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Getting down to the end of the season, the Indians have four meaningless home games against the Royals, who they have beaten 11 straight times after losing the first game. With seven games left against KC and three against Texas (as well as five at home against the White Sox), the Indians have a realistic chance to finish over .500 for the ninth straight season.
The Royals are three games below .500 at home and 31-43 on the road, so this series favors the Indians, who are coming off a 21-run outburst in their last two games against the Yankees.
As a team the Royals are hitting .205/.619 against Indians pitching. Even Salvador Perez with his 45 HR’s and 113 RBI’s has been held in check. Perez is hitting .159 against the Tribe and is 2-for-17 at Progressive Field. He’s 1-for-10 against McKenzie and 2-for-21 against Shaw, so if he comes up with runners on late in the game expect to see Shaw making the walk from the bullpen.
Carlos Santana has been an iron man as usual but is hitting only .216/.676 with 19 HR’s and 64 RBI’s in 522 AB’s. Second baseman Nicky Lopez has been a nice surprise, hitting .301/.742 in 449 AB’s in his third season. Lopez is on a roll, hitting .387 in the last 15 days.
Brady Singer is going in the first game of tonight’s doubleheader against McKenzie. Singer is 8-15, 4.57. In his last start he got rocked by the Twins for six runs, but in his previous four starts he allowed 0, 1, 1, and 2 runs to the White Sox, Mariners, and Astros. He can be very good or very bad.
McKenzie has a 1.76 ERA in his last seven starts and has dominated the Royals this year.
No starters have been announced for either team in the second game.
My interest for the rest of the season is to see if Yu Chang can continue his push for a starting job at second base next year while doubling as a backup third baseman (I’m assuming Naylor will back up Bradley at first base).
Since Aug. 1 Chang is hitting .293 with 6 HR’s and 16 RBI’s in 75 at-bats. Project that to 450 AB’s and he’s got 36 HR’s and 96 RBI’s. For the season he’s hitting .298 with RISP and .364 with RISP and two out. Since he started going to right field more the results have been impressive. He’s played all four infield positions this year.
I also want to see more of Hentges out of the bullpen. He’s held the opposition scoreless in four of his last five appearances, only getting burned by the Brewers.
The Royals are three games below .500 at home and 31-43 on the road, so this series favors the Indians, who are coming off a 21-run outburst in their last two games against the Yankees.
As a team the Royals are hitting .205/.619 against Indians pitching. Even Salvador Perez with his 45 HR’s and 113 RBI’s has been held in check. Perez is hitting .159 against the Tribe and is 2-for-17 at Progressive Field. He’s 1-for-10 against McKenzie and 2-for-21 against Shaw, so if he comes up with runners on late in the game expect to see Shaw making the walk from the bullpen.
Carlos Santana has been an iron man as usual but is hitting only .216/.676 with 19 HR’s and 64 RBI’s in 522 AB’s. Second baseman Nicky Lopez has been a nice surprise, hitting .301/.742 in 449 AB’s in his third season. Lopez is on a roll, hitting .387 in the last 15 days.
Brady Singer is going in the first game of tonight’s doubleheader against McKenzie. Singer is 8-15, 4.57. In his last start he got rocked by the Twins for six runs, but in his previous four starts he allowed 0, 1, 1, and 2 runs to the White Sox, Mariners, and Astros. He can be very good or very bad.
McKenzie has a 1.76 ERA in his last seven starts and has dominated the Royals this year.
No starters have been announced for either team in the second game.
My interest for the rest of the season is to see if Yu Chang can continue his push for a starting job at second base next year while doubling as a backup third baseman (I’m assuming Naylor will back up Bradley at first base).
Since Aug. 1 Chang is hitting .293 with 6 HR’s and 16 RBI’s in 75 at-bats. Project that to 450 AB’s and he’s got 36 HR’s and 96 RBI’s. For the season he’s hitting .298 with RISP and .364 with RISP and two out. Since he started going to right field more the results have been impressive. He’s played all four infield positions this year.
I also want to see more of Hentges out of the bullpen. He’s held the opposition scoreless in four of his last five appearances, only getting burned by the Brewers.
