Royals Cool Down, Fall to AquaSox 12-3

The Royals hot bats and hotter pitching fell flat on Sunday, as they couldn't get anything going on either side of the ball.  Pitchers walked a season high 9 batters, while batters struck out a season high 8 times in the loss.

As normal, the offense got going with a bang.  Chris Powell would walk, and pinch runner Sean Spires would steal his 10th bag of the season.  With 2 outs, Mike Miller would line a single to right to take an early 1-0 lead.

Joan Socarras would take the hill for the Royals, only to have his worst outing in 2 years.  3 quick runs in the first would give the Sox a 3-1 lead.

Dominic Archey would lead off the 2nd with a single and take second on a passed ball.  Chris Middleton would bounce a single over the third baseman's head to plate Archey and make it a 3-2 game.

But the Sox would answer back in the bottom of the 3rd, plating 2 quick runs and loading the bases with no outs to threaten some more.  But Socarras would get some strong defense from Greg Falk (gunning a runner at home) and Ryan Elliott (turning a 5-3 double play) to get out of the jam.

The Royals would come out swinging in the 4th.  Chris Blum would blast a double off the wall in left (just missing his first career home run), and would score 3 pitches later on a Dominic Archey single.  After a double play, Chris Middleton and Chris Miller would each single, and Sean Spires would walk to load the bases, but the Sox would escape the jam.

Chris Powell would take the mound against his old squad, but some shoddy defense behind him would lead to 3 runs, making it an 8-3 game.

The Royals would threaten again in the 6th, as Blum would double to lead off the inning.  Archey would single into shallow left, but a good throw by the left fielder and a bad call by the home plate umpire would nail Blum at home.  Elliott would single, but the momentum was already swinging towards the Sox.

The Sox would score 3 more in the 7th, and 1 in the 9th (the last off flame thrower Dennis King III) to put the game away 12-3.

Congrats to the Sox for a clean win.

Pitching

Joan Socarras - L, 3IP, 5ER, 3K, 6H, 3BB

Chris Powell - 4IP, 4ER, 3K, 4H, 2BB

Dennis King III - IP, ER, 2K, 4BB

Batting

Dominic Archey - 3-3, R, RBI

Chris Blum - 2-2, 2 2B, R

Chris Middleton - 2-4, RBI

Ryan Elliott - 2-2

Mike Miller - 1-3, RBI, BB

Chris Miller - 1-3

Bobby Calzadillas - 1-4

Sean Spires - 0-3, BB, SB

Chris Powell - 0-3, R, BB

Daniel Lebsock - 0-3, BB

Greg Falk - 0-1

Pitching Dominates Again, Royals Win 8-1 Over Warhawks

The Royals pitching staff continued to dominate as 4 different pitchers combined to allow only 6 hits in an 8-1 victory over the Warhawks (a win that was much closer than the final score would demonstrate.)  Chris Powell and Dan Lebsock had 2 hits a piece, while Lebsock threw out 2 more potential base stealers from behind the dish, giving him 6 caught runners in his first 5 games as a Royal.

Another hot first inning would give the Royals an early lead.  Chris Powell would walk, and pinch runner Sean Spires would swipe second.  With 2 outs, Mike Miller would belt his 4th double of the year, plating Spires.  Jay Wasserman would reach on a hit by pitch, and swipe second for his 2nd career stolen base!  But the Warhawks would get out of the jam and keep the score 1-0.

Eric Bloom would get his first start on the hill and would be nearly unhittable.  A pair of doubles would be all he gave up while striking out 6 Warhawks over 4 innings.

Meanwhile, the Royals offense kept applying the pressure.  In the 2nd, Dominic Archey, just back the DL, would single and move to 3rd on a deep fly ball/error off the bat of Chris Middleton, who hustled all the way out of the box and would have had 3 bases if it weren't for Archey's balky groin.  Chris Miller would ground out to plate one, and Robert Padilla would single home another to give the Royals a 3-0 lead.

In the 4th, Dan Lebsock would lead off with a single, and move to second on a Chris Blum walk.  With 2 outs, Chris Miller would hit an infield single to 2nd to plate Lebsock (which, if not for a web gem by the 2nd baseman, would have plated both runners.)  After 4 in the books, the Royals would lead 4-0.

