Royals Rumble

(base by Yahoo!, italics by yours truly)

Thursday 

-- Bill Hall, Brewers, led off the 10th inning with a home run that gave Milwaukee a 4-3 victory over San Diego.
What about Oates?  Oates never gets any love.  (I know the singers name was Darryl, but that doesn't answer my question.)

-- David DeJesus, Royals, went 3-for-5 with a homer, four RBIs and three runs scored in Kansas City's 16-12 win over Texas.
Ah yes.  The Rangers get the special Quiz Kid award for last night's fiasco.  Not only did they give up 16 runs to one of the worst teams of all time, but they also found a way to not get a hit off of Ambiorix Burgos.  It's been a while since that's happened.  Way to go dudes.  Double bagger!!

-- Alfonso Soriano, Nationals, homered and scored four times as Washington topped Philadelphia 5-2.
Why is Soriano batting leadoff?  It made sense when he was in the Yankees or Rangers lineups, who actually packed a little punch, but in Washington?  His 23 home runs are no fluke.  This is not Brady Anderson we're talking about.  Someone get this guy into the number 3 slot.  At least 2.  He could actually drive some people in if he was batting lower in the order.  Can you believe this guy has a good chance of being traded?  Someone is going to get the pick up of the century.

-- Lance Berkman, Astros, homered twice to lead Houston to a 7-4 win over Atlanta.
I admit it.  I've been hating a little on the 'Stros and the Rocket obviously not caring about winning a championship anymore.  But I'll tell you something.  If Roger Clemens can help wake up his buddy Andy Pettitte and the rest of the club, the currently Pujols-less Cards better watch their backs.  But don't forget about the Nu Red Machine.  They sit atop the standings as I type. 

WILD RIDE

Kansas City rallied from a seven-run deficit to beat Texas 16-12 on Thursday night. Trailing 11-4, the Royals scored four runs in the bottom half of the third and single runs in the fourth and fifth before pushing across six in the seventh to take the lead. It was their largest comeback since Sept. 1, 2001, when they trailed Texas 7-0 before coming back to win 8-7 in 11 innings.
The Royals have come back to win a game before?  No way!

COMEBACK 

Orlando Hernandez threw a three-hitter and earned his first complete game in six years in the Mets' 7-1 win at Arizona on Thursday night. It was his ninth career complete game and first since Sept. 16, 2000, for the Yankees against Cleveland.
Simple question really....  Why couldn't El Duque pitch this well in the desert?  This guy is the anti-Byung Hyun Kim.  He seems to thrive when he pitches on the grand stage in the city that never sleeps.  I don't know how long he can keep this up, but hey, he hadn't pitched a complete game since 2000.  Pretty impressive performance.  Wanna trade him back?  We'll give you Jason Grimsley.  Oh....nevermind.  How about Damion Easley?  He had 3 home runs the other day....  Yeah, I didn't think so. 

STREAKS 

Cincinnati extended its best streak in seven years, beating the Chicago Cubs 7-1 Thursday night for its eighth straight victory. The Reds, who moved a half-game ahead of idle St. Louis for the NL Central lead, are on their best roll since they won 10 in a row midway through the 1999 season.
In other news, Matt Stairs told me the other day that he just ate his best cinnamon roll since he had ten in a row during a binge in 1999 after being waived by the Oakland Athletics. 

SNAPPED 

Kansas City snapped a nine-game home losing streak with its 16-12 win over Texas on Thursday night.
That's another notch on the belt for the Rangers.  Stand up triple, baby!!!

SPEAKING 

"Soriano really was the story. That was his impersonation of Ricky Henderson, I guess. He scored four runs out of their five, stole a bag, caused a balk." -- Philadelphia shortstop Jimmy Rollins on Washington's Alfonso Soriano. Soriano walked twice, was hit by pitch, stolen a base, homered and scored four runs in a 5-2 victory over the Phillies on Thursday night.
No, he didn't "stolen" a base, he stole one, geniuses.  And this is not Rickey Henderson.  This is Jeff Kent with wheels.  Move 'em down.

Other notes from the Quiz Kid:
I just can't keep from thinking that we might be witnessing one of those dream seasons with one Jonathan Papelbon.  I can't say too much about this kid anymore, because it seems like I'm typing something about him at least once a week.  I'm almost at a loss for words.  He is beyond lights out right now.  He's putting up epic numbers.  If he keeps this up you're going to have to consider him for Rookie of the Year, Cy Young and MVP.  Call me crazy if you must, but that type of season should not go ignored.  I've picked the Red Sox to win the World Series, and this magical 9th inning maestro is a main reason.  Can you imagine a kid like this coming out in his rookie season and carrying a team through the playoffs?  I can, and I have.  I actually keep playing the scene over and over in my head.

I've said it before, but it should be echoed.  What a pick up Bronson Arroyo was.  His acquisition may have been the start of a beautiful resurgence for the storied Cincinnati Reds franchise.  And along with some other young players holding massive potential such as Brandon Phillips, Felipe Lopez, Edwin Encarnacion and Austin Kearns, this might be the year they turn it around.  The Cardinals are already taking notice and now it's time for the rest of baseball to give this upstart team a look.  They've made some smart moves over their cellar-dwelling years, such as swiping Lopez and Phillips from teams who thought their respective futures as franchise cornerstones were all but over, adding Arroyo and recently, by finally giving Todd Coffey a chance to perk things up in the 9th.  Now it's time for a little more.  I say you move Adam Dunn if you can and get some help with starting pitching.  Also see if anyone is interested in Rich Aurilia.  They need to start behaving like a major player if they want to be one.  The time is now, Cincy.  Make me proud.

Maybe he was just giving Todd Jones a break, but regardless, Fernando Rodney should've got a few more chances to close games again.  He had one bad outing.  And after that mini-debacle, his ERA still sits at 1.91.  Give Jones one more chance if you must, J.L., but as soon as he slips, I expect Rodney to get a little more respect.  Holy diver!

SEASONS 

June 9

1901 -- The New York Giants set a major league record with 31 hits in beating Cincinnati 25-13. Al Selbach of the Giants went 6-for-7 with two doubles and four singles and scored four runs.
Scott Norwood blew the save for the Reds, giving up 13 runs in the 9th.

1914 -- Honus Wagner became the first player in modern baseball to get 3,000 hits.
And the first guy ever named Honus to get any "hits" with the ladies.

1946 -- The New York Giants' Mel Ott became the first manager to be ejected in both ends of a doubleheader. The Pittsburgh Pirates won both games, 2-1 and 5-1.
They Ott-a have a rule against that sort of thing.

1963 -- Playing the first Sunday night game in major league history because of excessive heat during the day, the Houston Colt .45s handed the San Francisco Giants their seventh straight loss in Houston, 3-0. Turk Farrell and Skinny Brown pitched the shutout.
John Miller got Turk Farrell mixed up with Turk Wendell and Joe Morgan took 4 innings to explain how a pick-off play works, and another 3 to tell us how the Colt .45s got their name.

1986 -- Chicago pitcher Tom Seaver (306) and California Angels hurler Don Sutton (298) were the highest composite win total to face each other since 1926, when Walter Johnson (406) faced Red Faber (197). Sutton beat the White Sox 3-0.
I think Tom Seaver was clearly the better pitcher, in my opinion, but the old Walter Johnson-Red Faber question goes unanswered to this day.  Which one had the fruitier wind-up? 

Today's birthday: Randy Winn 32.
No one else has a birthday today?  Well, heck.  Get this guy a big slice of clear cake and a cup of amphetamine joe.  It's the least we could do.