NewsKC unable to back Greinke, loses in extras
Royals ace shows grit in another dominating performance
By Dick Kaegel / MLB.com
09/06/09 12:13 AM ET
KANSAS CITY -- Zack Greinke might trail in the American League victory category, but he stayed very much in the AL Cy Young Award competition with another stirring performance for the Royals on Saturday night.He came out with a no-decision as the Royals lost in 11 innings, 2-1, to the Los Angeles Angels with 22,628 fans watching a superb pitching duel at Kauffman Stadium.
The Angels went ahead in the 11th against reliever Yasuhiko Yabuta when Torii Hunter singled, took second on a wild pitch and scored on Erick Aybar's single. That settled it. David DeJesus hustled to a double in the Royals' half, but closer Brian Fuentes notched his 39th save.
"Their team's good, they find a way to win," Greinke said. "If some balls fell and we scored more, they'd have found a way to win probably. They've just got a really good team."
Greinke (13-8) left with a 1-1 tie after holding the Angels to one unearned run in eight innings. He lowered his ERA to a Major League-best 2.22. With eight strikeouts, he reached the 210 mark, second most in club history.
"He's unbelievable to watch, he's spectacular," said Royals reliever Jamey Wright. "I'd just like to say I played with him the season he won the Cy Young."
Greinke, pitching after a 15-strikeout game and a one-hitter, glided through seven shutout innings against the Angels' formidable lineup.
Good thing, because after the Royals picked up a quick first-inning run, Angels starter John Lackey was equally -- if not more -- impressive. In the Royals' first, Willie Bloomquist singled to Aybar deep in the shortstop hole and stole second base. Billy Butler lashed a single to right and Bloomquist scored.
After that, Lackey retired the next 17 batters in succession. Butler ended the string by bouncing a single to left as he led off the seventh. Mark Teahen also got a one-out single to left, but nothing came of the threat. Lackey also had a no-decision after nine innings of six-hit ball.
Greinke wasn't all that impressed by his own pitching.
"They hit the ball really well today and really good defense by the outfield especially -- they ran down everything," Greinke said. "I wasn't really fooling 'em too much, it's just they weren't placing it real well."
The Angels gave Greinke some trouble in the fifth when Aybar and Jeff Mathis each singled, putting runners at first and third. But DeJesus then showed off his Gold Glove credentials in left field. He caught Chone Figgins' fly ball in foul territory and fired a one-bounce strike to catcher Miguel Olivo to nab Aybar trying to score, ending the inning.
"I don't know how Dave does it, but it just seemed like he two-seamed it around the runner," Greinke said. "Because if he'd have thrown it straight, it'd have hit him, but he just like curved it around him and it turned out to be a perfect throw."
It was DeJesus' 11th assist in his errorless season.
"I caught it and I was just hoping it wasn't going to hit him, and I saw the line of the ball and was able to not hit him," DeJesus said. "And Miggy put the tag on and it was definitely a point in the game right there to keep them from scoring."
The Angels finally got through to Greinke and tied the score, 1-1, in the eighth on an unearned run. Bloomquist couldn't handle Figgins' sharp bouncer to second base, scored as an error.
"He hit it hard. It was a little bit to my backhand and I wasn't anticipating it coming up that high on me," Bloomquist said. "He smoked it and, unfortunately, that was a huge play in the scheme of things. I'd like to think I could make that play, but I didn't."
Maicer Izturis followed with a single past Butler at first. When Greinke struck out Bobby Abreu, he'd reached the 115-pitch mark and manager Trey Hillman came out for a consultation.
Greinke stayed in the game and got Vladimir Guerrero on a popout, but Hunter lined a single to center and Figgins scored from third.
"He's a bulldog. If I could have him on my side, I'd love it," Hunter said of Greinke. "You're going up there with first and third, and two great hitters and one strikes out and one pops up, and now you're next -- I was like: 'I gotta try to do something.' "
He did, hitting a breaking ball that Greinke said he left up.
The Royals didn't score in the eighth and Greinke left the game after throwing a career-high 125 pitches (82 strikes). His previous high was 117. He gave up eight hits and walked two.
No way that Hillman was going to let his ace return to the mound for the ninth.
"I wouldn't have sent him back out there if he'd have made a case with a bank of lawyers sitting there," Hillman said.
Closer Joakim Soria took over and pitched a perfect ninth, his only inning. Yabuta worked a scoreless 10th before yielding the deciding run in the 11th.
Because of the high pitch count and all the rigors of the season, Hillman said he'd give Greinke an extra day or two of rest before his next start. That might require a sales pitch.
"Typical Zack fashion, like all our starters, he doesn't want to miss a start, but he needs a little extra rest," Hillman said.
Dick Kaegel is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