Heading into the 5th, the Royals would turn it over to rookie Shawn Smith.  Smith would strike out 5 batters in his 2 innings of work, giving the Royals offense time to score again.  In the bottom of the 6th, Mike Miller would lead off with a walk and move to 2nd on a Dan Lebsock single.  After a Chris Blum walk to load the bases, Dominic Archey would hit a sac fly to center to plate Miller and give the Royals a 5-0 lead.

Bobby Calzadillas would enter in the 7th and pick up where the Bloom and Smith left off.  After a runner reached on a walk, Lebsock would throw him out stealing - the second attempted thief he'd catch on the day - and Calzadillas would cruise over the next 2 scoreless innings.

But the Royals offense wasn't done yet.  In the bottom of the 7th with 2 outs, pinch hitter Greg Falk would walk.  Sean Spires speed would lead to an error at second, and he would move into scoring position himself by stealing his 4th base of the day.  That must have shaken the pitcher, as he uncorked a wild pitch to score Falk, and a bad throw back from the catcher would allow Spires to score on the same play.  Chris Powell would walk, and Calzadillas would blast a double to the wall in left-center to cap the scoring, handing an 8-0 lead to closer-of-the-day Chris Miller.

Miller would give up a mammoth leadoff home run to break up the shut out, but would then settle down and strike out the side to give the Royals their 4th victory of the season.

Congrats go out to the Warhawks - they played a great game to keep the score close most of the day.

And congrats go to Shawn Smith, for notching his first victory in baby blue!

Pitching

Eric Bloom - 4IP, 0ER, 6K, 2H, BB, HBP

Shawn Smith - W, 2IP, 0ER, 5K, H, BB

Bobby Calzadillas - 2IP, 0ER, K, 2H, BB, HBP

Chris Miller - IP, ER, 3K, 2H, BB, HBP

Batting

Chris Powell - 2-2, 2R, 2BB

Dan Lebsock - 2-4, R

Mike Miller - 1-3, 2B, R, RBI, BB

Bobby Calzadillas - 1-4, 2B, RBI

Dominic Archey - 1-2, R, RBI, SACF

Chris Miller - 1-2, 2RBI

Robert Padilla - 1-3, RBI

Sean Spires - 0-4, R, 4SB

Jay Wasserman - 0-2, 2BB, SB

Greg Falk - 0-0, R, BB, SB

Chris Middleton - 0-3, R, HBP

Chris Blum - 0-2, 2BB
Dennis King III - 0-0, BB

Royals Pitching Quiets Knights Bats in 10-2 Win

Coming off a big win last week, the Knights' bats were looking pretty hot.  But dominant pitching and solid defense kept the Knights off the bases, and the Royals' bats continued to be strong.  Led by catcher Dan Lebsock's 4-hit day, the boys in baby blue pounded out 10 runs on 16 hits for a 10-2 win over one of the nicest teams in the league.

The Royals started the game hot again, as has been the trend this season.  After 2 quick outs, and with normal 3-hole hitter Bobby Calzadillas out of town, catcher Dan Lebsock stepped up and lined a single to center.  Mike Miller followed with a single of his own, moving to second on the throw into the infield.  Rbi-machine Jay Wasserman came through as he has all season, lining a 2-run single to center to give the Royals a 2-run lead.

Cuban sensation Joan Socarras, coming back from shoulder issues the past 2 season, stepped up for his first start of the season.  He would work a quiet, 2 strikeout inning to bring the Royals up again.

Ryan Elliott would lead off the second, fresh off offseason ACL surgery (we hope his orthopoedic surgeon doesn't read this site.)  He'd quickly line a single to center to kick off his season.  After a fielder's choice, Chris Middleton would rebound from an off week with a line drive single of his own, putting 2 on with 1 out.  Greg Falk, aka Mr. line-drive-double-play, would come up and hit a sinking liner to right field, which would amazingly turn into the 3rd line-drive-double-play he's been a part of in 3 games, to get the Knights out of the jam.

Socarras would work around a single and hit batsman to get out of the second, and the top of the Royals lineup would come through again.  Chris Powell would get hit for the 3rd time this season, and Lebsock would single.  Miller would hit a fly ball into the wind in shallow center for a single to load the bases, and with 2 outs, Chris Blum would blast a ball just fair down the left field line, clearing the bases and giving the Royals a 5-0 lead.

