The Royals have blown leads for losses this season, but nothing compares to the lead the blew on Sunday. Unlike other collapses in 2005, the Royals battled back to grab a gutsy 10-8 win from the Orioles on Sunday.
Kansas City trailed 1-0 when starter Brian Anderson allowed a solo home run to Melvin Mora in the first inning. Anderson’s day wouldn’t last much longer when he left the game after two innings with a sore shoulder. Knowing that they might need extra offense, now, the Royals exploded for six runs in the fourth inning. Matt Stairs tied the game with a fielder’s choice that scored Tony Graffanino. Emil Brown walked and Mike Sweeney scored on the wild ball four to give the Royals the lead. Later inn the inning Angel Berroa blasted a three-run homer. David DeJesus capped the rally with an RBI single.
The Royals still had some more offense left in the min the fifth inning, when Matt Stairs belted a two run homer to make it 8-1.
The smiles didn’t last long for Kansas City, however. The Orioles tied the game in the sixth inning by scoring seven runs off relievers Mike Wood, Jaime Cerda and Mike MacDougal. Javy Lopez and Geronimo Gil hit two-run and three-run homers, while Mora drove in two more runs with a double.
Ambiorix Burgos got the final two outs of the seventh to stop the bleeding and in the top of the eighth, the Royals regained the lead when Emil Brown scored on a bases loaded by former Cardinal Steve Kline. In the ninth, Mike Sweeney hit his eight homer of the year, a solo shot, to make it 10-8. Meanwhile Burgos held the Orioles hitless over 2 2/3 innings to get his first win. He struck out four batters and allowed no walks.
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