Royals Complete the Sweep

Game Date: August 10, 2006
Game Score: Royals 5, Red Sox 4 / Box Score
WP: Sisco (1-2), LP: Schilling (14-5), SV: Burgos (18)
Royal Home Runs: Brown (10)
Royals Record: 41-73

Curt Schilling was on the ropes in the eighth inning last night, attempting to protect a small lead—and even though he is a warrior, you had the sense that the Royals were about to find a way to produce one finally rally at the bell to take this one away from him. They’d already found the gap against him six times and Emil Brown had taken him deep once. But still, he had a 4-2 lead going into the eighth.

Then Sweeney doubled with one out and things got interesting. Mark Teahen hit an apparent single that scored Sweeney, but Teahen ran hard out of the box and had second base on his mind—and he got it. Emil Brown walked and that’s when I thought Francona would yank Schilling, but he didn’t. He let him pitch to Reggie Sanders, who already had two doubles in the game, and Sanders did it again—this time down the right field line.

This, by the way, is another advantage of having veterans like Sanders on the team. He was teammates with Schilling in Arizona, and he’d faced him in the National League when they weren’t teammates. He knew how nasty Schilling’s cutter can be, but Sanders found a way to put good wood on the ball three times—the final time tied the game 4-4.

But still no Francona. Ryan Shealy singled in Brown and put the Royals up 5-4. Then Francona removed Schilling, but it was too late. Ambiorix Burgos pitched a perfect inning for the first time since June 18 to close the game out.

And the Royals completed a three game sweep of the Red Sox.

I don’t dislike the Red Sox, but listening to the national media and browsing a few Red Sox blogs has been kind of fun. Everybody is incredulous that the Red Sox were swept by the worst team in baseball. I understand how they feel and I’d probably be saying the same thing—unless I had actually been following said worst team and realized that they are relatively healthy for the first time in three months and they played a pretty good stretch of baseball before the break. Well, I’d still be a little upset.

Runelvys Hernandez was apparently pitching for his major league career last night—or at least his stint with the Royals—and he did an adequate enough job. He gave up four earned runs in seven innings and he only walked one guy (instead of nine like he did in his last outing). His ERA is still 8.15, but with Adam Bernero getting called up from Omaha and placed into the rotation, the Royals are close to being out of options regarding starters who could take Hernandez’s place. Although, Zack Greinke appears to be turning things around in Wichita. He’s made 13 starts there and he’s 6-2 with a 4.64 ERA and a 1.16 WHIP. His strikeout to walk ratio is 3.75 to 1. So, why not give Zack a shot?

Well, let’s hope that the feeling of euphoria found its way onto the Royals’ chartered flight to Cleveland. They start a three game series against the Indians tonight. Adam Bernero (0-1, 36.00) goes against Paul Byrd (7-6, 4.81).