Losing Streak Is at 18 for Royals

One of the Kansas City Royals has even had to change his evening plans.

“I’m embarrassed,” right-hander Jose Lima said. “I’m embarrassed to go into a bar. The people would say, ‘They lost 18 in a row. They really stink this year.’ ”

The Royals lost their club-record 18th consecutive game Wednesday, moving within three of matching the longest skid in American League history by falling, 11-5, to the Seattle Mariners.

Manager Buddy Bell rejoined the Royals after a two-game absence to attend burial services at Arlington National Cemetery for his Marine nephew, who was killed this month by a roadside bomb in Iraq.

Bell returned to the dugout and watched the Royals get closer to the AL record of 21 losses in a row set by the Baltimore Orioles at the start of the 1988 season.

The modern major league record for consecutive losses is 23, set by the 1961 Philadelphia Phillies.

“This is tough,” Lima said, packing to go to Oakland with the rest of the Royals. “This is something we didn’t plan. Nothing is going our way right now.”

The Royals start a three-game series at Oakland on Friday night before returning home to face Boston for three games beginning Tuesday night.

Kansas City is 0-3 against the Athletics and Red Sox, with both sweeps coming during their current streak.

Adrian Beltre hit a grand slam in the first inning for the Mariners, and Jamie Moyer (10-4) made the early lead stand up.

Seattle’s final run came in the eighth inning when reliever Mike MacDougal fielded a grounder with the bases loaded and threw the ball over catcher Paul Phillips’ head.

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Bad company

Longest losing streaks in American League history:

*--* Team Year Streak Home Away Baltimore 1988 21 8 13 Boston 1906 20 19 1 Philadelphia 1916 20 1 19 Philadelphia 1943 20 3 17 Detroit 1975 19 9 10 Philadelphia 1920 18 0 18 Washington 1948 18 8 10 Washington 1959 18 3 15 Kansas City 2005 18 8 10 Boston 1926 17 14 3

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