Game LXIII: Royals at Athletics

Just a few days ago, a ruckus Oracle Arena crowd watched as their defending champion Golden State Warriors blew out LeBron James and the Cavaliers to go up 2-0 in the NBA Finals.

You have to figure that the crowd for tonight's baseball game at the Oakland Coliseum right across the street will be a little less ruckus.

The Athletics (31-31) are 10 games better than the visiting Royals (21-41), but they average just over 4,000 fewer fans per night, drawing just under 16,000 per game, good for the third worst in baseball. On a slightly off topic note, the Marlins attendance numbers are pretty hilarious and they might just sniff less than 10,000 per game this season.

Alas, ruckus crowd or not, the Athletics and the Royals will play a baseball game tonight featuring the hottest 35-year-old pitcher in baseball, Jason Hammel.

In his last three starts, Hammel has given the Royals 18.1 innings and give up just four earned runs while striking out 19 batters. 10 of those strikeouts came in the 5.1 innings he pitched last week against the Rangers, marking his first double-digit strikeout performance since 2015 and the first time that he had struck out more than seven batters as a Royal.

He is also making his second start against the Athletics in six days.

He will be opposed by Paul Blackburn, who is making his season debut tonight after starting the DL on the shelf with right forearm tightness. He had a nice cup of coffee last season, putting together a 3.22 ERA in 10 starts. However, he struck out just over three batter per nine innings, the worst mark of any starting pitcher with at least 50 IP.

Here are your lineups for tonight's late-night action

.@PaulyB_34's 2018 debut.
Martini's first Major League start.
The boys are back!#RootedInOakland pic.twitter.com/C8g7IfaHqj

— Oakland Athletics ⚾️ (@Athletics) June 7, 2018

Here is your #Royals lineup for tonight's series opener in Oakland. #RaisedRoyal pic.twitter.com/rR0iQeyu5r

— Kansas City Royals (@Royals) June 7, 2018