<table> </table> In each of his last three starts, Brian Bannister&#8217;s ERA has dropped. Statistically, it&#8217;s the best three-game stretch since the start of the season.</p><p>But there is one glaring difference. Bannister won his first three starts while allowing just two earned runs over 21 innings.</p><p>Despite giving up seven earned runs in 21 2/3 innings in his last three starts, Bannister failed to record a victory.</p><p>&#8220;It&#8217;s almost identical,&#8221; said Bannister, comparing his first three starts of the season with his last three starts. &#8220;I started throwing a different four-seam fastball after that rough game in Texas, and I didn&#8217;t have success with it for several months.</p><p>&#8220;I hit rock bottom in New York. I went back to the old fastball, which doesn&#8217;t register much higher than 90 most of the time, but it&#8217;s effective at this level. It seems to bring me success, and that&#8217;s what I got to go with.&#8221;</p><p>So even though Bannister has been fairly solid since giving up 10 runs in one inning at New York, he&#8217;s still searching for his first victory since June 23.</p><p>Bannister, who pitches Tuesday at Minnesota, has gone 12 straight starts without a victory.</p><p>How badly does Bannister need to get in the victory column?</p><p>&#8220;I know it&#8217;s there, but at the same time, for me, what really straightens me out is when all I think about is throwing as many innings as possible,&#8221; Bannister said. &#8220;I pound the strike zone and I don&#8217;t waste pitches. When I only focus on that, everything seems to work out.&#8221;</p><p><strong><span class="subhead">Strong finish</span></strong></p><p>Even though he went hitless Sunday, outfielder David DeJesus has heated up in early September.</p><p>DeJesus already has three, three-hit games in September and raised his average to .300 on Saturday night. He&#8217;s at .297 after Sunday.</p><p>A year ago, DeJesus went 16 for 83 for a .193 average in September.</p><p>It&#8217;s important for DeJesus, who is still early his career, to finish strong and show he has the stamina to produce late in the season when he&#8217;s played most of the year.</p><p>&#8220;They go into the offseason, regardless of what the team does, feeling real good about the development they had at the major-league level and the numbers they were able to put up,&#8221; manager Trey Hillman said.</p><p><strong><span class="subhead">Strikeout duo</span></strong></p><p>Zack Greinke struck out eight batters Sunday, and that gives him 167 on the season.</p><p>Greinke and Gil Meche have now combined for 325 strikeouts this season. The last time the Royals had two pitchers combine for that many strikeouts was 1997, when Kevin Appier and Jose Rosado combined for 325 strikeouts.</p><p><strong><span class="subhead">Southpaw shutdown</span></strong></p><p>Cy Young candidate Cliff Lee did what other lefties couldn&#8217;t do on the Royals&#8217; just completed six-game homestand. Lee improved to 21-2 Sunday afternoon when he beat Kansas City 3-1.</p><p>All four of Kansas City&#8217;s wins on the homestand came against left-handed starters.</p><p>Even with the loss Sunday, Kansas City is 29-21 against left-handed starters.</p><p><strong><span class="subhead">Minor details</span></strong></p><p>The Class A Burlington Bees advanced to the Midwest League Championship series after beating Cedar Rapids 2-1. Burlington starter Luis Cota limited Cedar Rapids to three hits in seven innings. Cota struck out seven hitters.