Greinke, Royals Looking To Avoid Sweep From Rangers on Wednesday
The Kansas City Royals have been playing respectable baseball for the past couple of weeks, but things may be starting to derail yet again.
Kansas City is on a four-game losing streak, and that includes the first two games of the club's current series against the Texas Rangers. Tuesday night's game was an immense struggle, seeing the home team lose 8-3 and never truly have a chance from the jump. The Royals dropped to 0-22 on the season when trailing after the first inning, and starting pitcher Jonathan Heasley allowed a career-high seven runs and nine hits over 32/3 innings to dig his team into a hole it simply couldn't get out of throughout the rest of the contest.
Jun 21, 2022; Anaheim, California, USA; Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Jonathan Heasley (49) delivers a pitch in the second inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
On Wednesday, the 26-47 Royals are back at Kauffman Stadium and will be playing host to the 36-37 Rangers in their series finale. After this, Kansas City has a day off on Thursday before beginning a series in Detroit against the American League Central rival Tigers for the weekend. Pitching probables on Friday, Saturday and Sunday are Brad Keller vs. TBA, Brady Singer vs. Alex Faedo and Kris Bubic against Beau Brieske.
Here's how the Royals will line up in this afternoon's game:
Starting Pitchers
Kansas City: RHP Zack Greinke (1-4, 4.68 ERA)
Texas: RHP Dane Dunning (1-5, 4.17 ERA)
Kansas City Royals Starting Lineup
- Whit Merrifield (R) - 2B
- Andrew Benintendi (L) - LF
- Bobby Witt Jr. (R) - SS
- Hunter Dozier (R) - DH
- Vinnie Pasquantino (L) - 1B
- MJ Melendez (L) - C
- Edward Olivares (R) - RF
- Kyle Isbel (L) - CF
- Nicky Lopez (L) - 3B
Vinnie Pasquantino to make first career start at first base
Mar 27, 2022; Mesa, Arizona, USA; Kansas City Royals designated hitter Vinnie Pasquantino (73) at bat in the second inning during a spring training game against the Chicago Cubs at Sloan Park. Mandatory Credit: Allan Henry-USA TODAY Sports
After going 0-for-4 in his big-league debut on Tuesday night, emotions likely aren't running nearly as high for one Vinnie Pasquantino on Wednesday. The "Italian Nightmare" was applauded by manager Mike Matheny for how he handled his first day on the job, and now he's set to make his first start at first base (he was the designated hitter in game No. 1). First is Pasquantino's natural position and with him in the lineup, Kansas City projects to have a productive stretch of hitters once things click. In the series finale against the Rangers, Pasquantino aims to get the first hit of his big-league career.
Zack Greinke looking for second win of 2022 season
Jun 24, 2022; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Zack Greinke (23) delivers a pitch during the first inning against the Oakland Athletics at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter Aiken-USA TODAY Sports
Last week against the Oakland Athletics, Zack Greinke returned from the Injured List and tossed six innings of three-hit, one-run, four-strikeout ball. It was one of his better outings of the year, seeing him need just 84 pitches to mow down two-thirds of the game for Kansas City. It was his first win as a member of the Royals in nearly 12 years, marking the longest gap between victories for the same team in franchise history. Another milestone is in line for Greinke on Wednesday, as he's set to make the 500th start of his career. Per the Royals' game notes, that ranks tied for 47th on MLB's all-time list. The 38-year-old will aim to capitalize on the opportunity and get his second straight win — this time against a lineup that is 13th in baseball in average runs scored.
Follow Along
First Pitch: 1:10 p.m. CST
TV: Bally Sports Kansas City
Radio: KCSP 610 AM
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