Defensive Lapses Costly

Game Date: May 4, 2007
Tigers 6, Royals 3 / Box Score
WP: Verlander (2-1), LP: Bannister (0-2), SV: Jones (11)
Royal Home Runs: None
Royals Record: 10-20

I watched the game last night with a friend. And as soon as Alex Gordon made an error in the first inning, I told him, "I can't remember the last time we gave a team four outs and it didn't cost us." Then Billy Butler couldn't get to a foul ball down the left field line (could he be any slower?), and in essence, we gave the Tigers five outs in the first inning. And of course, they ended up scoring two runs when Carlos Guillen doubled.

Being down early by two runs against Justin Verlander isn't a good place to be. The Royals eventually got to him for two runs in the eighth, but that only made it 6-3 Tigers, which turned out to be the final score.

A few things stood out in the game:

• Alex Gordon continues to struggle in the field (and at the plate). He made his sixth error last night. Only Mike Lowell has more at third base in the American League. Gordon doesn't appear to be relaxed and he has hands of stone. I suspect that'll get better over time, but you hate to see it contributing to losses right now.

• Billy Butler is one of the slowest human beings I've ever seen. He was out early yesterday afternoon taking fly balls in left and not only did he misread many of them, but he was just so unbelievably slow in the process. Sure enough, last night his lack of speed cost us when he couldn't get to a foul ball. I know that the Royals don't want him to be a 21 year-old DH, but that's what he is. The guy can hit. That's his thing. But I'd rather see him doing it in Omaha until we need a DH in Kansas City.
  

• Brian Bannister hasn't impressed me much. I especially don't like his attitude. After the game last night, he dumped on Gordon for costing him a quality start. Here's what he said: "That cost me a chance to go for a 'quality start,' I wound up throwing 17 pitches to Ordonez and Guillen. That's an inning right there. It's tough to start out with a 25-pitch inning. You know who you're up against." How about showing a little class by picking up your teammate rather than running him down, huh Brian?
  

• Todd Wellemeyer has been a huge disappointment so far this season. Wellemeyer gave up two more runs last night without recording an out and saw his ERA climb to 9.00.
  

• And enough with the bases loaded walks already. Both Wellemeyer and Neal Musser did it last night.

Tonight, Odalis Perez (2-3, 6.91) goes against Mike Maroth (2-0, 4.82). Perez is 0-0 in his career against the Tigers with an 18.00 ERA. Maroth is 10-8 against the Royals with a 4.37 ERA.