Coming into Sunday’s game, Albert Pujols was in a little bit of a slump. He had only three hits in his last 16 at-bats. However, on Sunday that was all forgotten.

In five at-bats, Pujols had four hits, two homers and six RBIs. His biggest hit was in the fourth inning when he hit a grand slam to break a 4-4 tie. That long ball powered the St. Louis Cardinals to a 12-5 victory over the Kansas City Royals.

Pujols is now hitting .329 with 26 homers, 68 RBIs and 56 runs. His homers, RBIs and runs are all major league highs. His batting average is 12th in all of baseball.

Thanks to Pujols, the Cardinals improved to 39-31 with the win. They lead the NL Central by 1.5 games and the only team with a better record in the National League is the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Albert Pujols Hits Two Homers (Image: Zuma Press)

Zack Greinke continues to shine. If you are waiting for him to slip up, you will have to keep waiting. On Tuesday, the Kansas City Royals emergering superstar pitcher pitched a complete game to improve to 8-1 and help the Royals beat the Detroit Tigers by a final count of 6-1.

Zack Greinke - Can Anyone Stop the Royal? (Image: Newscom)

Greinke gave up six hits and one earned run while walking none and striking out eight batters. To show how good he’s been this season, Greinke’s performance actually raised his ERA to 0.84.

The only run Greinke gave up was in the first inning. The Tigers were able to keep that lead until the sixth inning. In the sixth, Jose Guillen keyed a three-run inning with a two-run single. Guillen later added a homer in the eighth inning to give Greinke a comfortable cushion.

With the win, the Royals are now 23-23 on the season. The Tigers dropped to 25-19 with the loss.

Zack Greinke continued his amazing start to the 2009 baseball season. The Kansas City Royals hurler was marvelous once again on Monday. His pitching performance allowed the Royals to win 3-0 against the Chicago White Sox and improve to 15-11 on the season.

Pitching all nine innings, Greinke needed only 104 pitches to allow six hits, no walks and no earned runs while striking out ten batters. He has won all six of his starts and his ERA is a microscopic 0.40 and his WHIP is an equally as impressive 0.84.

In his first four starts of the season, Greinke didn’t allow an earned run. He allowed two earned runs against the Toronto Blue Jays in his fifth start, however he came back as strong as ever against the White Sox in his sixth start.

Thanks mostly to Greinke’s pitching, the Royals currently find themselves in first place of the AL Central. They lead the Detroit Tigers by 1.5 games, the Minnesota Twins by 2 games and the Chicago White Sox by 2.5 games.

Last season, the Royals were 75-87 on the year. The 2009 campaign appears to be a season where the Royals can finally make some noise, especially if Greinke keeps pitching the way he currently is performing.

Zack Greinke, Kansas City Royals

Joe Mauer missed the beginning of the 2009 baseball season for the Minnesota Twins. In his return to the diamond, Mauer hit a solo home run in the bottom of the first inning. He later hit a double to finish 2-for-3 with one walk, one RBI and three runs.

Mauer’s homer got the Twins off to a good start as Minnesota was able to topple the Kansas City Royals by a final count of 7-5. Justin Morneau hit a homer after Mauer’s double and Kevin Slowey improved to 5-0 on the season.

For the Royals, Jose Guillen went 3-for-4 with two RBIs. However, starting pitcher Sidney Ponson got creamed in his 4.1 innings of work. He gave up nine hits and seven earned runs to raise his season ERA to 7.16.

Following the game, both team’s records were 12-11. The two teams are tied for second in the AL Central, a half game being the Chicago White Sox.

Joe Mauer Returns (Image: Newscom)

Zack Greinke of the Kansas City Royals has set a high standard so far in the 2009 baseball season. Greinke won his fifth game in his fifth start on Wednesday, however his streak of innings without giving up an earned run was snapped. In seven innings, Greinke gave up five hits, two earned runs and two walks, while striking out eight batters.

His streak of 43 consecutive innings without giving up an earned run ended in the first inning against the Toronto Blue Jays. With two outs in the first inning, Vernon Wells hit a single that scored Marco Scutaro from second base. In the third, Alex Rios hit into a double play but a second earned run was scored against Greinke.

Despite those two runs, the Royals were easily able to win the game by a final count of 11-3. Billy Butler hit two homers and finished the game 4-for-5 with four runs and four RBI.

With the win, the Royals are now 11-10 on the season. Even with the loss, the Blue Jays sport an impressive record of 15-8.

Kansas City Royals (Image: Flickr)

So you know that Royals-White Sox brawl video we posted?

Yeah, about that. Chicago White Sox Manager Ozzie Guillen let out the so-called “dirty little secret” that managers sometimes give the thumbs up on hit-by-pitch revenge.

