The Royals have had a disappointing season and starting pitcher Brian Bannister has been a major part of that disappointment losing in 15 th game by lasting just 3.2 innings on Tuesday.
The Twins beat up Bannister scoring runs in each of the first four innings as Bannister was finally relieved of his duty after giving up seven runs on 10 hits including a long ball.
Bannister has not won since June 23 against Colorado. He is 0-9 in 13 games during that stretch. Bannister told the Royals website , "I’ve stayed tough and continued to go out there and do the things I feel like it takes to win," Bannister said. "I stayed aggressive on these guys, I backed them off the plate, I mixed it up. It just seemed like, even when I threw a good changeup down to [Alexi] Casilla, he one-handed it through the hole. Ten feet to the left, it’s a double-play ball. That’s the way it’s gone lately. I don’t get down out there; I try to stay positive with good body language."
Miguel Olivo who is seeing the majority of the time behind the plate, homered in the 2 nd inning to tie the game at 1-1 and Jose Guillen who went 3 for 4 and drove in a run in the third inning to cut the Twins lead to 3-2, but that was as close as the Royals would get as the Twins added a single run in the third and then another run in the bottom of the fourth before Justin Morneau hit a two run homer ending Bannister’s short night.