Heading into the bottom of the 3rd, the Royals would turn to knuckleballer Eric Bloom.  For the next 4 innings, Bloom would face no more than 4 batters per frame, striking out 4 in the span.

Unfortunately for the Royals, their bats would cool off as well.  6 men would reach base over the next 4 innings, but they would have no runs to show for it.  Heading into the bottom of the 7th, they'd hand the ball to veteran lefthander Jay Wasserman, one of the longest-tenured members of the Royals.  He would work around a pair of singles to retire the side, giving the Royals' bats a chance to wake up.

With 1 out, Powell would single to right and Lebsock would follow him with his 4th single of the day.  Mike Miller would walk to load the bases, and Wasserman would ground out to plate 1, expanding the lead to 6-0.

The Royals would turn to Dennis King III to close things out, but after a leadoff single in the bottom of the 8th, 2 errors would break up the shutout and make it a 6-1 game heading into the 9th.

The 9th inning brought a new pitcher from the Knights, and the Royals took full advantage.  Starting with back to back walks to Ryan Elliot and Jason Bolding, Middleton would grab his wood bat and lace a double to left center to plate the pair.  King would reach on a dropped third strike, and back-to-back-to-back walks to pinch hitter Eric Bloom, Sean Spires and Chris Powell would plate 2 more.

King would walk a few batters in the bottom of the frame to plate 1, but it was moot by that point as the Royals would end the game leading 10-2.

Congrats to the Knights for a great game - they played well above what their record showed, keeping it a 5-run game into the 8th.

And congrats go out to Eric Bloom, who picked up his first win as a Royal, and to Dennis King III, for grabbing his first save.

Pitching

Joan Socarres - 2IP, 0ER, 2K, H, HBP

Eric Bloom - W, 4IP, 0ER, 3K, 3H

Jay Wasserman - IP, 0ER, K, 2H

Dennis King III - S, 2IP, ER, 2K, H, 3BB

Batting

Dan Lebsock - 4-5, 2R

Chris Middleton - 2-4, 2B, R, 2RBI

Mike Miller - 2-3, 2R, BB

Ryan Elliott - 2-3, R, BB

Chris Powell - 1-3, 2R, 2RBI, HBP, BB

Sean Spires - 1-4, BB, SB

Jay Wasserman - 1-4, 3RBI

Chris Blum - 1-4, 2B, 3RBI

Jason Bolding - 1-3, R, BB, SB

Dennis King - 1-3, R

Bombers Walk-Off With 3 in the 9th

The Royals let one slip through their fingers as the Bombers plated 3 in the bottom of the 9th to walk off with the win.  The loss wasn't the worst thing that happened on the day, as their injury-plagued starting centerfielder Dominic Archey went down with a strained groin (at least he didn't hit himself in the face again.)

The Royals offense started off strong, as leadoff man Sean Spires kicked things off with a single.  Chris Powell followed with a double, and Bobby Calzadillas knocked in a run with a fielder's choice/error.  Mike Miller belted a 75-foot rbi-infield single, and Jay Wasserman brought home another on a double play ball.  Calzadillas would take the mound for his first start of the year and work a quiet first, leaving the score 3-0 after 1.

The Royals kept up the pressure in the 2nd.  Dan Lebsock reached on an error, going all the way to third on a routine ground ball.  Robert Padilla would bring him home on a ground out, and the Royals would lead 4-0.

The Bombers would respond with 1 of their own, but the Royals would answer back in the 3rd.  Mike Miller would walk to lead things off, and move to third on a Jay Wasserman ground ball/error.  Dominic Archey would single home Miller, and one out later, Lebsock would ground out to plate Wasserman, giving the Royals a 6-1 lead.  But the Bombers would answer right back with 2 of their own to make it 6-3.

The 4th inning would feature more offense on both sides of the field.  Jason Bolding would lace a single to left and score on a Sean Spires ground ball/error.  One out later, Calzadillas would hit a deep sac fly to plate Spires, and the Royals would again lead by 5.  But the Bombers would score once in each of the next 2 innings.

The Royals would continue to threaten in the 5th, as Wasserman would lead off with a walk.  Archey would follow with a fielder's choice, but unfortunately, he'd strain his groin beating out the throw to first and would have to come out of the game.  Pinch runner Greg Falk would swipe second and try to score on a Dan Lebsock single, only to be gunned at the plate (in a controversial no-slide/catcher-in-the-baseline call.)  Looking back, this was the play that shifted the momentum in the game, as the Royals bats would go quiet.  Another Bomber run in the bottom of the 5th followed by a mammoth 2-run home run to right center in the 6th would chase Calzadillas from the game with the score 8-7.  Dennis King III would relieve and quiet the Bombers offense for the time being.

