Rally-capped

There are stumbles. There are collapses. Then there is what happened to the Royals in the ninth inning of last night's game against the Indians.
Leading 7-2 heading into the top of the ninth, the Royals appeared to be headed toward snapping their 10-game losing streak that has plummeted them to the worst record in the American League. The Indians, in the curb-your-enthusiasm fashion that has tempered the fans every time they get on a roll, were about to lose a dud of a game to said worst team in the league.
Royals manager Buddy Bell, highly cognizant of ending the 10-game slide, even sent out fireballing closer Mike MacDougal for the ninth in a non-save situation just to be sure.
It didn't matter.
Casey Blake hit a leadoff double. Grady Sizemore drove him in with a double wo make it 7-3. Coco Crisp singled home Sizemore to make it 7-4. MacDougal finally whiffed Jhonny Peralta for the first out, but the blood was already in the water.
Travis Hafner doubled to right, and Crisp went to third. Victor Martinez singled in Crisp to make it 7-5.
Then it was time for the Kansas City defense to get in on the act.
Shortstop Angel Berroa never got to a pop up hit by Ronnie Belliard, which fell in short center field to draw the Indians within a run at 7-6 as Hafner scored. Berroa managed to retrieve the ball and force Martinez at second, putting the Royals one out away from the win.
Then came the jaw-dropping moment of the inning. Pinch-hitter Jeff Liefer lifted a fly ball into the left field corner. Left fielder Chip Ambres should have had it. He did have it, actually. He was there to make the game-ending catch with plenty of time. But when he closed his glove, the ball wasn't there. It ricocheted off the heel of his glove and started rolling.
Belliard, chugging as hard as his legs could carry him, scored from first to tie the game. Liefer wound up at second.
The leaks had finally turned into a raging torrent. Aaron Boone singled home Liefer to give the Indians the lead. Blake came back up and drew an intentional walk off lefty Jimmy Gobble, who mercifully relieved MacDougal. But the Indians kept teeing off. Sizemore followed and got his second hit of the inning, driving in Boone. Blake scored on the play when the ball hopped up, hit charging right fielder Emil Brown in the leg, and bounced toward center field. It was Kansas City's third error of the inning, and made the score 10-7. Crisp followed and drew a walk on a 3-2 pitch.
Bob Wickman was warming up in the bullpen for yet another save opportunity, but Peralta gave him a rest by nixing the save situation. He hit a three-run homer to make it 13-7.
The inning ended on the 13th batter when Hafner struck out.
Thirteen batters, 11 runs, eight hits, three errors and none left on base. Bob Howry set the Royals down in order in the bottom of the ninth to end the game.
Scott Sauerbeck got the win for being the pitcher of record during the rally. He recorded the last two outs of the eighth.
It was the most runs the Indians scored in an inning since plating 12 against the White Sox in September 1999. It was, without a doubt, the worst and most demoralizing ninth inning in recent Royals history.
The win, coupled with an Oakland loss to the Angels, pulled the Indians to within 3 1/2 games of the Athletics in the wild card race.