No Fun In Tribetown

Mike Moustakas went yard, again.  Alex Gordon hit a ball off the opposing pitcher, again.  Jason Vargas had a good start, again.  The Royals - yes THE ROYALS - outhomered their opponet.......and lost.

It started out all fun and games as Salvador Perez (who needs rest?) and Mike Moustakas hit back to back homers in the second, but the fun lasted for all of five minutes.  Cleveland answered (or was it regression calling) by scoring the first two non-home run runs off Jason Vargas of the season in the bottom of the same frame.

Then, kids, things got weird.

The Royals led off the sixth with Eric Hosmer's 21st hit in a row or something similar and then was safe at second when Asdrubal Cabrera rushed a Bill Butler grounder and Jason Kipnis dropped the throw at second anyway.  With runners on first and second, Alex Gordon ripped the ball, but at first baseman Nick Swisher who, for the first time this year I'm told, fielded it cleanly to get the force at second.  After a Salvador Perez strikeout, that man Mike Moustakas came through again with a single to right to put the Royals in front 3-2.

The Royals then handed that run back in the bottom of the same inning when Michael Brantley attempted to steal second with two outs.  Salvador Perez dug the pitch out of the dirt and threw it back in the dirt right in front of second - to be honest, Omar Infante probably should have caught that - and as Brantley sprinted to third, Jarrod Dyson sprinted past the bouncing ball in center without actually, you know, stopping it.  Error on Perez, error on Dyson, errors for everyone!  Game tied.

One would think a Jarrod Dyson single to lead off the 7th (he had three singles, two leading off and never scored by the way) might be helpful, especially followed by a one out Infante walk, but two Cleveland pitching changes put the scoring opportunity to rest.

The bottom of the inning, despite Kelvin Herrera getting the first out and Salvador Perez getting the second by throwing out Michael Bourn, Cleveland went ahead on a Swisher single and Kipnis double.  A lot of folks around here don't much care for Swisher and Kipnis, I don't imagine the seventh inning changed that much.

Alex Gordon rang a single off the Indians' hurler to start the eighth only to be stranded by Salvador Perez' third strikeout of the game (I think he needs a rest), a Moustakas strikeout (he can't do everything for godssake) and and Escobar fly ball.

Then came just a stupid bottom of the eighth courtesy of Wade Davis and the baseball gods.

A walk, then another walk, then a nice bunt by Cabrera that neither Moustakas or Davis made much of a attempt on.  Not sure if it was Moustakas with a brain cramp - he took a step, stopped, then finally went for the ball - or a Davis screw up - he made virtually no attempt at all - or just a complete communication breakdown.  It was bad and the bases were loaded.

There was hope, however, because good Wade made an appearance with a big strikeout of Yan Gomes, a first strike to pinch-hitter Lonnie Chisenhall and a very good second pitch that got way in on Chisenhall's hands. Alas, the ball looped off the bat, just over Moustakas and just inside the foul line.  Now the Indians were up by two.  As that fickle mistress fate often lets happen, Davis then struck out the next two batters.

Dyson singled to lead off the ninth, but got no farther than second and so the game ended.

Chances?  Many.  Gifts granted by the opponent? Check.  Home runs?  Heck, yes.  Win?  No.

Day game - hell, morning game - tomorrow with Kansas City needing a Bruce Chen mystical start to split the series and go back over .500.