Lynch, Royals Aim for Series-Tying Win Against Guardians
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The Kansas City Royals are 16-31 through 47 games, and they opened their series against the Cleveland Guardians on Monday night with a loss.
In Kansas City's 7-3 defeat, starting pitcher Jonathan Heasley certainly did his part. In six innings of work, he recorded the first quality start of his career by allowing just three runs to Cleveland's lineup. The Royals' bats rallied back to tie the game at 3-3, but the bullpen faltered and ended up making the score look lopsided by the time it was all said and done. Despite having yet another reasonable chance to win, the Royals couldn't seal the deal.
On Tuesday, the Royals are back at Progressive Field and will be looking to tie up their series against the 20-24 Guardians. Pitching probables for Wednesday's series finale are Brad Keller for Kansas City and Konnor Pilkington for Cleveland. After that, the Royals will head back home for a day off before hosting a three-game set against the Houston Astros at Kauffman Stadium.
Here's how the Royals will line up in this evening's game:
Starting Pitchers
Kansas City: LHP Daniel Lynch (2-3, 3.92 ERA)
Cleveland: RHP Cal Quantrill (1-3, 3.42 ERA)
Kansas City Royals Starting Lineup
- Whit Merrifield (R) - DH
- Andrew Benintendi (L) - LF
- Bobby Witt Jr. (R) - SS
- Salvador Perez (R) - C
- MJ Melendez (L) - RF
- Hunter Dozier (R) - 1B
- Kyle Isbel (L) - CF
- Emmanuel Rivera (R) - 3B
- Nicky Lopez (L) - 2B
Kyle Isbel returns, Cam Gallagher to begin rehab assignment
After a bout with an illness, outfielder Kyle Isbel is back in the Royals' lineup and will rejoin the club for Tuesday's game. In 25 games this season, Isbel is hitting .276 but accompanies his batting average with a measly 3.3% walk rate and very little power. With that said, his nine games leading up to getting sick saw him post a 132 wRC+ and a .452 SLG. Isbel's best baseball has been recent, so both he and the Royals will be hoping that he can pick back up right where he left off on Tuesday evening.
In other roster news, backup catcher Cam Gallagher is slated to begin a rehab assignment on Tuesday with Triple-A Omaha. In early May, Gallagher was placed on the Injured List with a Grade 2 left hamstring strain. He hasn't played since, but he'll look to get back in the swing of things quickly. It remains to be seen what Gallagher's role with the big-league club will be (MJ Melendez is producing at the plate), but him being healthy will be a positive development for the Royals nonetheless.
Daniel Lynch seeking win in Cleveland
Daniel Lynch pitched well enough to earn a win in his last start, but he didn't get enough run support to qualify for it. Across 51/3 innings, Lynch allowed seven hits but just two runs and a pair of walks in the process. He struck out six Minnesota Twins batters, showing off his premier stuff and having a solid game overall. Lynch's season ERA sits below 4.00, and he'll look to maintain that status in his first start of the season against the Guardians. The Royals' rotation is wearing thin and their bullpen has struggled, so a quality start from Lynch would be a massive help.
Follow Along
First Pitch: 5:10 p.m. CST
TV: Bally Sports Kansas City
Radio: KCSP 610 AM
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Jordan Foote is the editor-in-chief of Inside the Royals, as well as the deputy editor of Arrowhead Report and a producer for Kansas City Sports Network. Jordan is a Baker University alumnus, earning his degree in Mass Media with a minor in Sports Administration. Follow him on Twitter @footenoted.