After another quiet inning from the Royals, the Bombers would put more runners on base in the 7th and 8th.  But King would pick one man off, and Lebsock would throw out his second runner of the game to keep the Bombers off the scoreboard.  Meanwhile, the Royals would score another in their half of the 8th.  Pinch hitter Greg Falk would single - the first hit of his Royal's career - and Lebsock would double him home.  Robert Padilla would single for his first Royals hit, but the Bombers would escape a bases loaded jam to keep the score at 9-7.

In the top of the 9th, the Royals would threaten to break the game open.  Miller would reach on an error and move to 2nd on a Dennis King walk.  With a full count and 1 out, both runners took off and Falk hit a sinking liner to center.  The centerfielder made a diving catch and easily doubled up Miller to end the threat.

King would start the 9th on the hill, but a walk, a long fly out, an rbi-double and a hit batsman would end his afternoon with the tying run in scoring position and the winning run on base.  Chris Powell would come in and induce a ground ball, but it was just too slow for the solid Royals defense to turn 2.  After a passed ball moved the go-ahead run into scoring position, and a walk put a force at any base with 2 outs, a ground ball just out of the reach of shortstop Falk would plate a pair and send the Bombers home in jubilation.

Congrats to the Bombers on a well-played game - they earned this one.  And congrats go out to Greg Falk and Robert Padilla, who both got their first career hits.

Pitching

Bobby Calzadillas - 5.1IP, 4ER, 9H, K, 2BB

Dennis King III - 3IP, 2ER, 2H, K, 4BB, HBP

Chris Powell - L, .1IP, ER, H, BB

Batting

Sean Spires - 2-5, 2R, 2SB

Dan Lebsock - 2-4, 2B, R, 2RBI

Chris Powell - 1-3, 2B, R, 2BB

Mike Miller - 1-4, R, RBI, BB

Dominic Archey - 1-2, RBI, BB

Greg Falk - 1-2, R, SB

Robert Padilla - 1-3, RBI, BB

Jason Bolding - 1-4, R

Jay Wasserman 1-4, R, BB

Bobby Calzadillas - 0-3, R, 2RBI, BB, SACF

Royals Offensive Onslaught Powers Win

The Royals brought their bats to El Cariso on Sunday, pounding out 20 hits and coming back from an 8-2 deficit in the 2nd to take down the hot-hitting Brooklyn Bums 21-9.  Dominic Archey and Bobby Calzadillas both scored 4 runs each, while the 3-4-5 men in the lineup (Calzadillas, Mike Miller and Jay Wasserman) combined to go 7 for 12 with 13 rbis in the victory.  Strong defense by catcher Dan Lebsock and relief pitching by Chris Powell would quiet an early Bum hitting streak to give the Royal bats a chance to come out ahead.

Dennis King III took the hill for the Royals, but playing with a heavy heart, the Bums got to him early.  6 first inning runs had the bullpen up and running, but the Royals would respond.

Dominic Archey would be called out on a close call at first, and Chris Powell would line a ball by the second basemen, but be thrown out at first after injuring himself on the swing.  With 2 outs, Bobby Calzadillas would work a full-count walk, and Mike Miller would reach on a fielder's choice.  Back-to-back singles by Jay Wasserman and Chris Blum would plate a pair, and the Royals would trail 6-2 after 1.

The Bums would get those 2 runs right back in the 2nd, and while King would finish the inning with a strikeout, his day on the mound would be over.

The Royals offense was just getting started, however, as Chris Miller and Chris Middleton would reach on a walk and hit by pitch to start the 2nd.  With 1 out, Archey would single home one, and Chris Powell would single to load the bases.  Calzadillas would get hit by a pitch to plate another, and with 2 outs, Wasserman would single home a pair.  Blum would reach on an error, to bring home another, and after 2 innings (and 1 hour), the score would be 8-7 Bums.

