The Royals are 17-23 but a mere 4 1/2 games out of first place in the accommodating American League Central after their 5-1 victory over the New York Yankees on Thursday at Kauffman Stadium.
A 10-day road trip looms, as do personnel decisions.
So, it’s the day-in, day-out journey of the season that absorbs Royals manager Ned Yost, and trivialities like the peculiar and uninspiring Royals record for home runs in a season aren’t of much interest to him.
“On my list of what I care about,” he said, “it’s pretty far down there.”
But, hey, the rest of us can indulge the thought of the mini-drama within the real story: the prospect of Mike Moustakas eclipsing the club homer mark of 36 in a season set by Steve Balboni in 1985, a notion reinforced against the Yankees when Moustakas hit his 10th of the season to stay on pace.