For the second game in a row the Royals blew a lead and a game they should have won. Up 7-4 in the bottom of the ninth, the Royals managed to let another game slip away losing to the Orioles 8-7.

Royals closer Ambiorix Burgos entered the game in the ninth inning with a three run lead. Normally pretty reliable to throw strikes, if nothing else, Burgos walked the first three batters in the inning.

Miguel Tejada led off the inning watching four straight balls go by. The next two batters that walked never saw more than one strike.

Jeff Conine hit a sacrifice fly on a 2-1 pitch scoring Tejada. If Conine would’ve taken a few more pitches who knows what would’ve happened.

The next batter, Corey Patterson, struck out looking convincing some that Burgos might be able to escape the jam unscathed. But that just wouldn’t be Royals baseball.

The next two batters hit RBI singles to tie the game. And when Kevin Millar came to bat with two outs and the winning run on second the ensuing play was all too familiar to recent Royal fans. Millar hit a 3-2 pitch to right scoring Javy Lopez from second and ending the game.

For Burgos, he blew his third save in eight tries.

The Royals did leave with something. They managed to come all the way back from being down 3-1 in the third to take that three run lead in the ninth. When you’re 10-25 and have the worst record in the Majors, sometimes you better accept moral victories.

The Royals have been more like peasants on the road this season. They lost 12 straight road games to start the year. In nine road series, they’ve been swept in seven of them including this one against the O’s.