After watching the Bums tee off against Dennis King's heater, the Royals would bring in crafty lefty Chris "Mr. Go" Powell.  Powell would work a quiet inning (picking off a runner on 1st in the process), and the Royals would pick right up where they left off in the bottom of the inning, batting around for the 2nd straight frame.  Chris Miller would lead off with a single, and move to third on a Chris Middleton double.  Robert Padilla, in his first plate appearance as a Royal, would hit a deep sac fly to left to move both runners up 90 feet (knocking in Miller.)  Archey would single home Middleton, and after a Chris Powell walk, Calzadillas would single home Archey, bringing to the plate cleanup hitter Mike Miller.  Miller would waste little time before blasting a ball off the wall in center for an rbi double, and Wasserman would drive in another with a groundout.  Blum and Dan Lebsock would lace back-to-back singles to plate another, and after 3, the Royals would lead 13-8.

Powell would work around a single in the top of the 4th thanks to the increasingly strong defense of catcher Dan Lebsock, who threw out his second baserunner of the game - after catching a runner stealing in the first, this time he back-picked a man at first.

The Royals wouldn't stop there, as Middleton, Jason Bolding, Archey, Powell and Calzadillas would start off the 4th with 5 consecutive singles.  But a line-drive off the bat of Mike Miller would lead to a double play, and the threat would stop with only 3 Royals crossing the plate.

The Bums would finally get to Powell in the 5th, scoring 1, but the Royals would get it right back.  With 1 out, Lebsock would single for the second time in the game, and Padilla would eventually cash him in with an rbi-ground out.

Powell would work a quiet top of the 5th, and needing only 4 runs to put the mercy into effect, the offense would keep rolling.  Pinch hitter Greg Falk and Archey would walk, and following a Powell hit by pitch (his 13th in 36 games as a Royal), Calzadillas would walk in 1.  Mike Miller would follow with a 2-run double - his second double of the game, and Wasserman would drop in a walk-off single to put the mercy into effect.

Good luck to the Bums as their hot bats will cause problems for a lot of teams this season.  We face off again in the last week of the regular season.

Congrats to Dan Lebsock, who got the first 2 hits of his Royal career, and to Robert Padilla, who knocked in 2 runs in his Royals debut.  So many guys on the team had big days today, this was truly a team victory.

Pitching

Dennis King III - 2IP, 4ER, 7H, K, BB, HBP

Chris Powell - W, 4IP, ER, 4H, 4K, BB

Batting

Dominic Archey - 3-4, 4R, 2RBI, BB

Jay Wasserman - 3-5, 5RBI

Chris Powell - 2-3, 3R, RBI, BB, HBP

Bobby Calzadillas - 2-2, 4R, 5RBI, 2BB, HBP

Mike Miller - 2-5, 2 2B, 2R, 3RBI

Chris Middleton - 2-2, 2B, 3R, BB, HBP

Chris Blum - 2-4, 2RBI

Daniel Lebsock - 2-4, R

Chris Miller - 1-3, 2R, BB

Jason Bolding - 1-2, R

Robert Padilla - 0-1, 2RBI, SACF

Greg Falk - 0-0, R, BB

Royals Score 4 in 8th, Come Back to Win vs. Warriors

The Royals have officially won as many games as they did last summer, taking the season opener 6-3 over a strong Warriors squad.  Chris Miller and Bobby Calzadillas combined to hold the Warriors to 3 runs while striking out 11.  While the offense had trouble picking up key hits in the early innings, everything finally came together in the 8th as the boys in baby blue would send 9 men to the plate to take the lead for good.

Chris Miller, coming off a strong spring, would take the mound for the Royals, but the Warriors would take advantage of some early rust and plate one in the bottom of the first.  The Royals would turn a smooth double play to get out of the jam, but would trail 1-0 heading into the top of the 3rd.

With two outs, Chris Powell would walk, and pinch runner Sean Spires would swipe second.  Rookie Bobby Calzadillas would single home Spires for his first career hit, and move to third on a Mike Miller ground rule double.  Jay Wasserman would single home Calzadillas, and the Royals would regain the lead.

In the bottom of the 3rd, Chris Miller would throw a nasty 2-seamer inside to a batter, inducing a ground ball off the knob of the bat.  Unfortunately, he'd roll an ankle while fielding the ball, and after 2 batters reached base, would have to come out of the game injured.  Enter Calzadillas, who would make an immediate impact in his debut on the mound, striking out the first 2 batters he faced to get out of the jam and keep the lead intact.

