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Gordon looking much better in early part of this season
By DAVID BOYCEThe Kansas City Star
Through the first two weeks of the season, Gordon looks nothing like the rookie last year who struggled to reach .200 in the first two months of the season.
Eleven games into the season, Gordon is hitting .311 with two homers and a team-leading six RBIs.
Gordon said he feels a lot more comfortable this year compared with 2007.
“We are doing a lot better, we are winning games,” Gordon said. “Guys are playing a lot better. I think that flows through the team.”
Whether he’s swinging the bat good or bad, Gordon is not the type to go into great detail about what he’s doing. He pretty much maintains the same calm persona through the ups and downs that occur in a baseball season.
Gordon said he wasn’t too concerned when he struck out looking five times in the first few games of the season.
“It was all taking and some pitches were questionable, but those things will happen,” Gordon said. “You are going to strike out. I just put it behind me and go on to the next at-bat.”
One thing that seems to have helped Gordon was moving from the third spot to the sixth spot. The change, manager Trey Hillman said, has also worked for Mark Teahen, who switched places with Gordon in the lineup.
“The thing that both of them have going on very well right now and Mark more so than anyone on the club is even when they are taking pitches, they are taking pitches in a real good balanced position,” Hillman said. “That’s a real good sign.
“When you see a guy taking pitches and have a feel for the strike zone the way Mark does right now it usually leads you into production offensively.”
Oh, no — Nathan
When closer Joe Nathan comes in for Minnesota, it is very bad news for the Royals.
Nathan entered Saturday’s game in the ninth inning with a 2-0 lead and it was all but over for the Royals. Although Gordon got a one-out single, Nathan had no trouble protecting the lead and picking up his 28th career save against the Royals. It’s the most he has against any team.
Nathan has converted 28 of 30 save opportunities against Kansas City.
“Anytime you have Nathan finishing the game, that’s the best right there,” said Twins starter Boof Bonser, who picked up the victory. “It can’t get better than that.”
Powder blue
For the first time this season, the Royals played in powder blue uniforms, a throwback to the late 1970s.
Outfielder Joey Gathright said blue is his favorite color and the powder blue uniforms look fine with him.
Hillman said you might not see him in the powder blue Saturday night because he will be keeping warm in a royal blue jacket.
“I like them,” Hillman said. “I’m thrilled we are bringing them back.”
Hillman remembers the Royals being such a confident team during the years they wore the powder blue.
The Royals also handed out 20,000 Billy Butler replica powder blue jerseys and some fans received the free jersey from Butler himself. Butler was among eight players handing out jerseys before the game.
Lineup change
After scoring just one run in the last two games, Hillman adjusted his starting lineup for Saturday’s game, moving Joey Gathright from the leadoff spot to ninth.
Infielder Alberto Callaspo played shortstop for the second straight night. He moved to the leadoff spot. Also, Butler and José Guillen switched spots in the lineup. Butler batted cleanup and Guillen hit fifth.
“We changed up a little bit today,” Hillman said. “I believe José has been pressing a little bit. So we are flip-flopping him with Billy. Hopefully, that will give him more of a comfort level. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. We will see how it goes.”
Unfortunately for the Royals, the storyline was the same as Friday night. Kansas City was shut out for the second game in a row.