It started off a little rough, though. I took off from work early to come home, change into my Royals gear and pick up Phoebe. But she was having a change of heart about going to the game -- because Ratatouille was showing on Disney Channel last night and suddenly that was more enticing. Some tears were shed, but Kates and I talked it through with her, and eventually she came back around to going to the Royals game.
We were all smiles the rest of the way. Once we were inside the stadium, we found some food -- Phoebe went for the chicken nuggets, I went for the Chicago-style hot dog -- and took a seat on the concrete under one of the Outfield Experience's sheltered areas.
Then, Phoebe took a ride on the carousel, and we took in the fountains. We also visited the
souvenir shop and Phoebe talked me into buying a foam finger, with the words #1 Royals fan emblazoned on it, for her. ... She stood in front of her seat, dancing and waving that foam finger during every commercial break, desperately trying to get on the fan cam. I thought surely one of the camera guys would spot her and put her on, but it never happened.
Phoebe and I had a blast spending time together, and it was an exciting game -- until a terribly disappointing ending.
The Royals took a lead in the first, as they've done so often lately. Alcides Escobar, Ben Zobrist and Lorenzo Cain delivered three straight singles to start the bottom of the first with Cain's hit
scoring Escobar. But that's all they would get.
Jeremy Guthrie pitched well, going six innings and not giving up a hit until there were two outs in the fourth -- a double to David Murphy, who eventually scored to tie the game, 1-1.
The Royals scored two in the sixth and two more in the seventh. Everything was looking rosy for the Royals as they took a 5–1 lead into the eighth.
Wade Davis took the mound, and anyone who's watched the Royals regularly during the last two seasons is thinking, game over. Davis has been sidelined with back trouble in recent days and received a loud ovation from the crowd when he entered the game. But he quickly got into trouble via a single by Kole Calhoun and a double by Mike Trout -- his first hit of the game. Both scored and the Royals' lead suddenly was just 5–3.
Greg Holland came on for the save in the ninth, and anyone who's watched the Royals regularly during the last two seasons is thinking, game over. But Holland also got into trouble. ... He allowed the first six batters to reach and all of a sudden the Royals were trailing, 7-5. Gah!
As my friend Austin noted in a Facebook post, "This game (was) about as disappointing as 1986-2013."
The Royals made it exciting in the bottom of the ninth. With two outs, Eric Hosmer hit a bomb that landed way beyond the center field wall and cut the Angels lead to 7-6. It might have been the longest homer I've seen at Kauffman Stadium.
Then Kendrys Morales singled and Mike Moustakas walked. ... But that was it. Alex Rios flied out to end the game.
Listening to the postgame radio broadcast in the stadium afterward, the analysts said it was the first time the Royals blew a four-run lead after the eighth inning since 2008.
And there was this via Sports Illustrated today ...
After winning 111 consecutive games in which they held the lead after seven innings, they've blown two straight.
Prior to Wednesday night, when Kansas City failed to hold a 4–2 eighth-inning lead over the Tigers, the last time it had faltered in such fashion was May 5, 2014 against the Padres. The Royals' 111-game streak of converting such leads is the third-longest in major league history according to the Elias Sports Bureau, trailing only the 1906–07 Cubs (116 games) and the '98–99 Yankees (115 games). Note that those four teams each won the pennant in those respective seasons, as Kansas City did last year; only they and the '06 Cubs failed to win the World Series.In other baseball fun this week ...
On Monday night, albeit from home, Phoebe and I had a good time watching Johnny Cueto throw a complete-game shutout in his Royals home debut. And yes, the photos of the postgame celebration are awesome. ... But, pssst, national media, Salvador Perez douses one of his teammates after every Royals win. You report it like Johnny Cueto getting soaked was a one-time deal. Don't you have people that watch every game? Why can't you get on board with the Royals? Pay attention.
On Tuesday, all 15 home teams won for the first time in Major League Baseball's history. Prior to that, the best day for home teams was May 23, 1914, when 12 teams won. That's pretty cool.
The 15 host teams -- the Blue Jays, Rays, Marlins, Mets, Indians, Cubs, Royals, White Sox, Twins, Cardinals, D-backs, Mariners, Padres, Dodgers and Giants -- outscored their visitors by an 80-32 margin, including four shutouts. Seven of the wins came after the home team trailed at some point in the game, and 11 of the 15 home clubs scored at least four runs in their victories.
On Wednesday, Anthony Rizzo. Wow.
Meanwhile, the Blue Jays are still scary hot.
Oh, and the San Francisco Giants recreated the opening credits of Full House.
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