Hudson Wins Again

Game Date: August 8, 2006
Game Score: Royals 6, Red Sox 4 / Box Score
WP: Hudson (5-3), LP: Lester (5-2), SV: Burgos (17)
Royal Home Runs: Brown (9)
Royals Record: 39-73

So that’s what the Royals’ line up is supposed to look like? For just the eighth time this season, David DeJesus and Mike Sweeney played in the same game. Throw in a healthy Reggie Sanders, an Emil Brown who has finally found his power stroke again, and a maturing Mark Teahen and this line up doesn’t look half bad. In fact, we actually have a “heart of the order” with Sweeney-Sanders-Teahen. We still don’t have any starting pitching, but we’ll score some runs with these guys.

Luke Hudson is the one exception. He won his third consecutive start last night to improve to 5-3 on the season. And much like his other starts, he only gave up three earned runs. In fact, in his six starts, he hasn’t given up more than three runs in any game. And his ERA has dropped from 7.24 to 4.65 since he’s become a starter. Yeah, he gave up one of the longest home runs (451 feet) in Kauffman Stadium history to Wily Mo Pena last night in the fourth inning, but he found his groove again after that and the Red Sox didn’t score off of him again. Hudson’s performance was much needed and at this point, he’s the only semblance of a stopper that we have.

At the plate last night, the Royals look much more like the patient team they were turning into a month or so ago before they starting losing again. They drew five walks and worked the count better. Mike Sweeney walked twice and went 1-for-3. Mark Grudzielanek was 3-for-4 with an RBI. Emil Brown was 2-for-4 with 3 RBI—including a towering home run to left field. And John Buck was 2-for-4.

Ambiorix Burgos almost blew the game again by walking two guys in the ninth. He added this insight after the game: “One more walk and I think it would have been, ‘Burgos, get out of here,’ “I think Buddy Bell was getting mad.” You think?

Tonight, Mark Redman (7-6 5.38) goes against Josh Beckett (13-6, 5.00). Redman is a pitiful 1-8 in his career against the Red Sox with a 7.97 ERA. He’s given up 11 home runs against them in 49.2 innings. Beckett is 1-0 against the Royals with a 0.00 ERA (in 8 innings).