KANSAS CITY, Mo.
The good vibes and the injection of energy lasted less than a day, dissipating into the air on Wednesday afternoon in a stadium that was overtaken by the shrieking of schoolchildren.
Just 15 hours after the Royals walked off against the Washington Nationals on Tuesday night, they crumbled in a 21-minute top of the first inning, the opening, disastrous moments of a 13-2 loss at Kauffman Stadium.
Wednesday was School Day at the K, of course, the annual citywide baseball field trip. And the more than 15,000 students in attendance were witness to an afternoon implosion.