Kansas City Royals Starter Predicted to Bolt for $70 Million Deal With Seattle Mariners…
The KC Royals won two out of three games against the Miami Marlins, kicking off a 10-game, 11-day homestand. Tonight, they will start a four-game series against the Cleveland Guardians, who are currently leading the American League with a 51-27 record. If the Royals win tonight, it will secure their first winning streak since early June and end a 4–12 skid. Despite recent struggles, the Royals remain six games over .500 and tied with the Boston Red Sox for the final Wild Card spot in the American League.
A series win at Kauffman Stadium would not only boost Kansas City’s position in the American League but also restore confidence among some fans. June has been tough for the Royals, so staying competitive and winning three out of four games against the division leader would greatly help re-energize the fanbase.
Veteran Michael Wacha is making his second start since his return from the injured list last Saturday. Wacha tossed 5.0 innings of one-run ball on three hits with five strikeouts but still suffered his sixth loss of the season. While the team result wasn’t optimal, Wacha has been much improved from earlier this season.
Over his last six starts since May 9, Wacha has gone 3-2 with a 2.55 ERA and has held his opponents to a .181 batting average. This comes after a tough stretch of five starts where he went 0-4 with a 7.01 ERA, giving up 20 earned runs in 25.1 innings.
Wacha had a similar struggle last season, starting with a 6.75 ERA in his first five starts with San Diego but then turning it around to become one of the best pitchers in baseball. He finished the season with a 12-3 record and a 2.39 ERA in 19 starts from May onwards, making him one of the top pitchers in all of MLB.
