Un-f***ing-believable.

Jimmy Gobble gots skills. He sure can pitch. The thing I like about him is that he's shown the ability to both dominate (tonight) and to battle to keep his team in the game when he doesn't have his best stuff (last week against Texas). He's shown a keen ability to give his team a chance to win games, whether he has his best stuff or not, and that's the difference between top pitchers and mediocre pitchers. He's not a top pitcher yet, but he clearly has the makeup. This season is lost, but I am still very excited about the prospect of Affeldt, Gobble, Anderson, Greinke and May as our top-to-bottom rotation next year.

Anyway, Gobble has been the only Royal pitcher who consistently sets his team up for success this season, so it must be incredibly demoralizing to pitch 8 2/3 innings of fantastic baseball, give up a couple of hits to two good hitters, and then have to give the ball to Mike MacDougal (H, BB, BB, tie game). A brilliant performance goes to shit in 1/3 of an inning because our CLOSER CANNOT THROWING A DAMN STRIKE.

Tony Pena, if you're going to let Gobble start the 9th, LET HIM FINISH THE DAMN GAME. He had a 3-hit shutout with one out to go. Complete domination. Yes, he gave up two hits and one run with one out to go. But he earned the right to win or lose that game. It would be one thing if this team had a reasonably reliable closer. But we do NOT.

A. Guiel hit a 10th inning home run to put us ahead, so we'll see if that holds up. Nate Field is doing his best to lose the game, though.

J. Gobble: 8 2/3 innings - 0 walks.
M. MacDougal and N. Field: 2/3 inning - 3 walks.

Does the Royals pitching staff instruct their relievers to not throw strikes? Isn't a basic requirement of major league baseball players to be able to throw strikes? (OK - I looked up their stats, and the bullpen has actually been pretty good about avoiding walks this year. But there have been two games lost this season because the 'pen couldn't stop walkin').

Well done, Jaime. Game-ending DP. I treasure every win.