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The Kansas City Royals will attempt to halt their losing streak and stay above .500 Sunday afternoon against the Washington Nationals at Kauffman Stadium.
Ervin Santana will start for Kansas City. Santana has arguably been the Royals best starter this year, posting a 3.13 ERA over 25 starts. The right-hander averages 6 2/3 innings per start, posting a league-average strikeout rate while keeping his walk rate below-average.
The right-hander was a tough-luck loser in his previous start, only allowing two runs over six innings against the Chicago White Sox. Hopefully he keeps the Royals in the game and the offense can provide more run support.
The Royals lineup looks OK, even with Emilio Bonifacio manning the No. 2 spot. Joel Goldberg of FSKC brings us the batting order:
#Royals vs RHP Haren: Gordon 7 Bonifacio 4 Hosmer 3 Butler DH Moose 5 Perez 2 Lough 9 Escobar 6 Dyson 8 Santana 1
— Joel Goldberg (@goldbergkc) August 25, 2013
There really aren't enough quality hitters to field a solid lineup.
Dan Haren will take the mound for Washington. Haren had a disastrous start to the year, posting a 6.15 ERA in the first three months of the season. The right-hander has recovered after spending some time on the disabled list, as he owns a 2.16 ERA since July 1.
I wanted the Royals to try and sign Haren last season instead of trading for Santana. Even with Haren's surge, Dayton Moore made the right decision the decision last winter, and he does deserve credit for the trade.
Jayson Werth returns to the lineup as the Nationals designated hitter, with Ryan Zimmerman shifting to third base. Julie Alexandria of MASN brings us the Nationals lineup:
Your Nationals lineup! Werth DH - glad hes feeling better. pic.twitter.com/rabZqlrO1e
— Julie Alexandria (@JulieAlexandria) August 25, 2013
FSKC will carry the game locally, with coverage on MASN 2 if you're in the DC area.
Song of the Day: The Chemical Brothers - Block Rockin' Beats
The Chemical Brothers are one of the more popular big beat/electronica bands, and "Block Rockin' Beats" is the first song off their second album Dig Your Own Hole. The Chemical Brothers, like The Prodigy, hail from England; in my mostly ill-informed opinion, the best Electronic music hails from across the Atlantic.
I really like the the big beat style, but don't listen to many bands in the genre outside the more mainstream offerings. If you have any similar suggestions, I'm all ears.