Royals Bested by Angels, 6-2

What’s worse than a marathon game on a dreary day, highlighted by four+ hours in rain delays, culminating in a Royals loss? A lot of things. But I don’t want to write about them. That’s not how we roll here. Instead, let’s review the events of Saturday at Kauffman Stadium during a contest of baseball skill between the Royals of KC (41-39) and the Los Angeles Angels (45-34) of Anaheim (a not at all asinine official team name).

Yordano Ventura (3.26 ERA / 1.27 WHIP) started for the Royals and went four innings, giving up seven hits (including doubles by RF Kole Calhoun and 2B Howie Kendrick) and two runs, with three K’s and no walks. Ventura’s outing was cut short when the rain delay stretched into hours, as he would have been at an increased risk for injury had he resumed pitching after such a long break in the action (the Angels did likewise with their starter – Hector Santiago  – 4.08 ERA / 1.32 WHIP).

When the game finally re-started, Bruce Chen (7.40 ERA / 1.73 WHIP) relieved Ventura in the top of the fifth inning, and gave up four runs in the sixth on four singles and two walks before settling down. He ended up striking out eight over his five innings of work, the last three of which were scoreless.

The Royals offense was weak. They mustered only six hits (Alex Gordon‘s double was the only XBH) and one walk all day. Can’t win many that way, fellas.  No Royals batter got more than one hit (although Billy Butler did walk and single). The shame. The humiliation. When will it end?

Tomorrow, perhaps. I feel a Royals victory coming on. There’s some good juju lurking just beyond the horizon. Gotta be a good omen.