• E-mail
• Print
• Comment
• Font Size
• Digg
• del.icio.us
• Discuss article

Royals Drop 17th Straight Game

Posted on: Wednesday, 17 August 2005, 06:00 CDT

Kansas City's losing streak reached 17 games. The Twins and White Sox played 16 innings.

No question, it was a long and deflating night for several American League teams - but nobody has been losing more sleep lately than the young and restless Royals.

A 4-3 loss in Seattle on Tuesday left Kansas City four defeats from tying the AL record of 21 in a row set by Baltimore to start the 1988 season, and the Royals' club-record skid is the longest in the big leagues since.

"I think it's gotten past the point of frustration for us," Matt Stairs said. "When we make a mistake, it seems to beat us. Tonight it was an infield hit. I thought it was a good ballgame and I thought we played well, but we lost."

The Chicago White Sox also lost - and took 5 hours, 9 minutes to do it.

Shannon Stewart hit a go-ahead single in a five-run 16th inning, and Minnesota sent the White Sox to their first four-game losing streak of the year with a 9-4 victory.

"It became a game of perseverance," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said. "Both bullpens were matching each other inning for inning. We finally got some big hits."

In other AL games, it was: Boston 10, Detroit 7 in 10 innings; Tampa Bay 4, New York 3 in 11 innings; Cleveland 8, Texas 2; Baltimore 4, Oakland 3; and Toronto 4, Los Angeles 3.

Minnesota tied the score at 4 in the top of the ninth when Michael Cuddyer homered off closer Dustin Hermanson, handing him his second blown save in 32 chances.

"One bad pitch," Hermanson said. "It's discouraging. I guess sometimes it's going to happen. But unfortunately it was a big game for us."

Cuddyer also made a great stop at third base in the 11th to rob Joe Crede of a hit with the potential winning run at second.

The Twins' bullpen threw 9 1-3 scoreless innings, and Minnesota's offense finally broke through in the 16th. Joe Mauer's RBI double provided a two-run cushion, Terry Tiffee added a two-run single and Lew Ford another RBI single.

Minnesota finished with 20 hits in the second-longest major league game this season - Toronto beat the Los Angeles Angels 2-1 in 18 innings on July 28.

This one was the longest game in the history of U.S. Cellular Field, which opened in 1991.

"It's very tough to keep your concentration as the game keeps going on," Stewart said.

At Seattle, the score was tied at 3 when Royals reliever Jeremy Affeldt (0-2) gave up a two-out single to Jeremy Reed in the eighth inning and walked Mike Morse.

Reed stole third, then scored when rookie Yuniesky Betancourt hit a grounder deep in the hole at shortstop for a go-ahead infield single. Angel Berroa fielded the ball and threw to second base, but Morse beat the play.

Joel Pineiro (5-7) pitched eight solid innings and Eddie Guardado earned his 29th save.

Kansas City's skid began on July 28 with a 10-5 loss at Tampa Bay. Four of the defeats have been by one run, including two losses in a doubleheader Sunday at Detroit.

"When you're real young, you're really competitive," 21-year-old pitcher Zack Greinke said. "This is getting old."

The 1961 Philadelphia Phillies dropped 23 straight from July 29 to Aug. 20, according to the Elias Sports Bureau - the longest losing streak in the majors since 1900.

For the second straight game, Royals bench coach Bob Schaefer filled in for manager Buddy Bell, who attended services Monday at Arlington National Cemetery for his nephew, a Marine killed in Iraq.

The teams play a day game Wednesday, with D.J. Carrasco pitching for Kansas City against Jamie Moyer.

Red Sox 10, Tigers 7, 10 innings

At Detroit, David Ortiz and Jason Varitek both homered twice and drove in four runs, and Boston scored seven times in the 10th to end the Tigers' three-game winning streak.

Pinch-hitter Bill Mueller snapped a 3-3 tie with an RBI groundout. Ortiz and Varitek connected later in the inning for the Red Sox, who have won seven of eight.

Varitek homered from both sides of the plate, the first time he's done that. Ortiz's shot in the ninth off Fernando Rodney tied the score at 3.

Craig Monroe hit a grand slam in the bottom of the 10th.

Devil Rays 4, Yankees 3, 11 innings

At St. Petersburg, Fla., Eduardo Perez homered off Randy Johnson and Mariano Rivera, tying the score in the ninth with his second shot of the game. Jonny Gomes drew a bases-loaded walk in the 11th, ending New York's five-game winning streak.

The Devil Rays rallied from a 3-0 deficit against Johnson and Rivera to force extra innings, then loaded the bases in the 11th with Carl Crawford's double off Alan Embree (1-5) and two walks, including Scott Proctor's intentional pass to Aubrey Huff.

Proctor, whose balk sent Crawford to third base, walked Gomes on four pitches.

Johnson, who skipped a scheduled start last Thursday because of a bad back, allowed two runs in seven innings. He struck out seven and left with a 3-2 lead that Rivera couldn't protect.

Perez's fourth homer against the Yankees this season made it 3-all. The blown save was Rivera's second in three outings following a stretch in which he converted 31 chances in a row.

Indians 8, Rangers 2

At Cleveland, Ronnie Belliard hit a three-run double to snap a seventh-inning tie and Jhonny Peralta homered twice for the Indians, who broke a three-game skid by handing Texas its eighth straight loss.

C.C. Sabathia (9-9) gave up two runs in seven innings to win his third straight start.

Kenny Rogers (11-6) made his second start since a 13-game suspension for shoving two cameramen. He allowed three earned runs in seven innings.

Orioles 4, Athletics 3

At Oakland, Calif., Brian Roberts scored the go-ahead run in the seventh on a disputed error and the Athletics lost their third straight.

Rafael Palmeiro, facing constant boos in his second game back in the lineup following a 10-game suspension for steroids, doubled, singled and scored.

Bruce Chen (10-6) won his third straight start after going winless in his previous five outings. B.J. Ryan escaped a difficult ninth for his 27th save.

Blue Jays 4, Angels 3

At Anaheim, Calif., Francisco Rodriguez walked Corey Koskie with the bases loaded in the ninth to force in the tying run, and pinch-hitter Frank Catalanotto followed with a sacrifice fly for Toronto.

Joe Saunders pitched 7 1-3 innings in his major league debut for Los Angeles and left with a 3-2 lead. But Rodriguez (2-3) was charged with his fifth blown save in 32 attempts as the Angels had their four-game winning streak snapped.

Source: Associated Press/AP Online

More News in this Category