Naught
| Game 92: July 16, 2007 | |||
| Royals | 0 | L: Brian Bannister (5-6) | 39-53, 2 game losing streak series record |
 Red Sox |
4 | W: Kason Gabbard (3-0) | 56-36, 1 game winning streak 19-8-4 series record |
| Highlights: Three home runs by Dustin Pedroia, Manny Ramirez, and David Ortiz were the only offensive moments of the evening. Gabbard went the distance, striking out eight, walking one, and allowing just three hits. | |||
A Royals beat writer must already know what he is going to be writing by the end of August: the elimination day column. For the past decade every season is a rewrite of the previous except for that glimpse of success in 2003.
The utter futility is so rote it’s ingrained in Kansas City players’ DNA. The lackluster attitude with which Emil Brown fielded Mike Lowell’s fly ball to left in the fifth is representative of the team’s culture.
Can newcomers like Alex Gordon and Billy Butler stem the tide of apathy in a city that was once awash in baseball excellence?
They may have a chance, but they’ll need a better bullpen and top of the rotation starters. Currently Jorge De La Rosa and Gil Meche lead the team with seven and six wins, respectively.
I was at McCoy on Monday night and watched this game at the midnight replay (more on the Clay Buchholz experience later). The Pawsox crowd were treated to in-game highlights for Kason Gabbard’s complete game shutout. They recalled him fondly and cheered for both him and their big league counterparts.
I caught Dustin Pedroia make a face as Julio Lugo and Manny Ramirez hugged after the fourth inning homers. The second baseman tried to feign distaste but I think he envied them their manlove. Just like white men like Kevin Millar before him, Pedroia must embrace manlove. It is an essential component of Red Sox championship-bound teams in the new millennium.
The Royals as currently constructed would be hard-pressed to beat a team like the Ottawa Lynx, just as the Pawsox would have a good chance against the Kansas City franchise, which is a major league team in name only.
