Royals lose 2-0 to Twins, kill enthusiasm, drain spirit

Hoo boy.

When I agreed to cover the Thursday recap duties, I did not expect this. The nascent Spring has given way to the storms of Summer, and the Royals are drowning. Of all the games I have seen this season, this was the most frustrating.

The collective angst that was the Houston sweep was a pittance compared to the tax that was the three hour gut punch against the Twins on Thursday night. If we were to chart every game this year from favorite to frustration, at the top end you might see the 10-1 Opening Day affair against Chicago, or a week later when Kansas City won 12-3 against the Twins to move into first place for the first time this season, or the 12-1 rout against Michael Pineda and the Yankees. On the counter-swing of that pendulum would be this game, this roiling, seething, pulsating ulcer of a game.

The Royals lost 2-0 to Minnesota. Salvador Perez cued a ball off the end of his bat that rolled thirty feet to secure the victory, a keen metaphor for the previous 8.2 innings of play. Kansas City passed up opportunity after opportunity while free-swinging against Kyle Gibson to the point where the #OnePitchOut meme on Twitter went from tragicomic to cruel.

Chris Young was fine. He gave up one run, because he's a seven foot warlock. Greg Holland pitched the eighth and gave up a run, because [insert "closers don't pitch well in non-save situations" claptrap].

Omar Infante singled to lead off the eighth. Jarrod Dyson pinch ran and stole second. Alcides Escobar did nothing, because doing something would be counterintuitive to the ideal personage that is, Alcides Escobar. Mike Moustakas walked. Lorenzo Cain struck out, and Eric Hosmer broke the hearts of exactly forty-three youngsters who looked to him for hope.

Jeremy Guthrie pitches tomorrow, in case you thought things were going to get better. He goes up against Tommy Milone, a left-handed pitcher, just in case you thought things were going to get better in spite of Jeremy Guthrie pitching.