Joe Mauer shook his head. He looked down at the ground, then back at home plate. More head-shaking.Jason Kubel had the same disbelief, but his came while his bat slammed into the ground, immediately followed by his helmet. He screamed something, though at this point the crowd was yelling too loud for anyone to make it out.Behind Kubel, Zack Greinke made that slow, confident walk back to the dugout after another scoreless inning. An ovation that belies the Royals’ disappointing season showered down from 28,721 who came to cheer Greinke on his march toward the Cy Young Award in a 4-1 win for the Royals against the Twins on Sunday at Kauffman Stadium.“It’s pretty annoying, actually,” Greinke said of the cheers about the Cy Young Award. “I don’t like it at all. I guess it’s nice that they’ll do that, but it’s annoying to me.”This is the Greinke that Kansas City has grown to know this year more than any other, completely unfiltered in his words and mostly untouchable in his pitches. Get him away from the attention, and he admits that, yes, if he’s going to pitch the way he’s always wanted to pitch, he’ll have to deal with the attention that comes with it.He has been the best pitcher in baseball this season, by most measurements, and is still just 25 years old with three more years on his contract with the Royals. So even as his breakout season winds down — his last start is Saturday at Minnesota — Greinke’s relationship with the city that adores him is only getting started.On this day, his last start in front of the hometown fans, a three-run homer by Yuniesky Betancourt in the second inning gave Greinke all the support he’d need, allowing the rest of the afternoon to be spent taking in the pitching brilliance of Greinke. “We knew he’d be good,” Royals manager Trey Hillman said. “We felt like he would be durable. But I don’t think anybody could’ve predicted the impact of his statistics here before his final start.”Greinke’s best came in the third, when a walk, infield single and blooper loaded the bases with no outs. Orlando Cabrera grounded into a fielder’s choice, and then Greinke did his thing against Mauer and Jason Kubel.Four fastballs at 97 or 98 mph, sliders anywhere from 80 to 91 — each of them swerving like a go-kart — for two strikeouts and the end of the threat.For Mauer — who makes contact with more than 87 percent of his swings — it was just the second time all season he struck out twice against the same pitcher.This is when Mauer shook his head, and when Kubel slammed his bat. Two more of the world’s best hitters, left helpless against a 25-year-old pitching genius having a season for the ages.“Until there’s people on base or in scoring position, I just kind of attack and let the hitters do their thing,” Greinke said. “When there’s guys in scoring position, that’s when I try to stop them and not let anything happen. That’s when I’m trying my hardest.”The Twins did score against Greinke, on a soft ground-out to second base by Michael Cuddyer in the sixth. That was it, just one run, buried under eight strikeouts in seven innings — another clinic, everything from 98-mph fastballs to the 69-mph curveball Greinke patterns after closer Joakim Soria.Greinke’s Cy Young candidacy is a shock-and-awe attack of historically impressive numbers: He’s now 16-8 with a 2.06 ERA that is nearly a half-run better than runner-up Felix Hernandez and would be the lowest in the American League since Pedro Martinez in 2000.

Posted on Sun, Sep. 27, 2009 10:27 PM

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Greinke makes another case for Cy Young with win against Twins

By SAM MELLINGER

The Kansas City Star

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Joe Mauer shook his head. He looked down at the ground, then back at home plate. More head-shaking.

Jason Kubel had the same disbelief, but his came while his bat slammed into the ground, immediately followed by his helmet. He screamed something, though at this point the crowd was yelling too loud for anyone to make it out.

Behind Kubel, Zack Greinke made that slow, confident walk back to the dugout after another scoreless inning. An ovation that belies the Royals’ disappointing season showered down from 28,721 who came to cheer Greinke on his march toward the Cy Young Award in a 4-1 win for the Royals against the Twins on Sunday at Kauffman Stadium.

“It’s pretty annoying, actually,” Greinke said of the cheers about the Cy Young Award. “I don’t like it at all. I guess it’s nice that they’ll do that, but it’s annoying to me.”

This is the Greinke that Kansas City has grown to know this year more than any other, completely unfiltered in his words and mostly untouchable in his pitches. Get him away from the attention, and he admits that, yes, if he’s going to pitch the way he’s always wanted to pitch, he’ll have to deal with the attention that comes with it.

He has been the best pitcher in baseball this season, by most measurements, and is still just 25 years old with three more years on his contract with the Royals. So even as his breakout season winds down — his last start is Saturday at Minnesota — Greinke’s relationship with the city that adores him is only getting started.

On this day, his last start in front of the hometown fans, a three-run homer by Yuniesky Betancourt in the second inning gave Greinke all the support he’d need, allowing the rest of the afternoon to be spent taking in the pitching brilliance of Greinke.

“We knew he’d be good,” Royals manager Trey Hillman said. “We felt like he would be durable. But I don’t think anybody could’ve predicted the impact of his statistics here before his final start.”

Greinke’s best came in the third, when a walk, infield single and blooper loaded the bases with no outs. Orlando Cabrera grounded into a fielder’s choice, and then Greinke did his thing against Mauer and Jason Kubel.

Four fastballs at 97 or 98 mph, sliders anywhere from 80 to 91 — each of them swerving like a go-kart — for two strikeouts and the end of the threat.

For Mauer — who makes contact with more than 87 percent of his swings — it was just the second time all season he struck out twice against the same pitcher.

This is when Mauer shook his head, and when Kubel slammed his bat. Two more of the world’s best hitters, left helpless against a 25-year-old pitching genius having a season for the ages.

“Until there’s people on base or in scoring position, I just kind of attack and let the hitters do their thing,” Greinke said. “When there’s guys in scoring position, that’s when I try to stop them and not let anything happen. That’s when I’m trying my hardest.”

The Twins did score against Greinke, on a soft ground-out to second base by Michael Cuddyer in the sixth. That was it, just one run, buried under eight strikeouts in seven innings — another clinic, everything from 98-mph fastballs to the 69-mph curveball Greinke patterns after closer Joakim Soria.

Greinke’s Cy Young candidacy is a shock-and-awe attack of historically impressive numbers: He’s now 16-8 with a 2.06 ERA that is nearly a half-run better than runner-up Felix Hernandez and would be the lowest in the American League since Pedro Martinez in 2000.

To reach Sam Mellinger, call 816-234-4365, send e-mail to smellinger@kcstar.com, or follow twitter.com/mellinger.

Posted on Sun, Sep. 27, 2009 10:27 PM

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