This tidbut surprised—let’s see, we need to check our calculations . . . hold on a sec . . . almost done—yes, that’s it: Absolutely no one.

You know we can’t pass up a good brawl video.

The Kansas City Royals knocked the Chicago White Sox out of first today with a 14-3 spanking. The knocking also became literal as the Royals’ Miguel Olivo charged the mound after being hit in the wrist by ChiSox pither D. J. Carrasco. 

You know the rest of the story. Tempers flared, fists raised up, benches cleared, and ejections ensued.

And, in the spirit of the upcoming Olympics, we’ve decided to award medals to three of the more notorious pro sports brawls of late.

Gold Medal: Coco Crisp and the Tampa Bay Rays

Silver Medal: Los Angeles Sparks and Detroit Shock

Bronze Medal: Kansas City Royals and Chicago White Sox (51s):

One day you’re a pop diva throwing out the first pitch at a ballgame in Japan, the next you’re still a pop diva . . . . but now the Kansas City Royals want to sign you.

Welcome to the world of Mariah Carey as told by Frank Coffey and the Goodfellas over there at the always tongue-in-cheek eTrueSports:

Kansas City – Mariah Carey yesterday turned down a $3 million incentive-laden contract offer from the struggling Kansas City Royals when the team refused to agree to let the pop diva sing the national anthem. 

The Royals’ offer and Carey’s last-of-the-ninth decision began when a Royals scout saw Carey throw a first pitch before a game between the Yomiuri Giants and the Rakuten Eagles, at the Tokyo Dome on May 28. The scout called Royals GM Dayton Moore and recommended they immediately sign the chunky right-hander. “She’s got a great sinker,” reported the scout.

Moore called Carey’s representatives who quickly indicated the singer’s interest. Carey, who had reportedly trained hard for her Japanese debut, was intrigued at the prospect of picking up a baseball career that was interrupted when she was dismissed from the Harborfields High School (Long Island, NY) softball team during her sophomore season for undisclosed “rules violations.”

A deal was quickly struck and as just as quickly fell apart. The sticking point? Carey request that she be allowed to regularly sing the national anthem at Kauffman Stadium.

“We all ready got a singer,” said Dayton Moore, apparently not a fan of Carey’s music,  “one who can carry a tune. We need a pitcher.”

With the precision of a 3-2 cutter on the black, Carey’s baseball career abruptly ended with a called strike three. 

“I’m hurt and disappointed,” said Carey through a representative. “I talked to Derek last night” (Jeter, the New York Yankees shortstop who Carey has been romantically linked with) “and he said I’d really be able to help the Royals straighten out their staffs.”

What kind of Boston Red Sox fan would we be if we didn’t brag about share the news about pitcher—and cancer survivor—Jon Lester’s no-hitter against the Kansas City Royals last night.

Clay Buchholz, he of the fingernail injury, threw a no-hitter last year in his Major League debut. (And a shout-out goes to fellow Sox fans Caesar and Pat for joining the excitement).

As for Lester, he’s the first Sox leftie to throw a no-hitter since 1956. Check out the ESPN highlights here (2m, 38s):

Between Gregg Popovich lambasting the San Antonio Spurs (despite a win–thanks for sending, Pat!) and Tony Stewart sounding off about Goodyear, it’s clear that rants are in the air. And even if they aren’t, we feel like posting about them anyway.

And no one rants better than a coach, right? Here are a few of our favorites, in no particular order:

Bobby Knight, Indiana Hoosiers Men’s Basketball 

The Rant Master needs only an audio clip to show why he’s top dog among screamers and yellers (1m, 18s). If you have virgin ears, beware. The F-bombs drop faster than Lindsay Lohan’s pants after a night of clubbing: 

Hal McRae, Manager of the Kansas City Royals (1993)

This one got ugly; some poor guy ended up with a cut. The video quality (1m, 24s) isn’t great but you can certainly make out the bleeps and McRae’s poltergeist impression (you know, throwing stuff across the room):

John Chaney, Temple University Men’s Basketball

This one kinda has a Jerry Springer feel to it (50s):

Dan Hawkins, University of Colorado Football

This one showcases the coach’s ability to go from Calm to Ballistic faster then you can say “Yikes!” (2m, 54s):

Kevin Borseth, Michigan Wolverines Girls’ Basketball

We blogged about this a few weeks ago but it’s an insta-classic, so please welcome back Coach B. and his gripe against offensive rebounds (2m, 34s):

BONUS: Mike Gundy, Oklahoma State Football, Prank Version

You know, we’ve posted this a bunch of times already, but it still makes us giggle. This phone prank using Gundy’s rant is actually better than the rant itself (3m, 9s):

Can somebody please get these guys a pair of tighty-whities in the right size, so they no longer have their panties in a bunch?