Nine is Not Enough

Game Date: July 11, 2009
Kansas City @ Boston
Red Sox 15, Royals 9 / Box Score
WP: Smoltz (1-2), LP: Meche (4-9)
KC Home Runs: Guillen (9), Jacobs (12)
Royals Record: 37-50 / Record in July 4-7

When the Royals got down 9-0, who really thought they had a chance to come back? A five-run sixth inning by the Royals put them back in the game though. Jose Guillen’s solo home run in the seventh pulled the Royals to with two runs, but then the controversial play happened in the bottom of the seventh inning.

Jason Varitek hit what should have been an inning ending double-play ball to Billy Butler. Butler threw the ball home, Miguel Olivo stepped on the plate for a force out then he tried to fire the ball back to Butler, but Varitek was running inside the field of play, blocking Olivo’s line to throw the ball. Olivo double clutched and ended up throwing the ball on the right side of Viratek. Varitek should have been called out, but he wasn’t. I guess you have to hit the guy square in the back the next time

Even with the bad call, we had some of our own issues to deal with.

First, for the pitching problems. Gil Meche’s back issues flared up again and he had to leave in the fourth inning. He gave up six earned runs. Ron Mahay gave up a run. Jamey Wright gave up three runs. And Roman Colon gave up three runs.

In the sixth inning, Miguel Olivo added to the list of already unbelievably bad base running blunders of the season. Have you ever seen a guy forced out at home on a base hit? I haven’t, until last night. I understand that Olivo thought the ball might be caught, but he wouldn’t have been able to tag up on that ball and score so he might as well have come down the baseline a ways and once he saw that it wasn’t caught, he could have made it, but instead he went back toward third and then tried to score. The result wasn’t pretty. Later, Olivo called it a “lucky play” by J.D. Drew. I would call it a horrible play by Olivo.

Just one more game Royals fans, and we get a break. Maybe we should all just read a novel during the All-Star break and try to forget about the debacle that the 2009 season is becoming for the Royals.

This afternoon, Bruce Chen (0-3, 6.88) will go up against Josh Beckett (10-3, 3.62). Chen is 3-4 in his career against the Red Sox with a 4.54 ERA in 41.2 IP. Beckett is 3-0 against the Royals with a 2.41 ERA in 33.2 IP.