Carmona Dominates the Royals

Game Date: September 15, 2007
Indians 6, Royals 0 / Box Score
WP: Carmona (17-8), LP: Greinke (6-6)
Royal Home Runs: None
Royals Record: 63-84

Mix together a starting pitcher who is a rookie phenom on a team that is vying for a division title with a Royals team that is about to throw away everything they've worked so hard for this season (a respectable record) and you get another loss in September in which we weren't even in the game. The Royals managed just three hits, didn't walk once, and struck out twelve times. They also made three errors in the field.

Maybe the players' minds were in the same place (not in the game) that Jonathan Papelbon's was the other night as he was getting shelled by the evil Yankees in Boston a couple of nights ago. But let's not go there.

Zack Greinke did pitch into the sixth inning (103 pitches), allowing just one earned run, but he walked five guys in the process. He seemed to be enamored by the way Fausto Carmona pitched. Here's what he said after the game: "Just watching him pitch, he would've have shut anybody out on any given day even when they're swinging their best. That's how good he was today." That may be true, but I'm pretty sure I heard similar statements throughout April and into early May from the Royals, so I've grown a bit tired of it.

This afternoon, Billy Buckner (0-1, 5.29) will go against Aaron Laffey (3-1, 5.29). Buckner is 0-0 in his career against the Indians with a 1.80 ERA in five innings of work. Laffey is 1-0 against the Royals with a 3.00 in six innings.