NewsGreinke, Royals escape jams
Jacobs hits his first AL homer as KC downs Tribe
By Dick Kaegel / MLB.com
04/14/09 2:25 AM ET
KANSAS CITY -- There seemed to be ice water in Joakim Soria's veins, and it had nothing to do with the 43-degree-and-falling temperature during the ninth inning on Monday night at Kauffman Stadium.Nothing seems to rattle Soria, the Royals' closer and cool Mexicutioner.
When Soria was confronted with Cleveland runners at second and third, no outs and the Royals clinging to a 4-2 lead, he efficiently squelched the Indians' threat.
"He doesn't let his heart rate get up there too much," Royals manager Trey Hillman noted.
The score became final and the win put the Royals into a tie for the American League Central lead with the Chicago White Sox, each with 4-3 marks.
Zack Greinke got the Royals started with five shutout innings and was so prolific in the strikeout department -- he notched nine -- that he was pulled because he'd run up 104 pitches. Struggling Billy Butler came to life with an RBI double that capped the Royals' three-run first inning and Mike Jacobs belted his first homer in a Kansas City uniform for the fourth run that turned out to be such a comfort at the end.
With the Royals up, 4-0, going into the ninth, Hillman figured he'd just finish up with left-hander Ron Mahay instead of going to Soria. Alas, the first two Indians stroked singles.
"I don't think I'll be closing a game anytime soon," Mahay remarked wryly.
Soria replaced Mahay amidst the fiery electronic images that light up the new panels at the renovated stadium when he trots in from the bullpen. Maybe that warmed up his night.
"Once we went to Soria, it looked like they were going to jump on the first pitch no matter where it was, as long as it was a fastball," Hillman noted. "And they jumped on it and found a couple of slots, and it got a little hairy there."
Sure enough, Grady Sizemore punched a single to right field to load the bases and Shin-Soo Choo also singled to right to end the shutout. Then Soria buried a pitch that bounced away from catcher Miguel Olivo, and another run was in.
"I didn't get overly excited, but I sure didn't like seeing that tying run get to second base with the meat of their order up," Hillman said.
But Soria went to work and struck out Victor Martinez. He got Travis Hafner to tap to the mound, holding Sizemore at third base before throwing to first. Two were out, and the count went full on Jhonny Peralta.
Cooly, Soria disdained a fastball and unleashed what catcher John Buck has christened his "Bugs Bunny curve." It floated in at 68 mph and Peralta seemed locked in a trance. Strike three and th-th-that's all, folks!
A risky choice on a 3-2 pitch?
"I don't know. I've got confidence in that pitch and I just throw it," Soria said. "They can't hit it. I don't know if it's my arm speed or what."
But he knew one thing.
"It's fun," he said. "It's fun."
Not for Peralta, who thought about swinging but then held up. Sorry, it wasn't ball four.
"He made a good pitch right there. I wasn't looking for that pitch," he said. "I was looking for a cutter away. It's good for him."
So Soria had his fourth save in four chances and Greinke had his second win in two starts.
Greinke has yet to give up a run this season in 11 innings and, dating back to last year, he has a scoreless streak of 25 innings.
To do that, he had to dodge out of some tough jams, notably in the third inning when two walks and Martinez's single loaded the bases with one out. But Greinke fanned Hafner and Peralta.
There was also a one-out gulper in the first inning after Choo doubled. But Greinke got help from two defensive dandies. Butler, at first base, dove to keep Martinez's ground single from going through and kept Choo from scoring.
"Billy looked like a real defensive specialist over there at first base today," Greinke said. "It's the first time I've ever seen him do that, probably ever. But it was nice to see -- saved a run by making that stab on the stop."
Then Peralta whistled a sharp grounder past the mound. Shortstop Tony Pena ranged behind second base and threw out Peralta to end the inning.
"Tony made an amazing play," Greinke said. "As soon as it got by me, I knew it was gone and I was real mad, and then somehow he made the play."
Jamey Wright followed with two scoreless innings and Kyle Farnsworth worked a scoreless eighth. Wright, decked out in a suit for the Welcome Home Luncheon earlier in the day, doesn't want to change his luck.
"I'm wearing a suit every day," Wright said. "I'll wear a tuxedo."
Gee, then he'll look as cool as Soria.
Dick Kaegel is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