In the top of the 4th, Dominic Archey and rookie Chris Blum would lead off with back to back singles (Blum's first as a Royal.)  But a strikeout,and an interference call on a ground ball would end the rally.

Both pitchers would be cruising along, but the Warriors would finally get something going in the bottom of the 5th.  A leadoff home run and 2 singles would plate a pair, making it a 3-2 Warriors lead.

The score would remain the same heading into the 8th, as both teams were having outstanding days pitching and on defense.  The Royals knew they were running out of time, but the top of the lineup would come through again.  Sean Spires would lead off with a single and immediately swipe second.  Chris Powell would single him home to tie the game.  Calzadillas would lace a double into left center to put men on 2nd and 3rd, and Mike Miller and Jay Wasserman would crush back-to-back rbi-singles - neither of which reached the outfield grass.  Rookie Dan Lebsock would ground into an rbi fielder's choice to cap the scoring, giving the Royals a 6-3 lead.

With the bullpen warming, Calzadillas would finish the game himself, striking out 2 and getting the Warriors to hit into 2 double plays over the last 2 innings to get the victory.

A great game played by both squads, they get to face off again in the next to last week of the regular season with playoff positioning on the line.  Congrats go out to Calzadillas and Blum, each getting their first hits as Royals, and to Lebsock for his first rbi.  And double congrats to Calzadillas, who accomplished his feat while getting his first win on the mound and striking out 10!

Pitching

Chris Miller - 3.1IP, ER, K, 5H, BB

Bobby Calzadillas - 5.2IP, 2ER, 10K, 4H, BB

Batting

Chris Powell - 1-2, 2R, RBI, 2BB, HBP

Mike Miller - 2-4, 2B, R, RBI, SB

Jay Wasserman - 2-4, 2RBI

Bobby Calzadillas - 2-5, 2B, RBI, 2R

Chris Blum - 2-4, 2B

Dominic Archey - 1-3, BB

Royals Championship Hopes Dashed, Lose 21-4

The Royals turnaround season ended abruptly on Sunday, as the Dodgers' offense scored early and often, while stellar starting pitching and great defense kept the Royals bats quiet until it was far too late.

After a quiet first inning for the Royals, the Dodgers would establish the pace of their offense early.  6 runs against last season's Cy Young winner Randy Casey Jr would put the Royals in an early hole.  They would threaten in the top of the 2nd, as Chris Miller and Mike Miller would work back-to-back 2-out walks, but the rally would stop there.  The Dodgers would score twice more in the 2nd, chasing Casey Jr from the game, and putting the score at 8-0 after 2.

Chris Powell (team Cy Young, and 5th in the regular season AA Cy Young points) would relieve for the Royals, and would work a pair of quiet innings, but the Royals offense continued to put up zeroes.  Heading into the bottom of the 5th, the score was still 8-0 Dodgers.  With 2 outs and men on second and third, Powell would induce a pop-up that would fall foul for an error, and as championship squads usually do, the Dodgers would capitalize on the blunder.  4 runs would eventually score, putting the Royals within 3 outs of being on the wrong end of a championship game mercy.

With 2 outs in the top of the 6th, Armando Mesa would line a triple off the outstretched glove of a Dodger outfielder (breaking up the no-hit bid), and 1 pitch later, Ryan Elliott would blast a double off the left field wall for the Royals' first run of the day.  The Dodgers would score 2 more in the bottom of the frame to make it 14-1, but elect to continue playing their long-time rivals (ignoring the mercy rule.)

After a quiet top of the 7th, the Dodgers would plate 2 against Royals flamethrower Dennis King III, making it 16-1, but the Royals offense would finally show life in the top of the 8th.  Tracey Warren would lead off with a single and swipe second and third.  1 out later, pinch hitter Chris Middleton would reach on an error, plating Warren.  Team MVP (and second in the regular season AA MVP points) Sean Spires would lace an rbi triple, and eventually score on a Ryan Elliott fielder's choice.

But the Dodgers had answers all day, and they would plate 4 in the 8th off Tom Herbert.  Heading into the 9th, the Royals would need to bat around twice to have a chance, now trailing 21-4.  Two runners WOULD reach, but that wasn't nearly enough as the Dodgers would finish things off and capture their second fall championship in the past 3 years.

Congrats to the Dodgers for running the table - after a rough summer season of their own, they held a share of first place since week 1 of the fall campaign.

