Royals squander multiple opportunities, lose 3-2 in 12 innings

The night had kind of a magical air to it for awhile. The team and broadcast made something of a big deal out of the attendance record, set in 1989, being broken. Think about that. With six games to go in the season, the Royals have set an attendance record. Kudos to us.

Also, after tonight's game, there are 23 games left, only six of which are at home. That seems kind of ridiculous, no?

Anyway, the magical air. Kris Medlen had a no hitter going into the sixth inning. Unfortunately, that's where the fairy tale ended. Kurt Suzuki led off the sixth inning with a dinger. Goodbye no hitter and shutout (Medlen had walked a guy in a previous inning to ruin the perfecto). Medlen then induced a groundout, a walk, and a single before a Joe Mauer single brought in another run. However, trying to advance to third, Brian Dozier was thrown out by Alex Gordon. Dozier immediately got up and jogged to the dugout. Take your seat baserunner.

Mike Pelfrey had his own little fairy tale going. Giving up only two hits in the first three innings, he ran into some trouble in the fourth. Lorenzo Cain singled, stole second, and advanced to third on a bad throw by catcher Kurt Suzuki (or at least it was scored as a throwing error). Eric Hosmer walked, but Kendrys Morales grounded into a double play to end the inning. Some magic saved Pelfrey that inning.

However, Pelfrey's magic ran out in the sixth as well. Ben Zobrist, he of the amazing midsummer trade, hit a dinger. Zobrist golfed a curveball-looking thing into the Twins' bullpen. After an Alex Gordon single, Pelfrey hit Cain, which knocked [Pelfrey] out of the game. Unfortunately, the Royals again failed to capitalize on a two-man-on, one-out situation.

Kelvin Herrera relieved Kris Medlen in the seventh, because the seventh belongs to Kelvin, and got himself into a magical, troublesome situation. Herrera walked the first batter and gave up a bunt single, getting himself into a two-men on, no-out situation. A groundout moved the runners to second and third with only one out. Then the magic happened - Herrera struck out the next two batters to get out of the inning with no runs allowed.

The Royals managed a run against the Twins' reliever parade. In the bottom of the eighth, Zobrist hit a triple and scored on a sacrifice fly from Cain. In the ninth, the Royals dang near summoned some more magic. Mike Moustakas singled, and speed demon Terrance Gore pinch ran for him. Gore stole second and third, but Salvador Perez and Alex Rios failed to bring him in.

In the tenth, the Royals offense blew it again. With one out, Zobrist walked. Also speed demon Jarrod Dyson pinch ran for Zobrist and stole second. Gordon was hit by a pitch and was pinched for Omar Infante (wut?). Dyson then stole third. So, the Royals had men on first and third with one out in a walkoff situation. In that situation, the run expectancy table of 2015 says the Royals should score 1.1 runs.

THEY SCORED ZERO RUNS. The Twins brought in a fifth infielder to face Cain. All Cain had to do was lift the ball to the outfield somewhere. Anywhere. Instead, he grounded back to the pitcher, Blaine Boyer. Boyer made it exciting though, as he apparently forgot the situation and almost threw to first. He did throw home, though poorly, and Dyson collided with Suzuki at the plate. He was called out, and the call was confirmed after a review. Eric Hosmer grounded out to end the threat.

The game was mostly snoozeville until the 12th inning. Franklin Morales came in to pitch for the Royals and gave up a dinger to rookie power hitter Miguel Sano. Sadly, see the below.

Pitch number five there would have ended the inning with no runs scored if it were called correctly. Unfortunately, the magic sputtered at the end. Dyson came up in the bottom of the twelfth with two outs and hit a long fly ball to right field, but that ball was caught at the wall.

In the end, the Royals had plenty of scoring opportunities, and they ground them into dust. Not magical pixie dust.