It’s August. The Kansas City Royals are once again assured of a losing season, playing a game against the Houston Astros that means more to them than it does to the Royals. And Zack Greinke is out here straight-up dealing. The legendary Royal was extremely sharp, only allowing two runs over the course of an efficient six innings where he walked only one. Of course, Greinke ended up with the loss, as he wasn’t quite sharp enough; his bullpen also let a manageable one-run deficit balloon to a three-run deficit after the star left the game.
Royals fans have experienced similar stories time and time again, except this time we’re in bizarro world and the shoe is on the other foot—Greinke wasn’t pitching for the Royals, and it was Kansas City that came away with a 7-1 victory.