O's-Royals, Birds' Bats Are King In KC

Too busy to blog the whole game, so just an abbreviated version:

• Why is Cesar Izturis - he of the .298 OBP (.299 career) - batting second? Probably because he's fast. Why bother getting more potential at bats for the better hitters by just moving Markakis up to second and putting say, Mora, in the three-hole, when you could have Izturis run really fast towards first base before going back to the dugout?
• Jeremy Guthrie is dealing in the first inning, hitting 94-96 consistently and using his change-up, but he's not getting much movement on his pitches. Everything is coming out pretty straight.
• Nick getting the force at second on a single to right (with a runner on first) is awesome. He's done that at least once before that I've seen.
• Sharp slider from Guthrie to end the 3rd with a K, but he did give up two runs on a pair of long extra-base hits.
• Not all of Huff's power from last year is gone, as he hits his 7th HR of the year.
• 95 absolutely on the black, as Mike Jacobs becomes Guthrie's second strike-out victim.
• Perfect hit-and-run, with Pie taking off from first and Roberts hitting a groundball though the area previously occupied by the second-baseman. Izturis - batting next - tripled them both in. I still maintain that batting him in that spot was the wrong decision, but that doesn't change the fact that the O's have a 3-2 lead.
  
• Then Markakis doubles him in. Nick has to be one of the best in the league in taking that outside pitch to the opposite field. And he scores on a Mora single.
  
• Tough fifth for Guthrie, as he gives up two runs on two hits and a couple base on balls. O's hold a 5-4 lead.
• Felix Pie hustle a single to short right-field into a double. Impressive. Two outs and so the Royals intentionally walk Roberts - the lead-off hitter mind you - to bring up Izturis. And Cesar makes them pay with an RBI single. Unbelievable.
  
• Long at bat by Nick ends with a two run double to deep right-field. 8-4 O's.
• Nolan Reimold getting his first career hit in his major league debut on a groundball up the middle. He's better than Luis Montanez, and if Adam Jones is hurt then Reimold should get a chance to play.
• The Punching Aruban makes an appearance, as Sidney Ponson comes out for the eighth (and promptly gives up a run).
• O's win, 9-5. Guthrie wasn't particularly effective, but the offense picked him up (everyone but Zaun had a hit).
• On the other side of the field, Billy Butler can sure hit (2-5, HR, 3 RBI).
• Adam Eaton (7.18 ERA, 5.32 tRA) vs. Zach Greinke (0.51 ERA, 1.29 tRA) in an apparent mismatch tomorrow.