JACK'S SMACK: Royals closing in fast on AL Central

Two weeks ago, it appeared the Royals were ready for a full blown June-swoon.

They began a 15-game stretch of interleague play, losing all three in Pittsburgh.

They were ten games under .500 on June 10.

Eleven days later, they've whittled that number in half.

Pretty amazing when you consider that 12-game losing streak early in the season.

Don't look now, but the Royals are closing fast in the AL Central.

They're on a pretty good roll right now, sweeping Milwaukee and then taking two out of three from both St. Louis and Houston.

The Royals have closed to within 4.5 games of first place.

I know, this division is not any good, but that doesn't matter.

The Royals have scored the fewest runs in the American League, but that doesn't matter.

They play 16 games between now and the All-Star break.

I'm going on record, right now and please mark it down: The Royals will win 10 of those 16 games.

Really.

Here's why.

Tampa Bay is the only team the royals play during this 16-game stretch that is over .500.

Detroit, St. Louis and Toronto are trying to hold on while the Twins are the worst team in the American League.

Yep, when the All-Stars arrive in KC in less than three weeks, the Royals could very well be the talk of baseball after turning around a disastrous beginning of the season.

I'm dead serious about this folks.

It's time to forget only one winning season in the last 18 years.

It's time to forget, no playoffs in the last 27 years.

Let’s shake off all those bad memories. Get rid of them.

Look, I've never been accused of being a voice of reason, so maybe all this love comes as a surprise.

The neat thing about it is this team is in contention at the end of June for the first time in nine years.

We've got something pretty good here.

Let’s embrace it. And enjoy it.

That’s Jack’s Smack.