NewsQuest for 20: Greinke faces Rays
Kansas City (37-52) vs. Tampa Bay (49-41), 6:10 p.m. CT
By Dick Kaegel / MLB.com
07/18/09 1:50 AM ET
KANSAS CITY -- If Zack Greinke pitches in the second half like he did in the first half, he could be a 20-game winner.Well, at least he won 10 games in the schedule's first half, which concludes with the All-Star break. But that covered 88 games and 18 starts for Greinke. The second half is just 74 games and might include about 15 starts for Greinke.
So he'll have fewer chances to win another 10 games. But with Greinke, as we've seen, almost anything is possible.
Certainly he'll feel well-rested when he goes against Tampa Bay on Saturday night. After his last start on July 8 at Detroit, he pitched just one inning -- 10 pitches of perfection in the All-Star Game.
"Pitching-wise [it was] getting like nine days off because it was kind of like I didn't even pitch," Greinke said.
To hear him tell it, he hardly broke a sweat in the St. Louis classic.
"It wasn't really pitching that whole inning," he said. "It was just throwing and trying to throw strikes and, hopefully, them getting themselves out. So it really wasn't me pitching too much out there, it just worked out good."
So he can thank Raul Ibanez (pop out) and David Wright and Shane Victorino (both strikeouts) for that.
Greinke's goal for the second half?
"Just to do as good as I can do, stay focused every start and hopefully that'll take care of everything else," he said.
Greinke, born in Orlando, Fla., has yet to beat the Major League club closest to his hometown. He's 0-2 with a 3.81 ERA in seven games, including four starts against the Rays.
He has yet to face the defending American League champions this year.
"The way I look at their lineup is they've got a bunch of power and a bunch of strikeouts," Greinke said. "So I mean one or the other is going to win probably and I feel like with that team, if you pitch good you'll win, if you pitch bad they'll crush you like a lot of the power-hitting lineups. So hopefully I'll come ready to go."
The first 20,000 fans will receive a figurine of the new Dick Howser statue located in the Outfield Experience.
Pitching matchupKC: RHP Zack Greinke (10-5, 2.12 ERA)
Greinke pitched well and kept the Tigers off balance in his last pre-All-Star start but was dogged by some faulty defense, including his own miss of a popped bunt, unusual for a fine-fielding pitcher. He didn't get run support either and lost, 3-1. He notched nine more strikeouts, giving him more than one per inning this year, and his ERA still led the Majors. What Greinke wants to do is avoid bogging down at midseason, which he considers his pattern, and finish strong as usual. TB: LHP Scott Kazmir (4-5, 7.11 ERA)
His start on July 8 against Toronto was one of the most frustrating outings in a frustrating season for Kazmir. He allowed seven runs on nine hits in 6 1/3 innings in a no-decision. But he said he felt great after the game and that he couldn't believe the hits that were piling up on him. It's a credit to Toronto's offense, and perhaps there is some solace in the fact that Kazmir said he felt good. He believes that sooner or later the luck will turn for him. The Rays are hoping so, too. Crown points
Royals Hall of Famer Paul Splittorff rejoined the FOX Sports Kansas City telecasts on Friday night, doing the pre- and post-game shows. He's been sidelined since Opening Day because of a throat ailment. For now, he's working on a limited basis. ... Closer Joakim Soria was among the honorees at the annual Kansas City Sports Commission's awards show on Thursday night at the Midland Theatre. Soria received a special achievement in pro athletics award for his 2008 season of 42 saves. Former Chiefs quarterback Len Dawson was the headline honoree, receiving the Lamar Hunt Lifetime Achievement Award. ... Kenny Clemens, who coaches four youth teams and maintains the baseball fields at Weston, Mo., was in the Buck O'Neil Legacy Seat on Friday night. ... Five Royals FUNdamental Youth clinics, open to children aged 6 to 12, will be held at Kauffman Stadium. Instructors will include such Royals Hall of Famers as Dennis Leonard, John Mayberry, Jeff Montgomery and Willie Wilson. Clinic packages are available for $40, including a game ticket (Field Plaza, regularly $26) plus a certificate of completion autographed by the instructor and the chance to buy additional tickets for just $10. The first two clinics will be held July 21-22 before the Royals-Angels games. Packages are available at royals.com/fundamentals, by phone at (816) 504-4040, option 3 and at the Kauffman Stadium ticket office. ... Catcher Miguel Olivo marked his 31st birthday last Wednesday. Tickets
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• Sunday: Royals (Luke Hochevar, 5-3, 5.34) vs. Rays (Matt Garza, 6-7, 3.73), 1:10 p.m. CT
• Monday: Royals (TBD) vs. Angels (Sean O'Sullivan, 2-0, 3.80), 7:10 p.m. CT
• Tuesday: Royals (Gil Meche, 4-9, 4.50) vs. Angels (Ervin Santana, 2-5, 6.70), 7:10 p.m. CT
Dick Kaegel is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
