage of what was offered to them to manufacture enough runs to win the game. It still would have been nice to see a more potent offense but White Sox starter Gavin Floyd pitched just as impressively. Juan Cruz made his Royals debut shutting down the Sox while making way for Joakim Soria to earn his first save of the season.
If we see this type of effort from Meche and Greinke all year along with the results that the bullpen provided on Wednesday, it will certainly be hard on opposing teams to score off the Royals.
Leadership was present on the field as first baseman Mike Jacobs gave congratulatory fist pumps to his teammates on their good defense and made sure everyone knew how many outs there were.
If we see this type of effort from Meche and Greinke all year along with the results that the bullpen provided on Wednesday, it will certainly be hard on opposing teams to score off the Royals.
Leadership was present on the field as first baseman Mike Jacobs gave congratulatory fist pumps to his teammates on their good defense and made sure everyone knew how many outs there were.
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Game #1 New Blue Tradition or Same Old ????
If you looked at the box score for the 2009 Royals season opener you might think that you were looking at a box score for any game of the past few years. They wasted a great pitching performance by Gil Meche as he pitched 7 innings giving up 1 run and 7 hits with no walks. The hitting attack was weak as the Royals collected 7 hits and scored 2 runs while leaving 11 on base. The offensive highlight was Alex Gordon and his 1 run blast to deep center in the 2nd. Many are already second guessing Trey Hillman and his decision to pitch against Jim Thome who has a lifetime .310 average, 42 home runs and 119 rbi against Royals pitching. When Thome came to the plate in the bottom of the 8th with 2 on, you can just imagine what the result would be. You did not have to imagine very long.
The Royals went out and got Mike Jacobs to help with run production. He was hitless leaving 4 on base. Jacobs and the rest of the line up need to connect and manufacture runs. In the top of the 1st, Coco Crisp singled and Mark Teahen walked. Jacobs then promptly struck out. In the 3rd Jose Guillen walked and Teahen was hit by a pitch. Jacobs popped out to 2nd and Billy Butler lined out to the shortstop. White Sox starter Mark Buehrle who is 19-8 in his career against the Royals continued to take advantage of a team that can't bunch up hits and score runs.
The Royals should be winning this type of a game on a regular basis if we are to believe the team is starting to improve. Granted, it is only one game in a 162 game schedule. No promises of a championship were made for this season but Dayton Moore has set an expectation of winning and the fans are expecting the team to come through on that expectation. How the team bounces back on Wednesday will be a key indicator as to the development of the team and what fans are to expect in 2009. If Zach Grienke has another strong outing and the result is the same as in the opener, it may be another long summer. If the Royals should win on Wednesday then we have reason to believe that this could be the year we finally see a New Blue Tradition at the New K.
The Royals went out and got Mike Jacobs to help with run production. He was hitless leaving 4 on base. Jacobs and the rest of the line up need to connect and manufacture runs. In the top of the 1st, Coco Crisp singled and Mark Teahen walked. Jacobs then promptly struck out. In the 3rd Jose Guillen walked and Teahen was hit by a pitch. Jacobs popped out to 2nd and Billy Butler lined out to the shortstop. White Sox starter Mark Buehrle who is 19-8 in his career against the Royals continued to take advantage of a team that can't bunch up hits and score runs.
The Royals should be winning this type of a game on a regular basis if we are to believe the team is starting to improve. Granted, it is only one game in a 162 game schedule. No promises of a championship were made for this season but Dayton Moore has set an expectation of winning and the fans are expecting the team to come through on that expectation. How the team bounces back on Wednesday will be a key indicator as to the development of the team and what fans are to expect in 2009. If Zach Grienke has another strong outing and the result is the same as in the opener, it may be another long summer. If the Royals should win on Wednesday then we have reason to believe that this could be the year we finally see a New Blue Tradition at the New K.
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