A night after Sox pitcher Kason Gabbard completed a Cinderella-esque nine innings at Fenway Park, the spotlight fell on a different belle of the ball for a fairy tale turn on the mound.

The story didn't play out the way we would have written it - it was Leo Nunez, not Tim Wakefield, who was able to celebrate on Tuesday night. Nunez bounced back from a Fenway disaster two years ago to lead Kansas City to a 9-3 win at Fenway - great for him, but for the rest of us, it was a game prompting dulled shock or horrified disbelief.

It's only one game, and Bostonist is strongly maintaining the glass half full mentality that comes with a Sox loss. Eight games is a lot, folks. That said, a loss to Kansas City - and to a starter called up from minor league relief, no less! - is tough to swallow.

"We're not firing on all cylinders right now," said Wakefield (thank you, Captain Obvious) after he sustained the loss (6 1/3 innings, six runs, nine hits, one strikeout). Boston's offense lagged (12 hits is great, but the team once again failed to drive home runners) and defense was equally worrisome.

Silver linings? Be happy it wasn't a Sunday night game, because ESPN's Joe Morgan would have been having a field day crowing over the fact that Manny Ramirez's shallow left field play was capitalized upon by the Royals with balls over his head.

So we're at 56-37 on the season. At this time last year, we were 55-36 - and we were in the midst of sweeping KC in a three-game series at home. Just sayin'. But we, much like Nick Cafardo at the Globe, aren't panicked. As the WEEI guys and Jerry Remy were noting on the morning radio waves today, some of the guys who have been below the radar this year (Ortiz and Manny, we're talkin' to you) are due.

Any time now. Honest. Really.

-- Trade talk: Could KC's Reggie Sanders wind up taking over Wily Mo Pena's fourth-outfielder spot on the roster? Sanders would be down with it...Sox players sent a message to the front office via the Boston Herald: Mike Lowell should stay at third base and you should sign him now...

-- Details about allegations of dogfighting sponsored Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick are growing increasingly horrific: Vick and three others were indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of sponsoring the operation, named "Bad Newz Kennels." According to the indictment, the operation was based at Vick property in Virginia - dogs were kept, trained and put into fights at that location. Dogs that lost were allegedly either killed during the fight or drowned, hanged, shot of electrocuted. In one case, a young dog not ready to fight was killed when it was slammed to the ground, prosecutors said. Vick said in April that he had no idea that his property was used for criminal activity.

Photo by flickr user Waldo Jaquith