Keller, Royals Looking For Game Three Win Against Astros
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The Kansas City Royals have been playing better baseball over the last few weeks, but their luck seems to have evaporated in their current series against the Houston Astros so far.
Despite putting up runs in bunches, the Royals haven't been able to stifle Houston's bats enough to secure a win in either of games one or two. On Tuesday, the club blew a 4-2 lead just one night after getting walked off on. Starting pitcher Zack Greinke wasn't very sharp in totality, allowing six runs and 10 hits over five innings of work. Following Greinke's exit, Kansas City went on to allow three additional runs the rest of the way and dropped game two by a final score of 9-7.
Jul 5, 2022; Houston, Texas, USA; Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Zack Greinke (23) pitches against the Houston Astros in the first inning at Minute Maid Park. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-USA TODAY Sports
On Wednesday, the 29-50 Royals are back at Minute Maid Park and will square off against the 53-27 Astros looking to keep their chances of a series split alive heading into Thursday's game four. Kris Bubic is projected to take the mound and face Justin Verlander. After that, Kansas City hits the road to play their American League Central rivals: the Cleveland Guardians. Royals pitching probables for that weekend series are Brady Singer, Jonathan Heasley and Zack Greinke.
Here's how the Royals will line up in this evening's game:
Starting Pitchers
Kansas City: RHP Brad Keller (3-9, 4.24 ERA)
Houston: RHP Christian Javier (6-3, 2.58 ERA)
Kansas City Royals Starting Lineup
- Whit Merrifield (R) - 2B
- Andrew Benintendi (L) - LF
- MJ Melendez (L) - C
- Vinnie Pasquantino (L) - DH
- Hunter Dozier (R) - 1B
- Edward Olivares (R) - RF
- Michael A. Taylor (R) - CF
- Emmanuel Rivera (R) - 3B
- Nicky Lopez (L) - SS
Bobby Witt Jr. injury update
Jun 24, 2022; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. (7) triples during the first inning against the Oakland Athletics at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter Aiken-USA TODAY Sports
In Tuesday night's game, rookie infielder Bobby Witt Jr. suffered a hand injury while offering at a pitch. His X-rays came back negative, which was positive news for both him and the Royals. Before Wednesday's game, manager Mike Matheny revealed that Witt will undergo additional tests and in the interim, he isn't allowed to do any pregame activities. He reportedly made a valiant effort to play, but the club is taking things slowly with their brightest young star until more information becomes available. Considering how Salvador Perez's hand injury progressed (or regressed) over time, that's probably the right call for the time being.
Brad Keller aiming for second win in a row
Jun 18, 2022; Oakland, California, USA; Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Brad Keller (56) throws against the Oakland Athletics during the sixth inning at RingCentral Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: John Hefti-USA TODAY Sports
In his last start, a July 1 outing against the Detroit Tigers, Brad Keller performed quite well in six-plus innings of ball. He allowed five hits on the day and walked two hitters, striking out five and not surrendering a single run in the process. It's been an up-and-down year for Keller, who began the 2022 campaign on fire but has since experienced plenty of good and bad outings alike. His home and road ERAs are nearly identical (4.23 vs. 4.24), which doesn't bode particularly well for his chances in Houston either way. Shutting the Astros' lineup down is virtually impossible but if Keller can perform somewhat well and if the Royals' offense continues to hit, things could be aligning for his second win in a row and his fourth on the year.
Follow Along
First Pitch: 7:10 p.m. CST
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Radio: KCSP 610 AM
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