Hartford pitcher Tom Gordon got shelled by the Royals.. or should I say he
got shelled by Mike Lansing? The secondbaseman went 3-for-4 with 2 home
runs and 6 RBIs, powering the Royals to a 6-4 win. Lansing's 6 RBIs is a
new Montreal Royals' record.
Lansing and Bobby Bonillla have been the clutch hitters for the Royals so
far this season. He now has 17 RBIs in 24 games. Both have shared the
cleanup position for parts of the year, but Lansing, not your prototypical
power hitter, has surprised everyone.
Bobby Bonilla, meanwhile, batting only .234 is leading the team in RBIs and
home runs.
"I give all credit to Rondell and Rusty and because they manage to get on
base and in scoring position every day." said Bonilla. "My RBI totals
reflect their performance, not mine."
Poor Offense?
The Royals are currently 4th in the league in Slugging Percentage (.449). A
shabby offense? I don't think so!!! (Although, they stand 3rd in their
division in run production.)
The Royals now have some more speed on the basepaths, thanks to Rondell
White and the emergence of veteran Juan Samuel. It shows in their totals:
they are tied for 3rd in the league in stolen bases. They also lead the
league in doubles and triples, with 79 and 7 respectively.
Additionally, their pitching is 5th best in the league. The defense--6th
best. They lead the league in complete game,despite a tremendously solid
bullpen, and they are second in total quality starts. And only 1 team has
given up less home runs--the Anchorage Abominations.
Tell me: is this a sign of a winning team, or what?
League News:
-Calgary has more home runs than the Royals have RBIs this year. "That's a
scary thought," said Bobby Bonilla.
-Galena, have we doubted you? Please forsake us. Despite a poor start, they
keep on climbing up. They are now leading the PVBL in wins.
-In the McCoy division, the margin between the first and last place teams
is a slim 3.0 games. To look for in the next week: Can the young Hartford
Whalers hold on? Can the Deadwood Outlaws overcome their pitching woes? Can
Edmonton continue to rely on their overburdened arms? Will Montreal finally
win a close game?
