Game CII: Royals at Yankees

Entering tonight’s game, the Royals haven’t lost a baseball game on Thursday since June 7. That’s six straight Thursday’s without a loss, perhaps the best streak of the season, two games better than the season-high four-game winning streak set earlier this week.

Unfortunately, they also haven’t won a baseball game on Thursday since May 24, when they took down Texas 8-2. That’s because the Royals have had off-days for eight of their last 10 Thursdays, dating back to May 17, including being off for the last six Thursdays.

The Royals last played a Thursday game on June 7, losing to the 31-31 Athletics. They are now 60-43.

Baseball is weird, sometimes.

After a six week Thursday sabbatical, Kansas City will go back to work against the Yankees, who have fallen 5.5 games back of the surging Red Sox and will no doubt to capitalize on four home games against the second worst team in baseball.

The Royals will send Jakob Junis to the mound, who comes in with an 8.42 ERA in his last six starts. That includes an eight-run shelling at the hands of the Indians in his last start before hitting the DL. Junis worked four innings and gave up just one run last Saturday in his first start since coming off the DL, striking out six in the process.

The Yankees will send their own struggling starter to the mound in Sonny Gray, who has a 5.34 ERA on the season. Despite his struggles, he did manage to shut down the Royals in his May 20 start in Kansas City, giving up just one run in 8.0 innings.

And just for fun.

Royals starting lineup: 58 home runs (60% from Mike Moustakas and Salvador Perez).

Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton: 49 home runs.

Here are your lineups: