Royals Lose in 11 Innings

Game Date: April 26, 2007
Twins 1, Royals 0 / Box Score
WP: Rincon (1-0), LP: Wellemeyer (0-1)
Royal Home Runs: None
Royals Record: 7-15

Welcome to bizzaro-world.

The Royals drew 10 walks yesterday afternoon in Minnesota and didn't score one run. I wonder if that has ever happened before? It doesn't even seem possible, but yet, we did it. Boof Bonser had awful control (as evidenced by his seven walks in five innings), but he gave up just three hits. Zack Greinke's control wasn't any better. He walked four and hit two guys--including Torii Hunter, who Greinke hit in the face. Thankfully, Hunter only needed a few stitches in his lip.

On one hand, you wanted to applaud two starters who found a way to keep putting up zeros on the board when neither was anywhere near having his best stuff. On the other hand, you kept thinking that surely such awful pitching would eventually catch up with one of them. It didn't.

The Royals had chances to score--especially after Bonser left the game. In the seventh, the Royals had runners at the corners with one out, but Emil Brown popped out to short. Reggie Sanders tried to score from third but he was thrown out.

The game was tied 0-0 after nine innings.

The Royals had a chance in extra innings too. In the 10th Alex Gordon singled to right with Ross Gload on second base, but Brian Poldberg held Gload up because Gordon hit the ball so hard that Poldberg thought Gload would have been out at home. Joe Nathan wiggled off the hook after that and kept the Royals from scoring.

You know the rest of the story by now. Todd Wellemeyer gave up three straight singles in the eleventh inning and the Twins won the game 1-0.

Tonight in Seattle, Jorge De La Rosa (2-1, 3.04) goes against Horacio Ramirez (1-1, 6.30). De La Rosa has never pitched against the Mariners and Ramirez has never faced the Royals.