Game 2: Do-over

- Trey Hillman, obstinate to the last that he made no mistake with Kyle Farnsworth, proved with his actions tonight that he really believes differently. This time, with the Royals up 2-0 in the 7th inning, and his starter again having pitched a masterful game (poor Gil Meche, robbed of a win yesterday), Hillman again brought in a righthander, only this time it was a competent one. Juan Cruz, Royals fans' Christmas in March, retired all 6 White Sox he faced, getting the 2 run lead to the 9th, where Joakim Soria sealed the deal for the Royals first victory. Any baseball fan with a pulse knew that if a righty was to be the set up man (as Ramon Ramirez was last year), Cruz, not Farnsworth, was that righty. One can only hope that today's positive reinforcement, and yesterday's disaster, convince Hillman of this. However, this story from the Royals official site would indicate otherwise.

- Just as the Royals have been a chic pick to win this craptastic division, Zach Greinke has been a chic pick to win the AL Cy Young. He did nothing to disprove that tonight. He went only 6 (scoreless) innings, as he started the 7th with 95 pitches and Hillman yanked him after Jermaine Dye singled to lead off the inning. That Dye single, however, was only the Sox' third hit. He did walk 3 batters, but countered by striking out 7 and was never in trouble all night. Before I say this, I am going to cross my fingers, knock on wood, and sacrificed a young calf to the Gods of baseball. That being done, yesterday on the radio I heard a writer for Baseball Prospectus make a Grienke comparison I hadn't heard before: Greg Maddux. No, I'm not saying Greinke will be or is the next Maddux - but this fellow knows more about baseball than myself. Greinke throws harder and is more of a strikeout pitcher, but they share pinpoint control and the ability to throw a veritable garage sale of pitches for strikes. (Greinke throws 2 different fastballs, a curve ball, a slider, and a new changeup he worked all offseason honing).

Frankly, we Royals fans have to love Greinke, for 2 reasons:
1. He's the only remaining hope we have for the Allard Baird era drafts
2. He's batshit insane and an entertaining interview.

- The Royals continued last season's trend of leaving men on base. I do wonder what the single season team record is: through two games the Royals are at 17 men left on base, putting them on pace to have 1,377 LOB this season. I suppose I one hand I should be happy they're simply getting baserunners to begin with, but it's maddening to see them load the bags and come up empty handed, as they did again tonight. Right now there seems to be a black hole in the run producing spots in the lineup, with Guillen, Jacobs, and Butler all looking pretty foolish out there. In Jacob's defense, however, he's already seen more pitches this season than I thought he would in 10 games, let alone 2, and damned if tonight he didn't get a base on balls. (This is the guy who said in an interview this spring training that "Walks don't help you hit homeruns.")

- More fun, if faulty logic, with stats: David DeJesus had two outfield assists yesterday and even with none tonight he's on pace for 162 assists this season. The season record is 45, and was set in 1881.

- I've been questioned before as to why I hate the White Sox. More evidence tonight, this from the White Sox blog South Side Sox: "I don't know if Greinke intended to hit Quentin, but he was clearly pitching inside with a purpose. And the White Sox aren't likely to forget with another 16 (17?) games left with the Royals on the schedule."
Why is this interesting?
1. Carlos Quentin stands close to the plate, and is a fool if he doesn't expect brushbacks. To be honest, the pitch tonight didn't seem to worry him much.
2. The pitcher owns the plate
3. Zach Greinke can throw mid-90s with ease and is not afraid of staking his rightful claim to said plate. He also has masterful control and with him there is a difference between a brushback and a purposeful hit by pitch. If he wants to hit a hitter, he will (in fact, he precipitated a bench clearing brawl between the two teams last season for a retaliatory strike, hitting Nick Swisher on the leg, I believe).
4. Mark Buerhle hit 2 Royals yesterday

If I were a betting man, I'd wager that Ozzie Guillen, who, along with me is as thin-skinned and paranoid as they come, will order John Danks to hit someone early in the game tomorrow. Not to be out "hard-nosed," round about the time he's ready to go to the bullpen anyway Trey Hillman will have Kyle Davies retaliate and get his starter (and maybe himself) ejected. Only against the White Sox...