Game Score: A’s 6, Royals 4 / Box Score
WP: Saarloos (6-6), LP: Hernandez (3-8)
Royal Home Runs: Sanders (11), Grudzielanek (6)
Royals Record: 45-81
How many more starts is it going to take Runelvys Hernandez before we see the guy we saw in Chicago last week? His performance yesterday was awful. Early on, it was clear for all to see that he didn’t have any command and his velocity was down. He appeared to be overthrowing his fastball even though it was only going 89 mph and after it left his hand it rode way up and way in to right-handed hitters. He eventually hit Jay Payton, which didn’t make Jay real happy, but I get the sense that nothing makes Jay real happy.
Runelvys gave up three runs in the first inning and another run in the second. He settled down a little after that, but he still couldn’t make it out of the fifth inning. He threw 90 pitches in 4.2 innings and his ERA soared to 7.50. He’s starting to make Jose Lima’s 6.99 ERA from last season look good.
The Royals tried to work their way back into the game. Reggie Sanders hit a solo home run off the top of the right field wall in the fourth inning to make it 4-1 Oakland. Paul Bako singled in Reggie Sanders in the sixth to make it 4-2 Oakland. But Todd Wellemeyer, who came in for Hernandez, gave up two runs in the top of the eighth to make it 6-2 Oakland.
In the bottom of the ninth with two outs, Mark Grudzielanek lined a ball down the right field line and it got past Milton Bradley, and after that, Bradley seemed to give up on the play and Grud had himself a two-run inside the park home run. It made for a little excitement. Mark Teahen was due up next and if he could have found a way to reach base, Emil Brown would have had the chance to tie the game with one swing of the bat. Unfortunately, Teahen grounded out to first and the game was over.
Here’s a picture I snapped of Mark Teahen facing Joe Kennedy earlier in the game:
The Royals are off today. Tomorrow, they’ll begin a new series at home against the Indians.
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