Game 50: Kansas City @ Toronto

Game Date: May 25, 2008
Blue Jays 3, Royals 1 / Box Score
WP: McGowan (3-4), LP: Meche (3-7), SV: Ryan (11)
Royal Home Runs: None
Royals Record: 21-29

An old baseball theory says that once you get to Memorial Day, you pretty much know what you've got as a team. However, I'm not all that sure that doing any sort of evaluation while riding the wings of a seven game losing streak is a good idea. But it's hard to resist.

Here is where the Royals rank offensively:

	Runs	HR	RBI	AVG	OBP
Totals	179	25	171	.256	.314
MLB Rank	30	30	30	19	26

You don't have to look hard to see that we are at or near the bottom in many of the primary offensive categories. Our power numbers are pathetic; we aren't hitting for average; and we aren't getting on base. Not good combinations. But you don't need me to tell you that.

Here is where the Royals rank in pitching:

	Wins	ERA	BAA	WHIP	BB
Totals	21	4.51	.262	1.35	146
MLB Rank	T25	22	T15	11	3

As good as our pitching staff was early in the season, their recent efforts have been disappointing. Ten teams in MLB have a team ERA under 4.00. In mid-April, if someone would have asked you if the Royals would be one of ten teams to have an ERA under 4.00, you probably would have said yes. I certainly would have. But here we sit with a 4.51 team ERA. For a little perspective, that places us one position behind Washington, and you probably know that Odalis Perez is the "ace" of their staff.

Pitching wasn't a problem yesterday though. Gil Meche pitched well, giving up two runs in six innings, but the Royals couldn't figure out a way to score more than one run. They had ten hits, which is a good sign, but nine of them were singles. With an exception or two, this lineup seems incapable of driving the ball.

The Royals are already down 4-0 in the third inning this afternoon. Not good.