Its time to close the book on last night's game. Perez was horrible, the Royals loaded the bases in back to back innings and still didn't score a single run, and some horrible umpiring gave the Jays a big inning early that changed the course of the game.
In all, it was a very frustrating loss, despite getting some good performances out of the bullpen. The non-bounce back after the 3-2 heartbreaker in Detroit looks really bad in the short term, but its just another game. There was quite a bit of back and forth during the game threads about acceptable levels of negativity. Personally, the bands of my optimism are beginning to fray, as an offense I'd thought would at least be entertaining is crumbling. I don't think someone has gotten a definitive big hit in about five games. Nothing captured this like the second and third innings of last night's game.
If anyone knows if Karen Burnett was in attendance let me know.
NHZ will be in later today with a statistical look at the 2007 Royals thus far. In the meantime, here are some links to tide you over.
-Loyal2s encounter with Greinke.
-Kjfinkes prediction thread on Gordon's first homer.
-A Jay perspective on last night's debacle.
-Really interesting Hardball Times article using home run length to predict who might be due for more, or less, balls over the fence in 2007. The Arod prediction is looking good already.
-Flanagan discusses one of the all-time great AAAA players, Calvin Pickering and his hopes to return to the bigs. The way the Royals treated him in 2004 still defies understanding. I don't know if I could live with the knowledge that, if a few more people had given me a chance, I'd have $20 million dollars in the bank, instead of making mid-level banker money with pending unemployment.
Back to reading Melville's The Confidence Man...