More Strong Pitching Leads Royals to Windy Win
The Royals got another strong day of pitching, this time out of Chris Powell and Eric Bloom, as they held off a strong Dodo's squad 12-6 in the windy confines of Granada Hills High School. Said one unnamed Royal, "The wind was blowing so hard that it took the lid off my pre-game Jamba Juice!" Now THAT'S windy!
On to the game - Chris Powell would allow a leadoff hit for the Dodos, but quickly pick him off first and get out of the inning unscathed. And for the 7th straight week, the Royals put up runs in the first. With the wind blowing out of left, leadoff man Sean Spires took full advantage and launched the 5th pitch of the game out for a solo home run. Powell would single, and Dominic Archey would walk. After a Mike Miller fielder's choice would move Powell to third, Jay "Mr. RBI" Wasserman would single home Powell to give the Royals a 2-0 lead.
In the top of the 3rd, several Royal miscues (on the same play) and a debatable call at third on a stolen base attempt would lead to 2 unearned runs, and a solo home run in the top of the 4th would give the Dodos the lead. Powell would settle down and work through the 5th, keeping the score at 3-2.
The Royals offense would pick up in the bottom of the inning. Chris Middleton, fresh from a 20+ hour car ride from Colorado, would single to lead off the inning. One out later, Sean Spires would walk, and Chris Powell would follow him with an rbi-single, tying things up at 3. Dominic Archey would walk to load the bases, and Mike Miller would hit an rbi-ground out to give the Royals the lead. Now with 2 outs, Mr. RBI would come through again - Wasserman singles to right for 2 more runs. Bobby Calzadillas would single, and both men would score on back-to-back singles from Dan Lebsock and Ryan Elliott. All told, the Royals would plate 6 on 4 2-out hits, giving them an 8-3 lead.
Eric Bloom would enter the game for the Royals, and be met right away with a home run. The Dodos would put 2 men on, but backstop Daniel Lebsock would throw out his 8th runner of the year and limit the damage to 1. The Royals would immediately answer back in the bottom of the inning. Jason Bolding would single and move to second on an Eric Bloom walk. After a double play, Sean Spires would come up with another big 2-out hit for the Royals, dropping a double into shallow center (Dee Gordon-style) to make it a 9-4 game.
The Dodos would find some 2-out magic themselves in the 7th and get a pair of runs, but the Royals bats were too hot. Dominic Archey would walk for the 3rd time, and move to second on a Mike Miller ground out. Jay Wasserman would come up and come through again with a single - his 4th rbi on the day - to give the Royals a 10-6 lead.
After a quiet top of the 8th, the Royals would cap off the day in the bottom of the inning. With 2 outs yet again, Pinch hitter Dennis King III would single, and following singles by Eric Bloom and Chris Miller, the bases would be loaded. Sean Spires would walk and Chris Powell would get hit by a pitch, each knocking in a run. Dominic Archey would laser a ball to short, but come up empty, and the Royals would enter the 9th up 12-6.
That was plenty of rope for Bloom, who would strike out the side after allowing a lead off single to notch his first save of the year.
Congrats to the Dodos for a great game - they're definitely one of the better teams in the division. Good luck the rest of the way!
Pitching
Chris Powell - W, 5IP, ER, 3K, 6H
Eric Bloom - S, 4IP, 3ER, 7K, 4H, 3BB
Batting
Jay Wasserman - 3-4, R, 4RBI
Sean Spires - 2-3, HR, 2B, 2R, 3RBI, 2BB
Chris Powell - 2-4, 2R, 2RBI, HBP
Daniel Lebsock - 2-4
Ryan Elliott - 1-3, RBI, HBP
Jason Bolding - 1-2, R, BB
Chris Middleton - 1-3, R
Eric Bloom - 1-1, R, BB
Dennis King III - 1-1, R
Bobby Calzadillas - 1-4, R
Chris Miller - 1-2
Dominic Archey - 0-2, 2R, 3BB
Mike Miller - 0-4, RBI
Greg Falk - 0-1, SB
Royals Celebrate Old Timers' Day With A 6-5 Walk-Off Win
The Royals bats cooled off over the holiday weekend, but the 3 oldest guys on the team had big days, putting the team on their backs and eventually carrying them to victory over a very solid Grenade Launcher team. While veterans Mike Miller (1-3, 2B, 2 runs, HBP) and Jay Wasserman (1-2, 2BB) would do their part, fellow veteran Chris Powell (3-4, 2B, RBI, HBP) would pitch the final 2 innings for the win, as well hit a walk-off single to finish things off with the bat.
Playing with a super short squad, the Royals were forced to call in a pair of fill-ins and a pitcher who hasn't thrown for them in almost a year. Akash Shah, who has been battling shoulder fatigue and was shut down around this time last year, took the bump for his first start of the season. He'd work in and out of trouble in the first, striking out one with a splitter that left the batter shaking his head and muttering to himself.
