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Royals Look for More Home Cookin’ vs. Guardians
The Kansas City Royals are happy to be back at home once more as they prepare for the second of their four games against the visiting Cleveland Guardians. The Royals’ new 2-7 excursion to Los Angeles, Texas, and Oakland unfavorably affected their flag trusts. The team dropped eight games behind the Guardians after finishing second in the American League Central.
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Royals’ Struggles on the Road
Player Reactions
“We stunk on the road trip,” Vinnie Pasquantino said. “None of us are exactly thrilled with how it went. It wasn’t fun, but there was no panic. You try not to ride the waves. Just stay steady.”
Cole Ragans echoed this sentiment, “Every team goes through a rough patch. We’re going through ours. Just keep doing the small things right and we’ll end up winning.”
The Royals endured three shutouts during the trip, finishing with 22 straight scoreless innings. However, the team quickly turned things around upon returning home.
Recent Home Success
Pasquantino, Salvador Perez, and Hunter Renfroe each homered in their first game back at Kauffman Stadium. Kansas City took two of three games from the Miami Marlins and won the series opener against Cleveland with a 2-1 victory on Thursday, marking their fifth straight home win against the Guardians.
“Getting home, sleeping in your own bed after a long trip, that’s a big part of it,” Renfroe said. “Getting back into your routines, it’s a big deal, for sure. Just to be back home is great.”
Kansas City boasts a strong 28-15 record at Kauffman Stadium, where Bobby Witt Jr. is riding a 22-game hitting streak, batting .409 with 16 extra-base hits and 17 RBIs. Witt’s .370 home batting average is the best in baseball.
Pitching Matchup
Alec Marsh
Friday’s pitcher will be Royals righty Alec Marsh, who is 5-5 with a 4.40 earned run average. In two appearances against Cleveland, Swamp is 1-1 with a 9.00 Period. He gave up four runs on five hits, including a home run by José Ramrez, and four walks in two and a half innings in his one start against the Guardians on July 26, 2013. Bog has lost four of his last six beginnings, including his latest excursion where he gave up three sudden spikes in demand for eight hits in 5 2/3 innings at Texas on June 23.
Triston McKenzie
The Guardians will counter with right-hander Triston McKenzie (3-4, 4.66 ERA), making his 13th appearance against the Royals. McKenzie is 4-2 with a 3.19 ERA in 10 starts and two relief outings against Kansas City. In his most recent start on June 4, he allowed five runs on nine hits in 5 1/3 innings. McKenzie hasn’t pitched beyond the sixth inning since May 17 and has just one win in his past 11 starts. He allowed three runs on three hits and four walks in three innings against the Blue Jays on June 23.
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Guardians’ Injuries and Roster Moves
The Guardians will be without right fielder Will Brennan, who was placed on the 10-day injured list on Thursday with an oblique strain.
Manager Stephen Vogt on Brennan’s Injury
“It’s the right thing to do to make sure we knock this thing out,” Cleveland manager Stephen Vogt said. “He wants to play through it, but it’s a three- to five-day shutdown and then hopefully back into baseball activities.”
Brennan has been on a hot streak, hitting .382 with three homers over his last 10 games. In his nonappearance, Cleveland reviewed José Tena from Triple-A Columbus, where he hit 14 homeruns and counted 56 RBIs in 73 games while batting .293.
Conclusion
The Royals will need strong performances from their lineup and starting pitcher Alec Marsh if they want to continue their recent success at home. The Watchmen, managing wounds and conflicting pitching, will depend on Triston McKenzie to keep them cutthroat. This series will be pivotal for the two groups as they look to work on their standings in the AL Focal.
