Buck's Blast Lifts Royals

Game Date: April 18, 2007
Royals 4, Tigers 3 / Box Score
WP: Soria (1-0), LP: Rodney (1-3) 
Royal Home Runs: Buck (3)
Royals Record: 4-11

This one had all the makings of another disaster. Gil Meche was cruising until Alex Gordon made a bad throw to second in the sixth inning trying to get a force, and maybe even a double play. Gordon's throw was to the left field side of the bag and for some reason, Esteban German was wrong footed and didn't even make the catch. The Tigers ended up scoring three unearned runs that inning and the way Jeremy Bonderman was pitching, it looked like they wouldn't need any more.

Mike Sweeney came up with an RBI single in the seventh, and the score remained 3-1 going into the Royals half of the ninth. Todd Jones came in and walked David DeJesus after DeJesus fell behind in the count. German grounded to third, but DeJesus was able to take second. Then Mark Teahen doubled to right, scoring DeJesus to put the Royals within one run. Mike Sweeney clubbed a high fast ball for a single to right and that put runners at the corners with one out and the Royals down 3-2. Ross Gload hit the ball up the middle and it looked like the Tigers might get a double play, but Gload ran hard down the first base line and barely beat the throw--allowing Teahen to score from third, and that tied the game 3-3.

Joakim Soria kept the Tigers in check in the bottom of the ninth. And Fernando Rodney came on for the Tigers in the 10th. John Buck hammered a ball way over the wall in left field to lead off the inning and that run held up. Soria pitched the bottom of the 10th to pick up his first major league win.

But really, this game belonged to Gil Meche. He pitched eight innings, giving up just six hits on three walks, and he didn't give up any earned runs. He had his fastball, curve ball, and change up working equally well, and he looked every bit the ace that he was intended to be. I've been highly impressed by Meche so far. I didn't expect anything more than an innings eater, and I certainly didn't expect to see him dominate good hitting teams. But after four starts he has a 2.22 ERA, which is just slightly better than Jeremy Bonderman, who currently sits at 2.25.

The Royals have the the day off tomorrow, then they open a new series at home against the Twins on Friday night. Odalis Perez (0-2, 9.26) will go against Sidney Ponson (1-1, 8.18). Perez is 0-1 in his career against the Twins with a 7.63 ERA. Ponson is 9-5 against the Royals with a 4.21 ERA.