The Royals can play spoiler for the Twins this weekend who trail the Tigers by two games in the AL Central. It was the Royals who helped keep it close with their success over the Tigers the last couple of weeks.
The Royals took five out of six games in mid-September. The Tigers could clinch on Friday night, but it could be Zack Greinke who has the final say on the Twins’ season. He’ll make the start on Saturday and will make one final push for the Cy Young Award. Not only is Zack Greinke just eight strikeouts away from tying the teams single season record held by Dennis Leonard at 245, but Greinke has a 2.06 ERA. The club record held by Roger Nelson who had a 2.08 ERA in 1972.
Nelson reflected on his up and down season of 1972. He stayed healthy, pitched seven innings of scoreless relief in an early game that thrust him into the rotation and he finished with just 11 wins. Nelson laughed saying he didn’t get much run support. Sounds like Greinke?
What’s ironic is after Nelson’s record setting season, the Royals traded him to Cincinnati for another bat with pop in the lineup. The Royals acquired Hal McRae.