Satan's Luau

No Sheffield today, resting his nagging hand injury -- and we get the Royals broadcast team for today's game

2:10PM HST

TOP 1: Greinke going for the Royals -- Jeter hits the first pitch to center ... it keeps going, going, going ... and DeJesus robs him with a jumping catch at the fence, one down -- Womack with a quality AB, battling, then grounds to short, two away -- ARod drives one deep to right, but it is caught at the track to retire the side

BOT 1: Brown pitching for Yankees -- Berroa lines a leadoff single to center -- DeJesus down swinging, the ball gets by Posada, the runner advances to second on the wild pitch, the batter is thrown out at first, one down

Runner at second for Sweeney, he goes down swinging, trying to hit three high inside pitches, two away -- full count to Stairs, the payoff ... swing and a miss, this sinker also in the dirt and gets away from Posada, he throws the batter out at first in time to end the inning

2:30PM HST

TOP 2: Tino down swinging after the breaking ball, one down -- full count to Posada, he draws a walk -- Runner on first for Matsui, he hits one REAL HARD, a 2-run HR to rightcenter, Yankees 2-0

One out for Bernie, he is having a quality AB, works the full count, the payoff ... ball four outside -- On the 2-1 pitch, Giambi swings real hard ... and flings his bat to the backstop ... full count, he grounds to second, two away, the runner advances to second on the play

Two out, runner at second for Cano, he hits one up the middle, Berroa ranges, gloves and puts Cano out to end the rally

BOT 2: Emile Brown grounds to second, one gone -- Long chops the first pitch over to Tino, he steps on the bag, two down -- Two down for Teahen, and he ... YES, rips one by ARod at third, down the leftfield line, Teahen makes the big turn ... then thinks better of it ... another frustrating two-out hit after a quiet start to the inning

Brown loses Buck on four straight pitches, runners now first and second -- Gotay hits a blooper to right, it falls in front of Matsui, one run scores, the other runner to third, the score is now 2-1 ... and 2-out steam begins to pour out of my ears

Runners at the corner, two outs for Berroa, he chops to short, the force play is made at second to end yet another TWO out rally

2:55PM HST

TOP 3: Jeter hits a sharp liner at Teahen, falls out of his glove, rolls toward short, is gloved by Berroa, his throw pulls Sweeney off the bag, infield single -- Womack slaps a liner at first, Sweeney reaches and makes the grab, one down

Full count to ARod, the payoff ... swung on and missed, two down, Jeter running on the play turns back and slides back in to first -- Tino flies the first pitch to right to retire the side

BOT 3: DeJesus slaps the first pitch through the left side for a leadoff single -- Sweeney flies to right, the runner holds at first, one down -- Stairs grounds the first pitch up the middle by Cano, the runner advances to third on the play

Runners at the corners, one down for Emile Brown, he smashes one down the third base line for a double, one run scores, the lead runner to third, the game is tied 2-2

Long grounds to deep short, Jeter fields and throws out the lead runner at third, another run scores, two gone, the Royals take the lead 3-2

3:16PM HST

TOP 4: Posada flies out to right, one gone -- Matsui grounds to second, two gone -- Bernie hits a bomb off the right field wall, that's a double ... and only the Yankees' second hit of the game

Runner at second, two down for Giambi, he hits a liner to right center, Bernie is waved ... the throw takes a high hop, the run scores, and Giambi to second on the throw home, the game is knotted back up 3-3

Runner still second, two down for Cano, he draws a four pitch walk, runners now first and second -- amazingly Greinke is already at NINETY pitches, whoa

Jeter grounds to short, the force play is made at second to end the rally

BOT 4: Buck lines an opposite field leadoff single to right -- Gotay draws a walk ... and Brown looks to be losing it

Runners at first and second for Berroa, he hits the first pitch to deep short, Jeter flips to ARod to get the lead runner, one down -- DeJesus hits one to short, the force is made at second, Cano's relay to first is in the dirt and rolls away from Tino and into the Royals dugout, one run scores, Royals back ahead 4-3

