Lynch, Royals Look To Clinch Series Win vs. Orioles on Saturday
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Following their victory on Saturday night, the Kansas City Royals have built up a three-game winning streak.
In Kansas City's 8-1 win over the Baltimore Orioles, starting pitcher Jonathan Heasley was phenomenal. Over the course of seven innings, the 25-year-old righty allowed just one hit while striking out seven hitters in the process. It was deemed by manager Mike Matheny as one of the club's best starts of the year, and it's hard to disagree with those results. The duo of Salvador Perez and MJ Melendez did the heavy lifting for the Royals, and they're quickly starting to form a lethal duo in the 4-5 spots of the lineup.
Jun 10, 2022; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Jonathan Heasley (49) delivers a pitch against the Baltimore Orioles in the first inning at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports
On Saturday, the 20-37 Royals are back at Kauffman Stadium and will host the 24-35 Orioles for the third game of their four-game set in Kansas City. With a win, the Royals can clinch a series win for the first time since their mid-May in Colorado against the Rockies. There's a lot on the stake — including the winning streak — so expect Kansas City to come prepared against an also-struggling opponent.
Here's how the Royals will line up in this afternoon's game:
Starting Pitchers
Kansas City: LHP Daniel Lynch (2-5, 5.36 ERA)
Baltimore: RHP Tyler Wells (2-4, 3.78 ERA)
Kansas City Royals Starting Lineup
- Whit Merrifield (R) - RF
- Andrew Benintendi (L) - LF
- Salvador Perez (R) - DH
- MJ Melendez (L) - C
- Hunter Dozier (R) - 1B
- Michael A. Taylor (R) - CF
- Kyle Isbel (L) - RF
- Emmanuel Rivera (R) - 3B
- Nicky Lopez (L) - SS
Zack Greinke set to begin rehab assignment in Omaha on Sunday
May 29, 2022; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Zack Greinke (23) throws a pitch against the Minnesota Twins during the first inning at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports
Zack Greinke hasn't been in the spotlight much as of late for the Royals, as the veteran RHP was placed on the Injured List on May 30 due to a right flexor strain. With that said, the Royals recently announced that he's set to begin a rehab assignment with the Triple-A Omaha Storm Chasers on Sunday. This will be the first in-game action for Greinke since having a rough outing on May 29 against the Minnesota Twins when he lasted just four innings. If the brief rest did some good, he should be expected to rejoin Kansas City's rotation in the very near future.
Daniel Lynch looking to regain early-season form
May 1, 2022; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Daniel Lynch (52) delivers a pitch against the New York Yankees in the first inning at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports
Of Daniel Lynch's last four starts, three of them have resulted in losses. This is a far cry from the start to the season he had, as he posted a 3.30 ERA in his first six outings of 2022. Since then, Lynch's ERA is a ballooned 8.68 and he doesn't seem to be deceiving hitters the way he was earlier in the year. The Royals have had several young starters struggle to remain consistent this season, and Lynch is no different. Against an Orioles lineup that isn't anything to write home about, he'll look to get back on track and record his first win since April 26 against the Chicago White Sox. Interestingly enough, Lynch's home ERA (6.05) is significantly worse than his road one (4.91). The Royals will hope for him to even that split out a bit on Saturday.
Follow Along
First Pitch: 3:10 p.m. CST
TV: Bally Sports Kansas City
Radio: KCSP 610 AM
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