Game Number 50 - Kansas City at St. Louis

"What do you want me to do, spank them?"

No, Ned. We would like you and your General Manager to stop telling us all is well and reminding us all how much more you know about baseball than the rest of us commoners.

Tonight, Luis Mendoza takes the hill for the Royals. His ERA is 5.05, but his FIP is a more appealing 4.21. Luis has struck out six batters per nine, walked four per nine and allowed just over one hit per inning. Truthfully, for a number five starter, that's not the worst set of numbers in the world. Of course, with the Royals' offense, even four runs allowed is too many.

It's the walls, I tell ya. They are just way, way out there. Maybe, out of pity, the best fans in baseball will put up a plastic snow fence 250 feet from home plate for the Royals to try to hit over.

The Cardinals will send Lance Lynn to the mound. He has roughly the same walk rate as Mendoza, but averages over a strikeout per inning. Lynn's ERA is 2.95, his FIP is 2.92 and he is, at best, the number three starter for the Cardinals. You can hate them, but damn, they know how to run an organization.

Lynn was in AAA for the entire 2010 season and most of the 2011 campaign as well. He was the 39th overall pick of the 2008 draft. That is the same draft in which the Royals picked Mike Montgomery, Tim Melville, Tyler Sample and John Lamb (only Montgomery was picked prior to Lynn), because high school arms are the way to go. Comparing those four to Lynn is not fair, I'm just being grumpy...and inpatient.

Anyway, the Royals trot out:

Gordon, LF

Escobar, SS

Cain, CF

Butler, 1B

Moustakas, 3B

Lough, RF

Kotteras, C

Getz, 2B

Mendoza, P

I'll recap after the game. I may be bitter. I may be sarcastic. I may be drunk. Join me.