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The Kansas City Royals playoff odds have slipped to 1.4% after last night's loss to the Texas Rangers. The team essentially needs to win out at this point to reach the postseason, and even that may not be enough.
Still, the Royals can clinch their first above .500 season since 2003 with a win over the Rangers on Sunday. Not exactly what we were hoping for, but it's better than another losing campaign.
James Shields will take the mound for Kansas City. Shields has pitched as advertised, posting a 3.33 ERA with a 3.52 FIP over 213 2/3 innings this season. The right-hander has thrown at least 200 innings each of the past seven seasons, an impressive feat.
Justin Maxwell is in right field today, pushing Lorenzo Cain to center. Otherwise, the Royals lineup looks the same. Joel Goldberg of FSKC brings us the Kansas City batting order:
#Royals vs RHP Ogando: Gordon 7 Bonifacio 4 Hosmer 3 Butler DH Perez 2 Moose 5 Cain 8 Maxwell 9 Escobar 6 Shields 1
— Joel Goldberg (@goldbergkc) September 22, 2013
Alexi Ogando will start the game for Texas. Ogando has a shiny 3.15 ERA, but his 4.55 FIP suggests he has not pitched very well. The right-hander has also battled injury issues for most of the season, only throwing 91 1/3 innings.
Texas is trotting out the same lineup against Shields that they used Saturday against Guthrie. The Rangers official Twitter account brings us their starting nine:
And here is how the team lines up behind Ogando. pic.twitter.com/OyXgp9K5Fb
— Texas Rangers (@Rangers) September 22, 2013
I don't think it's a good sign when your designated hitter bats eighth.
Song of the Day: Canibus - Poet Laureate II
I'm not the biggest Canibus fan, but I do enjoy his "Rip the Jacker" album. That's probably because it's produced by Stoupe the Enemy of Mankind of Jedi Mind Tricks fame. Anyways, this is the last track on the album, and it's awesome.