"Losses don't feel so much like losses these days, just interruptions in the pattern of victories." -David Andriesen, sportswriter

So I'm listening to the game in my car on my way home from watching the nephews and they're talking about Dan Wilson and Jamie Moyer and Scott Podsednik all lost about 7 lbs last night and how disgusting is that weather anyway that you could sweat that much and this game starts off rather obnoxiously as we waste Mark McLemore's single and then Luis Alicea kindly struck out to lead things off for the Royals, but Freddy Garcia began showing the first signs of what 112 degrees can do to you and gave up a single and then a TRIPLE but we manage to come away from it trailing only by 1 which was pretty good damage control and I arrive home about this time and discover my favorite umpire, Jim Joyce, is behind homeplate and it kills me the way he calls strikes, like there is no missing that bellowing "STEEEEEEEEERIIIIIKE!" that he does.

So second inning and David Bell, who turned in some really nice defensive plays, walked but we can't do anything about it and then Kansas City is retired in order as well they should be and so third inning and Dan Wilson leads off with a single and then - okay, this was dreadful, Ichiro of all people grounded into a double play and it was then I experienced a deep sense of foreboding and Mac walked but we just don't get anything done here and... with 1 out, Luis Alicea doubled and got to third on a rare error by Mike Cameron and then an out after that, Carlos Beltran doubled to score Alicea and then Sweeney singled to score Beltran and just like that, we are trailing 3-0 heading into the fourth.

So two quick outs and Al "I'm Goin Yard!" Martin WENT YARD to put us on the board and unfortunately, Kansas City countered with THREE MORE of their own and I really don't want to get into how because it was all so depressing. Raul Ibanez led off with a double... and then Joe Randa grounded into a fielder's choice and Bret Boone made a sweet play to catch Raul trying to get to third and then Mark Quinn doubled, so runners at the corners and Brent Mayne lined out to David Bell and then Luis Alicea who got on my nerves a great deal this evening doubled past first base and John Olerud came SO CLOSE to making a spectacular to play to end it and this was ALL JUST SO SICK AND WRONG I can't even tell you and Rey Sanchez follows with an RBI single and when the dust finally settles in that horrific swelter... it's 6-1 Royals and I have to go lie down.

So fifth inning and we waste Carlos Guillen's walk as Dan Wilson flew out and Ichiro and Mac were both down on strikes and even though I was disappointed I couldn't help cracking up at Joyce bellowing out the calls and anyway, Brian Fuentes relieved Freddy and retired the the first two batters, including a strikeout, before walking Raul and he kind of lobbed a pitch over Raul's head that made Raul throw himself down to avoid, and then he struck out the next guy, so I got to enjoy the "STEEEEEEEEEEEERIIIIIIIIKE!" calls some more.

Sixth inning and we waste John Olerud's double and then Quinn struck out and then Mayne was hit by a pitch and Fuentes was warned even though he didn't need to be, I mean why would we be throwing at Mayne? It was lefty vs. lefty, we only had one out, and it made no sense. So anyway, Alicea gounded out and Mayne was caught trying to steal and we're quickly to the seventh. We waste Guillen's single and then John Halama relieved Fuentes and nicely retired the side in order, so eighth inning and Jeff Austin relieved Kris Wilson and Mac lead off with a single and then Bret Boone singled, so runners at the corners and Olerud walked and bases loaded with nobody out and Cory Bailey came in to relieve Austin and Mike Cameron singled which scored two runs and then Al struck out and David Bell grounded into a double play and Lou Piniella argued it but to no avail and I have to say that this just wasn't our night. So anyway, Jose Paniagua relieved Halama and hit Jermaine Dye with a pitch and walked Raul and then Randa lined into a double play and Quinn fouled out to end the threat, and we head into the ninth inning.

"We weren't throwing at Dye - we'd just scored a couple of runs to get back in the game. Why would you put a runner on base there?" -Lou Piniella

Carlos struck out swinging and then Tom Lampkin struck out swinging and the exceedingly LAME Cory Bailey THREW at Ichiro, who got out of the way and the ump didn't say anything and then he threw at him again (and missed) and the ump ejected him as well he should and that got Tony Muser (the Royals' manager) all in an uproar because he thought Paniagua should've been tossed for hitting Dye and the difference between our pitchers and your pitchers, Tony Muser, is that WE weren't throwing at batters on purpose, and if we were to do that, we'd be able to hit our target unlike Mr. Bailey.

"So, when Seattle was down to its final out in the in the ninth inning, with no runners on and pitcher Corey Bailey on the mound, Piniella saw something that made him go to the top step of the Seattle dugout. 'All of a sudden, Jason Grimsley gets up in their bullpen and starts warming up,' Piniella said. 'I knew what was going to happen next.' With Suzuki at the plate, Bailey threw a fastball behind him. Suzuki got out of the way. [Umpire]Joyce did nothing. When Bailey sent another pitch at Suzuki, he missed again - but Joyce got the point and ejected the pitcher. A moment later, he tossed manager Muser, too, after a rather heated nose-to-nose discussion of the game." -Larry LaRue, sportswriter

"It was obvious what the pitcher was trying to do. Joyce had no choice but to eject him.'' -Lou Piniella

So anyway, Jason Grimsley came in and got Ichiro to ground out and we lose 6-3.

"When was the last time Mariners starter Freddy Garcia didn't pitch into the fifth inning? When was the last time fleet-of-foot Ichiro grounded into a double play? [It happens] about as often as the lowly Royals have beaten the Mariners this season [once]." -Bob Sherwin, sportswriter

"I think we'd like to take another 11-2 run. We'd take that." -Lou Piniella on what they'd like to see Freddy Garcia (whose record is 11-2) do