Royals Drop Game, Series in 10th to Rangers

Well, it's going to be an uphill climb for the Royals to make the playoffs now. If there was a do-or-die time for the Royals to make a move, that time began Monday as the Rangers came to town. The Royals struggled and scrapped and struggled some more as they faced the best team in the American League. Though the Royals took the Rangers to extra innings, the Rangers slew of perennial MVP candidates took care of business.

The Royals jumped out to an early 3 - 0 lead behind a second inning solo dong from the bat of Jeff Francoeur and two more runs being strung together as Lorenzo Cain doubled, Alex Gordon tripled, and Salvador Perez drove Gordon in with a single.

In the top of the fourth, the Rangers stormed back and tied the game behind a Josh Hamilton two-run shot and an Adrian Beltre dinger the next batter. Given that inning, concerns that Bad Luke Oplakia Hochevar was on the mound were real. Luckily, Hochevar settled down for the most part, waiting until the seventh to cede the go-ahead run.

Eric Hosmer wasted little time in tying the game again, hanging dong solo-style with one out in the home half of the seventh.

Neither squad were able to muster much of an attack until the top of the tenth when Ian Kinsler led the inning off with a triple off the top of the wall. Michael Young drove him in. Greg Holland eventually got relieved but left having coughed up the lead and got tagged with the loss as the Royals were unable to recover the lead, leaving their playoff hopes on life support.