KC Royals Win Fifth Straight

Mandatory Credit: Peter G. Aiken-USA TODAY Sports

The Kansas City Royals are a fine ball club. They began the 2015 season with a bang, and have kept their foot on the gas ever since enroute to a 28-14 record – the best start to a season in franchise history. Saturday night’s rain-shortened contest with the St. Louis Cardinals at waterlogged Kauffman Stadium solidified their present position as the best team in baseball by winning a five-and-a-half inning affair by a score of 3-2.

The game got off to a quick start, with the Cardinals ending a long scoring drought by plating a run off Royals starter Edinson Volquez in the second inning with a double by SS Jhonny Peralta, two walks and a groundout.

The Royals struck back against RP John Lackey in their half of the inning, with a single by DH Kendrys Morales followed by a two-run homer by LF Alex Gordon.

KC added another run in the fourth on a double by 1B Eric Hosmer and an RBI single by C Salvador Perez.

That run would prove to be the difference as Volquez wobbled in the fifth, giving up three singles and a hit batsman before getting bailed out on a nifty 4-6-3 double play.

The rain delay began after the Cardinals were dispatched 1-2-3 by Volquez in the top of the sixth. KC led 3-2 when the tarp was rolled out, and became the official game winners when the game was called a little more than an hour later, having never resumed.

Everything is going the Royals way these days; even the rain. But I don’t think it’s all luck. I can’t recall a KC team with more talent, and I’ve been a fan since ’69.

Sidenote –  Mike Moustakas took a bad-hop grounder off his throat and collar-bone, and came out of the game as  precaution in the fifth inning. The injury does not appear serious.

Weather permitting, the Royals can go for the series sweep on their cross-state rivals on Sunday. WooHowdee!