Pitching

Randy Casey Jr - L, IP, 6ER, 3H, 4BB, HBP

Chris Powell - 5IP, 2ER, 5K, 9H, BB

Dennis King III - IP, 0ER, K

Tom Herbert - IP, ER, 4H

Batting

Josh Miranda - 2-4, 2B

Armando Mesa - 1-2, 3B, R, 2BB

Tracey Warren - 1-3, R, 2SB

Sean Spires - 1-4, 3B, R, RBI

Ryan Elliott - 1-4, 2B, RBI

Chris Miller - 1-2, 2BB

Mike Miller - 1-3, BB

Chris Middleton - 0-1, R, RBI

Royals Sweep Weekend, Headed to Championship Game

The Royals played a full weekend of playoff baseball, and thanks to timely hitting, strong pitching and solid defense, will reach the championship game for the first time since the Fall 2009 season, when they lost to the Hammers and current Royals Josh Miranda.

Game 1 featured Randy Casey Jr against a contentious Red Sox team.  The Sox would plate 1 in the first on a balk, but the Royals would respond in the second.  Tom Herbert would lead off with a single and move to second on a Josh Miranda single.  Mike Miller and his balky hamstring would beat out a double play ground ball to put runners on the corners with 2 outs.  Pinch runner Austin Simmons would make the Sox nervous enough to throw over 3 straight times, eventually launching one down the right field line to score Herbert and tie the score at 1.

After a quiet third, the Royals would score again in the bottom of the 4th.  Chris Powell would double, and Herbert would reach on catcher's interference.  Chris Miller would reach on a fielder's choice, with Powell scoring on an overthrow, giving the Royals a temporary 2-1 lead.

The Sox would score another in the top of the 5th and chase Casey from the game, leaving men on the corners and 1 out.  Enter Chris Powell, who would pick a runner off first before even throwing a pitch, then strike out the next batter to get out of the jam.

The Royals would use that momentum to take control of the game.  Pinch hitter Casey Jr would reach on a hit by pitch, and after working the count full, Sean Spires would line a ball into the left center gap for an inside-the-park home run.  Armando Mesa would single and swipe second, moving to third on a Ryan Elliott fielder's choice (Elliott would reach and move to second on a botched pickle play.)  Powell would follow immediately with a 2-run double to right-center, and Herbert would triple one pitch later down the right field line.  Josh Miranda would single home Herbert to cap the scoring, with the Royals now leading 8-2.

But the Sox would put up a fight in the 6th.  After scoring one on a double, an error and a single, Powell would strike out the next 2 batters.  But after a walk, a dropped fly ball would load the bases for the Sox most dangerous hitter.  He would make the Royals pay with a 3-run double to bring the Sox within 1, but a long fly ball to left would end the inning.

The Royals would seal the victory in the bottom of the inning.  With time running low, Jay Wasserman would reach on a walk.  Sean Spires would double to left, but pinch runner Simmons would be nailed at the plate.  With 2 strikes and 2 outs, Mesa would single home Spires and swipe second (for the 4th time in 4 at bats!)  Elliott would single home Mesa, and move to second on a Chris Powell hit by pitch.  Herbert would single him home, and time would expire with the Royals winning 11-7.

Game 2 would pit Tom Herbert on the mound against the second-seeded Shock & Awesome.  The Royals would need a strong performance from the southpaw, and he would give them everything he had.

After a quiet first, the Royals would start the scoring in the second.  Chris Powell would get hit by a pitch (his 4th straight game getting hit, and the 8th time in 12 games this season!)  Herbert would single, and catcher Chris Miller would lace a triple down the left field line to plate both runners.

 

The Royals would continue their offensive

onslaught in the 3rd.  Red-hot Tracey Warren and Sean Spires would lead off with back-to-back singles, and after Mesa dropped a sac bunt to move the runners over, the Sox would elect to intentionally walk Powell (they obviously have seen the Mr. Go promo) to face Tom Herbert.  Herbert would make them pay with a 2-run opposite field single.  Josh Miranda would follow with an opposite field single of his own to plate 2 more, and the Royals were up 6-0.

But Shock would plate 1 in the bottom of the inning before Herbert would strike out a man with the bases loaded to end the threat.

