Thank you, Runelvys

.....and also John Buck and Angel Berroa and Tony Graffanino. Thanks to you the Royals won their second straight game and first series in a while tonight with a 5-1 win over Seattle. Runelvys did allow 9 hits but only 1 run, unearned, and 1 BB. Good start. Buck was 2 for 4 at the plate with an RBI and threw Chris Snelling and Ichiro out stealing. Good game. Berroa was 3-3 in the 7 slot with 2 runs scored and Graffanino was 2-5 with a triple and homer to drive up the ol' slugging percentage. The only bad news was Mr. DL, Mike Sweeney, got hit on the forearm with a pitch in the first and, of course, left the game. X-rays were negative. I don't think I've ever seen him get injured to any extent and stay in the game. Stairs also had a 2-hit game tonight on the plus side. Forgot to note that. Nunez actually went an inning and a third and didn't give up a run and MacDougal went 1 2/3 IP for his 11th save. I knew I shouldn't have dropped him in one of my fantasy leagues last week. That's really what sparked it.

No worries, tho, because KC's stopper takes the mound Thursday. That's right -- Jose Lima vs. Kyle Lohse to start a 4-game set with the Twins. Oh well, it was good while it lasted, this two-game streak. Affeldt is set to come off the DL tomorrow or Friday....joy of joys. He's had troubles at AAA and at the majors this season. Maybe we can hope for a week or two of good pitching from him so we can dump him off on the trading block. It'll be interesting coming down the stretch to see if Graffanino, Stairs and Terrence Long are all still here in August or September. Same with Lima (please, God, let it be). I can see them dealing Long for whatever they can get and bringing Guiel or Cory Aldridge up. Right now there are too many lefties on the roster in the outfield. Of course bringing Guiel up won't change that but it wouldn't be adding another lefty to the mix with Long, Costa, DeJesus and Stairs. I figure one or two of them would have to go, and Costa and DeJesus aren't going anywhere for the time being. Costa has shown he deserves a shot and I assume he's the only one they'd send down to bring whoever up.