For the 6th straight game, the Royals would get on the board in the first. Sean Spires would single and move into scoring position on a Chris Powell single. Bobby Calzadillas would beat out a potential double-play ground ball, with the speedy Spires scoring all the way from second, and just like that, the Royals would lead 1-0.
After a quiet second for both squads, the Grenade Launchers would do some damage in the 3rd. 9 batters would come to the plate, but Shah would escape only allowing 3 by leaving the bases loaded. The Royals would respond right away. Dennis King III would reach on an infield single, move to third on fill-in Kevin Posey's single, and score on a Sean Spires double play ground out.
King would come in to pitch for the Royals and quiet the Grenade Launcher momentum. Heading into the bottom of the 5th, the Royals were still facing a 3-2 deficit.
Fill-in Canaan Cain would single and move to second on a passed ball. With 2 outs, Sean Spires would prove that he was fully back from his wrist injury, blasting a double over the left fielder's head to tie the game.
Leading off the 6th and facing a new pitcher, Mike Miller would lace a double of his own to the gap in left center, move to 3rd on a selfless Jay Wasserman ground out to the right side, and score the go-ahead run on a Chris Blum single.
Heading into the top of the 8th, King had been cruising through the Grenade Launcher lineup. But a leadoff walk, followed by a triple over center, would chase King from the game and bring in southpaw Chris Powell. The Launchers would greet him with a perfectly executed squeeze play to take a 5-4 lead into the bottom of the 8th.
Mike Miller would lead off and take a pitch in the ribs. He'd aggressively take second on a ball in the dirt, and after a Jay Wasserman walk, both runners would advance on another passed ball. But 2 quick outs and the Royals were looking at trouble. Cain would work a 7 pitch walk, and as ball 4 squeaked away from the catcher, head's up baserunning by Miller would score the tying run. The Launchers would get out of the inning allowing 1 run on no hits, but heading into the 9th, the score was all tied up.
Powell would be masterful in the top of the 9th, striking out 1 while working around a 2-out single and nearly picking the runner off first 1 pitch later. All told, the Royals were heading into the bottom of the 9th tied up, with their 10-1-2 hitters due up.
The first hitter, Kevin Posey, would work a full count before launching a triple to deep left center, diving in headfirst to third base and forcing the Grenade Launcher infield to play in. After a strikeout, Powell was not going to let this game end in a tie. He'd bounce a ball up the middle, through the drawn-in infield, and the Royals would celebrate Easter weekend with an exciting win.
Congrats to the Grenade Launchers, as they played an outstanding game - WELL above what their record indicated. They should be a force in this league for years to come.
And while everyone on the Royals played hard for a full 9, special thanks go out to Akash Shah, Canaan Cain and Kevin Posey for stepping up and making sure we had a full squad to play with. Each one of you made a big impact in this victory and wore your baby blues proud!
And finally, congrats go out to Mike Miller for reaching a milestone. His game-tying run in the 8th inning was the 250th run in his career!
Pitching
Akash Shah - 3IP, 3ER, 2K, 4H, 4BB, HBP
Dennis King III - 4IP, 2ER, 2K, 2H, 3BB
Chris Powell - W, 2IP, 0R, 2K, 2H
Batting
Chris Powell - 3-4, 2B, RBI, HBP
Sean Spires - 3-5, 2B, R, RBI, SB
Kevin Posey - 2-4, 3B, R
Chris Blum - 2-4, RBI
Mike Miller - 1-3, 2B, 2R, HBP
Jay Wasserman - 1-2, 2BB
Canaan Cain - 1-2, R, 2BB, SB
Dennis King III - 1-3, R, BB
Bobby Calzadillas - 0-4, RBI
Ryan Elliott - 0-4
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
After the worst season in Royals franchise history, which saw the team go 1-19 over the summer, the squad rebounded in the fall by finishing 7-4-2, one win away from a championship. While not the ending we hoped for, the momentum gained this season should play well as the Royals come back in the spring with a strong core and very few roster spots to fill. Congrats go out to Sean Spires (team MVP, second place in the regular season AA MVP, led the team in hits (21), home runs (tied with 2), runs (24), rbis (18) and stolen bases (15)), Chris Powell (team Cy Young, 5th place in the regular season AA Cy Young, team lead in wins (3), ERA (3.86) hit by pitch (8 - OUCH), home runs (tied with 2) and best nickname (Mr. Go)), Randy Casey Jr (team strikeout champion (25)), Tom Herbert (team innings pitched champion (31), and Armando Mesa (team batting champion (.586)). Have a great offseason, and hopefully we'll see everyone in February as we try to build on our 2013 success!
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