Sweeney flies the first pitch out to left to end the rally

3:40PM HST

TOP 5: Full count to Womack, the payoff is popped to right, taken by the CF, one down -- ARod grounds to third, two away -- Tino grounds one up the middle, Berroa in perfect position to glove it, and retire the side

BOT 5: Brown still going for NY, Wood warming for KC -- Stairs drives one over the head of Bernie, he misread it off the bat, that's a double to the wall

Runner at second for Emile Brown, he grounds to third, ump calls it fair ... runner to third on ARod's short throw to first -- the replay makes it look doubtful, the Royals catch a break ... and they are on the verge of busting this one open

Runners at the corners for Long, he flies to center, the runner at third tags and scores, the throw home is cut off, the Royals increase to 5-3

One down, runner at first for Teahen ... the 0-2 pitch is wild and to the screen, the runner moves up to second on the play -- Teahen goes down swinging, two away

Runner at second, two down for Buck, he hits a comebacker to Brown to end the rally

3:58PM HST

TOP 6: Wood in to pitch for KC -- full count to Posada, the payoff is grounded to first, one down -- Matsui grounds to first, two down -- Bernie bombs a two out stand-up double to the centerfield wall -- Giambi hits a deep fly to the warning track in center to retire the side

BOT 6: Gotay fouls the first pitch out to catcher, one down -- Berroa down swinging, two away -- more two out nonsense, DeJesus is plunked on left knee -- Stanton warming for Yankees -- Sweeney hits a grounder to ARod's backhand, the throw on a hop, just in time to end the inning

TOP 7: Full count to Cano, the payoff is hit the opposite way, long far ... and just foul -- Cano grounds a leadoff single through to right -- Sisco warms for the Royals -- Jeter draws a walk, runners now first and second

Womack grounds to second, the flip to short gets the force at second, the relay to first, Womack beats it out by a hair, one down

Runners at the corners, one down for ARod -- Womack is picked off first on a great move by Wood, two down ... shirt!

Runner now at third, two down -- ARod presses his way into a full count, the payoff ... ball 4, runners now first and third

Sisco in to pitch for Royals to matchup L-L, two down, runners at the corners for Tino -- Girardi lifts Tino for PH Sheffield -- Sheffield hits a laser to the alley, the CF makes the running catch above his head, great defense, to retire the side

The Yankees have had numerous opportunities tonight, with mixed to bad results

Seventh Inning Stench, Royals lead 5-3

BOT 7: Russ Johnson in at 1B for Yankees -- Stairs falls behind in the count, battles and draws a walk, quality AB -- Emile Brown goes down swinging, uno dos adios, one gone -- Brown tries to pickoff Stairs, the ball is thrown away, Stairs takes second and is going for third ... the throw from Cano, ON TIME!, two down -- Long goes down swinging to end the inning

TOP 8: Sisco still going for Royals -- Posada grounds to short, one away -- Matsui draws a walk -- Burgos warming for Royals -- Bernie battles back to full, the payoff ... he goes down looking (replay: that looked off the plate), two gone -- Sierra in to PH for Giambi, he goes down looking to retire the side

BOT 8: Sierra in as DH, Sturtze now in to pitch for Yankees -- Teahen singles up the middle to leadoff the inning -- Buck down swinging, one down, Teahen goes ... high throw, he steals second on the play -- Gotay flies out to left center, two away -- Berroa down swinging to end the inning

TOP 9: MacDougal in for Royals to close it -- Cano grounds to deep second, Gotay flips to Berroa who guns him out by a step, one down -- Jeter goes down uno dos adios on a checkswing ... he is called OUT by the 1st base ump, Jeter shoots the stinkeye at him, two away -- Russ Johnson pops out to first in foul territory to end the game

Though they haven't won many this season ...

FINAL: Royals win, 5-3

A repeat of the stories of the early season, Brown didn't really have it, the Yankees didn't hit enough. THE END.

27UP 24DOWN ... 3 straight losses