Royals Recap: No Heroes

I now know how 80’s pop singer Bonnie Tyler felt when she sang “Holding Out for a Hero.” Could some hitter from the Kansas City Royals (23-32) please step forward and be a hero for this team? Anyone. Anyone. Well, there were no heroes Tuesday as the Minnesota Twins (26-29) blanked the Royals, 3-0.

May 31, 2013; Arlington, TX, USA; Kansas City Royals relief pitcher Bruce Chen (52) throws during the game against the Texas Rangers at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington. Texas won 7-2. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

On the Mound

Luis Mendoza struggled throughout his 4.1 innings, giving up 3 runs on 7 hits and 3 walks. Mendoza just could not keep the ball down, especially in the 5th. The damage could have been worse if it weren’t for Luke Hochevar (gulp), who inherited 2 base runners with only one out. Neither scored, although he did walk one before getting out of the inning. Bruce Chen, then came on in the 6th and pitched 3.2 scoreless innings to lower his ERA to 1.23. Unfortunately, 3 runs is an insurmountable lead against the Royals.

At the Plate

Brutal – 4 lousy, measly hits. That’s it. Twice the Royals had a lead off double and could not get the man home.

This and That

Alex Gordon, Billy Butler, Mike Moustakas, Eric Hosmer, Jeff Francoeur, Salvador Perez, and Lorenzo Cain have 20 home runs combined in 2013. So does Oriole Chris Davis…

I listened to part part of the game on the radio last night and by the second inning, Ryan Lefebvre and Denny Matthews were so bored, they went on for several minutes with Deduno jokes. It was embarrassing.

KC Kingdom Player of the Game

Although it was a massive personal accomplishment for Hochevar to strand 2 runners, Bruce Chen did a terrific job of holding down the Twins for nearly 4 innings. It is always sad when a long reliever is the POG.

• James Shields – 6
• Alex Gordon – 9
  
• Wade Davis – 2
• Lorenzo- Cain – 4
• Luis Mendoza – 2
• Billy Butler – 5
• Ervin Santana – 4
• Miguel Tejada – 3
  
• Jeremy Guthrie -3
• Eric Hosmer
• Chris Getz
• Mike Moustakas – 3
  
• Aaron Crow
• Jarrod Dyson
• David Lough – 3
• Alcides Escobar – 2
• J.C. Gutierrez
• Jeff Franoeur
• Bruce Chen

The Twins

The Royals made Twins’ starter Samuel Deduno look like an All-Star. Maybe if he gets to pitch more games against Kansas City in the next few weeks, he will be. He threw 6 scoreless frames, giving up just 4 hits while walking 2. He struck out 5. Ryan Doumit hit his 7th homer of the year. He has been struggling early on but appears to be snapping out of it a bit. He would lead the Royals in home runs.

Up Next

It is starting to get close to not mattering anymore. Jeremy Guthrie (5-3, 3.84 ERA) will face P. J. Walters (2-0, 4.50 ERA) at 7:10. There are plenty of seats available to all of you Twins’ fans out there.

AL Central Notes

Detroit Tigers (31-25): The Tigers blasted the Rays, 10-1. Prince Fielder and and Omar Infante (who now has as many dingers as Hosmer, Perez, and Cain combined) each went deep. Anibal Sanchez was the pitching star – 1 run, 4 hits, 1 walk, 9 strikeouts, 7 innings.

Cleveland Indians (30-28): Scott Kazmir surrendered 4 runs in the 3rd and that was enough for the loss against the Yankees. Drew Stubbs hit a 3-run homer in the 7th.

Chicago White Sox (24-32): The Sox are trying to overtake the Royals for last place but KC just won’t let them. Chicago fell to the Mariners, 7-4, despite Adam Dunn‘s 13th home run. Dunn is only hitting .166 on the season but at least he can put a ball over the fence on occasion.

Bonnie Tyler’s “Holding Out for a Hero”