Kris Bubic Will Be Key in Royals’ Matchup Against Mariners
For the second game in a row, the Kansas City Royals had a player hit a grand slam. This time around, they hung on to their lead and emerged victorious.
In Thursday's late-night contest against the Seattle Mariners, Salvador Perez clobbered his 35th home run of the season. It was a sixth-inning shot off Joe Smith, giving the Royals a 5-4 lead. Infielder Nicky Lopez went on to add an insurance run by way of an RBI single in the seventh inning, and the Royals never looked back.
Veteran pitcher Ervin Santana was able to snag the win, as his two innings of shutout relief pitching were instrumental to the team's success. Scott Barlow shut things down in the ninth inning and secured his ninth save of the season in the process.
Tonight, the Royals will look to create another multi-game winning streak. They've been playing better baseball since the All-Star break and resemble a competitive team again, which is a positive heading into the final stretch of the 2021 campaign.
Here's how the Royals will line up in tonight's game.
Starting Pitchers
Kansas City: LHP Kris Bubic (4-6, 4.94 ERA)
Seattle: RHP Logan Gilbert (5-5, 5.16 ERA)
Kansas City Royals Starting Lineup
- Whit Merrifield (R) - 2B
- Nicky Lopez (L) - SS
- Salvador Perez (R) - C
- Carlos Santana (S) - DH
- Andrew Benintendi (L) - LF
- Hunter Dozier (R) - 1B
- Ryan O'Hearn (L) - RF
- Michael A. Taylor (R) - CF
- Emmanuel Rivera (R) - 3B
Bubic Looking To Build on Last Start
After getting roughed up in an Aug. 15 start against the St. Louis Cardinals, Kris Bubic was absolutely rolling six days later against the Chicago Cubs. The Royals' young lefty took a no-hitter into the seventh inning, but a no-rain rain delay (I know, right?) took him out of his rhythm and he ended up giving up a pair of runs. In 6.1 innings of work, the 24-year-old struck out nine hitters. If the Royals are to win on Friday night, they'll need another good outing from Bubic.
Brad Keller Update
In last night's game against the Mariners, starting pitcher Brad Keller exited after 4.1 innings of work due to posterior right shoulder discomfort. In his start, he allowed five hits, walked four batters and surrendered a pair of earned runs. It remains to be seen what the Royals' plan for Keller will be for the remainder of the season, as his injury is still being closely evaluated by the club.
Follow Along
First Pitch: 9:10 p.m. CST
TV: Bally Sports Kansas City
Radio: 610 Sports Radio
