Spiraling Royals Hit Rock Bottom, Lose Eighth Straight

by Will McDonald on Jun 5, 2009 10:24 PM EDT in News Comment 18 comments

Even Zack Greinke couldn't rescue the Royals, who are quickly playing themselves into irrelevance despite being in an incredibly weak AL Central.

Greinke long homerless streak (a key for him this season) ended tonight in Toronto, as he allowed long balls to both Adam Lind and Lyle Overbay. Considering it was already his worst start of the season, I'd rather have all the bad Grienke events happen at once. Nevertheless, seeing the Royals go down this way was especially demoralizing from a fan's perspective. Thanks in part to typically poor Royal defense, the game was 6-0 after three and effectively over. The game thread cleared out faster than Moose Jaw after Prohibition was lifted.
Dayton's boys Jose Guillen and Mike Jacobs had meaningless homers later in the game, completely justifying their existence.
For a guy who plays because of his glove (well, and because of the cluelessness and lack of options which define his employers) Tony Pena Jr makes a lot of errors.
St. Willie went 1-4 in the second spot. My only question is whether he's better suited leading off tomorrow, or hitting third.
Another day, another bizarre decision by Trey Hillman. Juan Cruz pitched the eighth inning with the Royals trailing 7-3 for no apparent reason. I say good, because the Royals don't play tomorrow, and the back end of their rotation has been going very deep into games anyway and there are numerous options in the bullpen. Oh wait, no. None of that is true at all.
Royals vs Blue Jays coverage, Bluebird Banter

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In other news, WWE Smackdown! was awesome.

As far as the Royals go, Juan Cruz has been early-year Farnsworth bad lately, and I’m fine with him coming in to mop up and try to get his feet back under him (which he didn’t).

- W. Bloomquist homered to deep center
- P. Earth explodes

by JobDDT on Jun 5, 2009 10:33 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I don't mind Cruz pitching there

He hasn’t been sharp lately, and Mac was probably wanting to get him some time to work on something mechanically.

I think, more importantly, it may signify that he & Farnsworth have, at least temporarily, switched roles…

BOOM! ROASTED!

by GoBabies!! on Jun 5, 2009 10:37 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

and Jamey Wright...

Cruz’s struggles have been less long-lasting and more minor

but I guess none of it really matters, the odds of the royals being ahead late in the next four games or so seems so small

by Will McDonald on Jun 5, 2009 10:44 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I don’t think that Trey/Mac are dumb enough to think that Wright can be turned around w/ an extra inning or appearance or 2. He doesn’t have the track record that Juan does, and like you said, he’s had plenty of time to turn it around since he has basically sucked for a month.

BOOM! ROASTED!

by GoBabies!! on Jun 5, 2009 10:47 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I know I'm not the first to say....

Flip Coco Crisp and David DeJesus. I have no idea why this may be, but Crisp has a career OPS of .813 hitting second and .687 when leading off. For DeJesus, those numbers are almost exactly reversed……. Was a Hillman supporter…. Still a DM supporter. Those who oppose need to look deeper into our farm system. DM is trying to restock a cupboard thats been emptied every year for at least the last 10.

by royalblue69 on Jun 5, 2009 11:24 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Coco last regularly hit 2nd in 2005 in Cleveland

Using that logic, we should consider batting Guillen second, since his best numbers came as a #2 hitter, in 2003.

And it’s ridiculous to give the leadoff spot to an ice cold hitter.

by BHWick on Jun 5, 2009 11:37 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Hard to tell who you're talking about with "an ice cold hitter"

Sounds like a good way to describe the entire lineup (Teahen, Butler have been “ok”)

by sterlingice on Jun 6, 2009 12:21 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

DeJesus' OBP is below .300 on the year

he’s taking his usual April slump all the way into June

by BHWick on Jun 6, 2009 2:21 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Yeah, the Cruz decision was awful

he should be put into tie games in order to walk batters and allow two-run homers.

Granted, Trey the Genius was going to put Juan into the game in the 9th yesterday. Which probably would have meant losing in the 9th and not the 8th.

by BHWick on Jun 5, 2009 11:35 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

if we give up on every guy after he has three bad outings

we’re going to quickly run out of pitchers

by Will McDonald on Jun 6, 2009 12:38 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Trey=Old Mother

Hubbard.

I used to be an A's fan until they left town and got good.

by philofthenorth on Jun 6, 2009 12:44 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

OK, I Meant

To post this with that.

The cupboard is bare, and we, the poor doggies get none.

I used to be an A's fan until they left town and got good.

by philofthenorth on Jun 6, 2009 12:45 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

He's given up runs in 4 of his last 6 outings

5 innings, 9 runs. Relax your mancrush on Juan until he starts striking people out.

And assigning set roles to the non-closers in the pen only really works for mid-inning situations. Does it really matter who pitches the 8th? As long as it’s not a blatant situational error.

And when your best bullpen pitcher over the last month has been Kyle Farnsworth, you have problems.

by BHWick on Jun 6, 2009 2:21 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

NOOO NO NO NO NO

I will not accept this loss

Greinke won this, he just did so in a diferent dimension……where the royals win and shit

by MarioVanPeebles Republic of China on Jun 6, 2009 1:28 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

As for the HRs

if we batted someone who wasn’t TPJ after Olivo olivo’d* his way on base, the game could have became a 7-4 or 7-5 game.

But then again, Trey stops trying when we get down two runs, and Trey’s guy TPJ needs his at-bats. Then again, Dayton keeping TPJ around defies all reason. TPJ has sucked with the bat for the last 14 months. Demote his ass. DFA his ass. Anything.

(* – Miguel intentionally swung at that bad pitch because he knew he could get on base there. It’s one of those things you pick up being a catcher and a freeswinger)

So, how long until Kevin Seitzer returns to running his Overland Park baseball school full-time?

by BHWick on Jun 6, 2009 5:23 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

not exactly a great advertisement

for ol’ Mac n’ Seitz, is it?

I hereby resign from this post.

by Home Run Tony Cogan on Jun 6, 2009 10:58 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Having TPJ on this team is an insult to the fans intelligence

He is a maybe slightly above average defensively shortstop who is one of the five worst non pitcher hitters since 1920. Having him on the team is a slap in the face of tans who pay money to watch the Royals try to win games.

by Olentangy on Jun 6, 2009 11:21 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs