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The Kansas City Royals kick off a three-game series tonight against the Tampa Bay Rays. Let's hope we manage to avoid a snowout this year.
Jason Vargas and Matt Moore will face off in the first game of the series. Vargas had a strong performance for Kansas City in his first start of the season, allowing one run on five hits over seven innings. The southpaw surrendered a solo homer to Ian Kinsler, but only issued one walk and struck out six against a solid Tigers lineup.
Moore tossed 5 2/3 innings against the Toronto Blue Jays in his season debut, allowing two runs on six hits. The lefty struck out four but issued three walks, and has an 11% BB% for his career. Let's hope the Royals offense can remain patient tonight and rack up his pitch count, which should put runners on and cause Moore to exit the game early.
Ned Yost is going back to his Opening Day lineup against Moore, putting Danny Valencia and Justin Maxwell back on the bench. Josh Vernier of 610 KCSP tweeted out a picture of the lineup:
#Royals lineup vs. LHP Matt Moore and the Rays. We're a long way away from a strict platoon at 3B. pic.twitter.com/cRwp1U0F6v
— Josh Vernier (@JoshVernier) April 7, 2014
If the Royals offense does not collect a HR tonight, they will be the first team to not hit a HR in their first six games since the 1993 Marlins.
Kansas City fans will not see former Royals outfielder David DeJesus in the starting lineup, but they will see Wil Myers in a Rays uniform hitting second. Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times brings us the Rays batting order:
#Rays lineup: Jennings CF, Myers RF, Zobrist 2B, Longoria 3B, Forsythe DH, Loney 1B, Rodriguez LF, Hanigan C, Escobar SS, Moore p
— Marc Topkin (@TBTimes_Rays) April 7, 2014
I will be attending the game in person, so the recap will be a bit delayed. I'm sure I will have valuable insight from the upper deck that you definitely can't gain from watching on FSKC.
Song of the Day: Volbeat ft. Sarah Blackwood - Lonesome Rider
I have discovered that I enjoy almost any rock song that has male and female vocals that blend well, irregardless of the rest of the band. There's nothing terribly special about this Volbeat song other than it features Sarah Blackwood of Dubstar fame, but its quickly become one of my favorite tracks by the band I've heard described as "Rockabilly Metallica."