Game 60: Kansas City @ Chicago

Game Date: June 5, 2008
White Sox 6, Royals 2 / Box Score
WP: Contreras (6-3), LP: Meche (3-8)
Royal Home Runs: Teahen (6)
Royals Record: 23-37

A blown call in the bottom of the second proved costly for the Royals yesterday. Repays showed the Jim Thome was out at third base when Jermaine Dye doubled to left, but he was called safe. Thome scored when Nick Swisher singled behind him, but the bases should have been empty. It's hard to say what might have happened after that, but after issuing a walk, Gil Meche did get Pablo Ozuna to ground back to the mound.

In reality though, bad calls are the least of this team's problems. A pitching staff that had it all together in early April has fallen apart. And an offense that sputtered out of the gate still hasn't hit it's stride--assuming it even has one. Oddly, Mark Teahen seems to have found his stroke again. He hit his third home run in the past three games and what's nice to see is that he's driving the ball from center to left. And David DeJesus continues to hit and get on base. But if you look at the rest of the lineup it's brutal.

Mark Grudzielanek has not been moving runners, which is uncharacteristic for him. Alex Gordon's average has dropped to .268. Jose Guillen is hitting just .249 and has just 3 RBI in the past 12 games. The Esteban German experiment at short is failing miserably. He was 0-for-4 yesterday to lower his average to .154. And Mike Aviles continues to sit on the bench.

The Royals are now just one game better than they were this time last season when they got off to that horrific 11-26 start. Of course, when you lose 15 out of your last 17, you can't expect much. And nobody really seems to have any answers. Hillman says he might double the situational hitting in BP.

Now the Royals head to New York where they'll take on the evil Yankees for the next four days. That should be fun. Kyle Davies (1-0, 1.80) will face Darrell Rasner (3-2, 2.67). Davies is 0-0 in his career against the evil Yankees with a 15.00 ERA in 3.0 IP. Rasner has never faced the Royals.