En route to scoring an almost unthinkable 12 runs, our Kansas City Royals also climbed to an equally unthinkable plateau: 30 wins. Buoyed by a barrage of extra-base hits -- 7 doubles, 1 homer -- and 6 walks the Royals played perhaps their best offensive game of the season, considering the opponent. And, importantly, very non-Water Torture Offense, almost like, a, umm, functioning Major League team, or something.
Heading to another dubious All-Star game appearance, Royals' hero Mike Sweeney pounded out 5 hits, raising his all-important (not really) batting average # back above .300, with likely room to spare heading into the first-half's final game tomorrow afternoon. That 3 should do more to tone down any anti-Royal/anti-every-team-gets-a-player type vitriol next week than a week of PSAs showing Mike rescuing babies. So, beyond the fact that it helped the Royals play spoiler again to the pesky Twins... its a nice thing to see.
Lost in all the glee produced by the offense was the fact that J.P. "just call me J." Howell once again bombed on the mound (4ER, in 1.2IP, season ERA 8.65), although the pie sits squarely on Allard's face and not his own. Why is he here? Why are we rushing this? Is anything, repeat anything being gained by this grandiose excercise in futility?? Was that positive press release celebrating the fastest Royals' callup since Bo Jackson really worth all the trouble? Not to mention that Howell's service time clock gets to start a season early (at best)?
Stay positive... stay positive. We're sorta on pace for 60 wins, and if you can't be excited about that, then what can you be excited about?
I wasn't at the presser post-game, but let me tell you Bell's quote anyway, because its a fait accompli, "Howell just didn't have it today, sometimes that happens."