Game 53: Minnesota @ Kansas City

Game Date: May 28, 2008
Twins 9, Royals 8 / Box Score
WP: Crain (3-2), LP: Peralta (0-2), SV: Nathan (14)
Royal Home Runs: None
Royals Record: 21-32

Zack Greinke left the game tonight with an 8-3 lead. He'd thrown eight strong innings (3 ER, 5 H, 2 BB, 8 K on 117 pitches) and surely nearly everybody in the stadium expected the Royals bullpen to finish things off and finally end this ridiculous losing streak.

Not so fast.

Ramon Ramirez took over to to start the ninth. He struck out Michael Cuddyer and then gave up a single. He struck out Delmon Young and the Royal faithful stood and cheered thinking the end was near.

Here's what happened next:

• Jason Kubel took second on a wild pitch.
• Mike Lamb singled to right to drive in Kubel to make it 8-4, Royals.
• Brendan Harris singled.
• Carlos Gomez singled to drive in Lamb and it was 8-5, Royals.
• Joel Peralta came in and served up a three-run dinger to Craig Monroe and all of a sudden the game was tied 8-8.
  
• And then in tenth, Morneau homered to right off Peralta and you just knew that the game was over. Sure enough, the Royals went in order in the bottom of the tenth and the losing streak reached ten.

So, why didn't Hillman bring in Joakim Soria? He threw 31 pitches in two innings last night, and he pitched the night before that as well. Jimmy Gobble threw 33 last night. Ron Mahay threw 17. Hillman had little choice but to bring in Ramirez and Peralta. He certainly wasn't going to bring in Yasuhiko Yabuta.

I don't know that you can fault Hillman for this loss. The bullpen simply didn't get the job done. So, we press on.

Tomorrow night, Luke Hochevar (3-4, 4.54) will go against Kevin Slowey (1-4, 4.21). Hochevar has never faced the Twins. Slowey is 0-0 against the Royals in his career with an 8.10 ERA in 3.1 IP.