The Royals had a day off, traveling home from a nine-game road trip. Although the last game was a lopsided loss, a 5-4 trip overall was an acceptable result. Kansas City had a seven-game homestand against division rivals coming up, with three games against sixth-place California and four against first-place Oakland.

In baseball news, the players’ association offered the owners a compromise of sorts in ongoing labor negotiations. In exchange for management accepting a two-year freeze on their demands for free agent compensation, the players would withdraw their demands for earlier free agency and some other issues. Of course, the owners’ main contention was that they needed to fix free agency right away. As part of the players’ offer, the owners could unilaterally demand that negotiations reopen. With the strike deadline a week away, there was a very real threat of a shortened season.

Today’s birthdays: George Brett (1953), AJ Hinch (1974), Everett Teaford (1984)