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Game 23 Thread: Royals vs. Twins

Bubic is back, baby!

By Matthew LaMar
Kris Bubic #50 of the Kansas City Royals pitches during a game against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park on August 11, 2020 in Cincinnati, Ohio. The Reds won 6-5 in ten innings.
Kris Bubic #50 of the Kansas City Royals pitches during a game against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park on August 11, 2020 in Cincinnati, Ohio. The Reds won 6-5 in ten innings.
Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images

For roughly the thirteen thousandth time this year, the Kansas City Royals are playing the Minnesota Twins, a very good team. In fact, the Royals have been playing a lot of very good teams this year. As I noted on Twitter, the Royals have played 13 of their 22 games so far against the AL Central leading Twins, the second place Cleveland Indians, and the NL Central leading Chicago Cubs. And in 10 days time, it’s entirely possible that 20 of the Royals’ 29 games will have been against the leader or runner-up in the AL and NL Central.

With that said, the Royals have actually done pretty well against such talent. Kansas City’s third order winning percentage is three full games above their current record. That means, if the season had been played entirely against talent-neutral teams, the Royals would be 12-10 instead of 9-13 right now.

But theory is a consolation prize for those who lose, and the Royals must face the Twins yet again tonight, their last at Target Field before a return to Kansas City. The Royals will turn to Kris Bubic as their starter to try and even the series at two apiece.

Royals lineup:

Twins lineup:

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