The Royals would get some more breathing room in the 4th.  Chris Middleton, making a rare starting lineup appearance, would make the most of his chance by lining a single to left.  He would score on a Sean Spires double, and after Mesa (fielder's choice) and Elliott (hit by pitch) would load the bases, Powell would single home a pair to give the Royals a 9-1 lead.

Shock would score another in the bottom of the 4th, but the Royals offense would heat up again in the 6th.  Warren would lead off with a double, but be erased on a Sean Spires fielder's choice.  Mesa would single, and both men would move into scoring position on an error.  With 2 outs, Powell would single them both home to take an 11-2 lead.

But it was only a matter of time before the Shock offense woke up.  They would score 6 of their own runs in the 6th, chasing Herbert and bringing in flame-thrower Dennis King III.  After working into more trouble (including the ejection of Shock's leadoff hitter), King would settle down and strike out a pair to end the threat with the Royals still leading 11-8.

After a quiet top of the 7th, Shock seemed poised to take control of the game.  2 batters into the bottom half of the inning, Chris Powell would come in to relieve for the second straight day.  He would hit the first batter with his first pitch, loading the bases and bringing up the go-ahead run.  He would strike out the next batter, but one pitch later, a foul ball would hit catcher Chris Miller directly in the helmet, knocking him from the game with concussion-like symptoms for the second time in 3 weeks.  Back-up catcher Mike Miller, fresh off the DL, would come in to a tough situation - the leadoff hitter up, 1 out, and the tying run on first base.  Mike Miller was Powell's personal catcher over the summer, and their connection showed today when they needed it most.  Powell would quickly strike out the leadoff man, and now with 2 outs, the runner would break from third on an attempted steal of home.  Powell would fire an outside fastball to the left-handed batter, and Miller would receive it and dive across the batter's box, blocking the plate and ending the inning in a most dramatic fashion.

Fired up after escaping a HUGE jam, the Royals offense would be re-engerized.  Pinch hitter Randy Casey Jr would single and make way for pinch runner/speedster Austin Simmons.  With 2 outs and Simmons on second, Mesa would single to shallow center and Simmons would barely beat the throw for a big insurance run.

In the bottom of the 8th, Shock would lead off with back-to-back singles to put runners on the corners with no one out.  But the crafty Powell would pick off his second runner of the post-season (and third runner in 4 games), allowing the man on third to score but getting an important out.  The Royals would escape the inning without any further damage, hanging onto a 3-run lead.

Looking for more in the top of the 9th, Josh Miranda would lead off with a double to left.  Mike Miller, pinch hitting for slugging catcher Chris Miller (no relation, even if they WERE both sporting sexy Movember 'staches), would drop a clutch rbi-single into shallow right to plate Miranda and give the Royals a 12-8 lead heading into the bottom of the 9th.

Powell would reach back and pull out every trick in his bag, striking 2 of the next 3 hitters he faced and sending the Royals into the championship game!

With exciting games both days, all of the teams proved their postseason worthiness!  The Royals look forward to facing the Golden State Dodgers - the team they've played most in their 11-year PCBL career - in the championship game.  In their first meeting this season, the two teams tied 7-7 before the second game of the doubleheader went lopsided.  The Royals will be looking to even the season series in their last game of the 2013 campaign.

 

Pitching (game 1)

Randy Casey Jr - 4.1IP, 2ER, 2K, 3H, 6BB, HBP

Chris Powell - W, 3.2IP, ER, 3K, 3H, BB

Pitching (game 2)

Tom Herbert - W, 5IP, 4ER, 3K, 4H, 4BB, HBP

Dennis King III - IP, 2ER, 2K, H, BB, HBP

Chris Powell - S, 3IP, ER, 4K, 2H, HBP

Batting (both games)

Armando Mesa - 6-8, 4R, RBI, 4SB, SACB

Tom Herbert - 5-8, 3B, 4R, 4RBI

Sean Spires - 5-8, HR, 2 2B, 5R, 3RBI, SB

Chris Powell - 4-6, 2 2B, 4R, 6RBI, BB, 2 HBP

Josh Miranda - 4-8, 2B, R, 3RBI

Ryan Elliott - 2-8, 2R, RBI

Tracey Warren - 2-5, 2B, R

Chris Miller - 1-7, 3B, 2RBI

Randy Casey Jr - 1-2, R, HBP

Mike Miller - 1-4, RBI

Chris Middleton - 1-4, R, BB