Game 43 Open Thread - Royals vs. Orioles

The Kansas City Royals will look to move above .500 and split their four game set against the Baltimore Orioles when the two teams square off in the series finale Sunday afternoon.

James Shields will take the mound for Kansas City. The righthander has been excellent to start the season, sporting a 2.54 ERA with a 3.15 FIP. Ubaldo Jimenez, who owns a 4.02 ERA with a 4.25 FIP, will get the nod for Baltimore.

Pedro Ciriaco is in the lineup this afternoon, starting at second base and hitting ninth. Andy McCullough of the Kansas City Star brings us the Royals batting order:

Good To You Lineup: Aoki 9, Escobar 6, Hosmer 3, Butler DH, Gordon 7, Perez 2, Cain 8, Moustakas 5, Ciriaco 4, Shields 1. #royals

— Andy McCullough (@McCulloughStar) May 18, 2014

David Lough is hitting a cool .171/.232/.224 for the Orioles this season. Long Live Danny Valencia. Rich Dubroff of CSN Baltimore tweeted out Baltimore's lineup:

#Orioles lineup: Markakis-9, Machado-5, Jones-8, Davis-3, Cruz-DH, Clevenger-2, Hardy-6, Lough-7, Schoop-4, JImenez-1 #OriolesTalk

— Rich Dubroff (@RichDubroffCSN) May 18, 2014

If you are heading to the game today, I hope you are dressed to the nines. For the rest of us, pants are optional.