The Royal bullpen threw 12 innings and change of scoreless baseball tonight, despite facing a purportedly good Texas team in a hitter's park. Of course, we all saw that coming, knowing that Felipe Paulino would allow just one hit in 4.1 innings. The Rangers had 7 runs in the second inning, and they were at 7 runs when the game ended in the 14th.
(Congrats, btw, to Melky Cabrera, for breaking Juan Gonzalez's 1997 record for "most times turning around and looking for someone to mad-dog and muttering curse words in Spanish during a home run trot." We are all proud to see this record broken.)
This was a very curious game, although one that I fear not many Royals fans bothered to watch. The Royals led 3-0 after the top of the first, and 6-5 after the top of the second. In both innings, the Rangers stormed back to take a 7-6 lead.
And then nothing happened. Until Alex Gordon happened.
But then nothing happened again, until we got to the 14th, when things exploded. I would say this game mirrored the history of the Ottoman Empire, but I don't know if that would be fair to the Habsburg Empire. Whichever better fits the pattern of action-------------nothing-----------action.
- Alex Gordon had a much needed moment tonight, tying the game with a homer off of Neftali Feliz (who is having a very bizarre season).
- Melky Cabrera cemented his status as most annoyingly good Royal of 2011, passing Jeff Francouer, with his lead taking-HR in the 14th. The Hos and The Brayan took care of the rest.
- Alcides Escobar led off the 9th inning of a 7-6 game. Then he hit with Getz on 2nd in a 7-7 game in the 11th. Glad I'm straight on the Dayton/Yost rules. Then he hit with a runner on first in a 7-7 tie in the 13th. These guys are player development gurus. Which is why we've all been pleased with the careers of Alex Gordon, Kila Ka'aihue, Mike Aviles and the like.