The Kansas City Royals (39-59, 44-54 RL, 48-49-1 O/U) take on the New York Yankees (66-32, 47-51 RL, 49-47-2 O/U) in the first of a four-game AL series on Thursday evening. The Royals will have Brady Singer on the hill. The Yankees give the nod to Jameson Taillon looking to rebound from a poor outing. The Yankees lead the season series 3-0.
The Royals will have Brady Singer on the hill on Thursday. Singer was outstanding in his latest effort, conceding two runs (one earned) in six innings pitched against the Rays, resulting in a no-decision in a game the Royals won. The young right-hander is in a groove, allowing two or fewer runs in three out of his last four outings, and features a 3.82 ERA and a 1.21 WHIP accompanied by a 4-3 record in 77.2 innings pitched. Singer has squandered seven runs in seven career innings against the Yankees.
The Royals collected a needed series win against the Rays this past weekend, followed by a series loss against the Angels. They have now won four series this month. KC begins a seven-game road trek in this one. They are 12 games below .500 on the road.
Whit Merrif ield is a solid 4 for 11 against the Yankees this season. The 33-year-old second baseman is playing well, recording a .328 average this month, and now has five homers along with 38 RBIs and a .644 OPS on the season. He could be traded next month.
The Royals are scoring an average of 3.91 runs per game, ranking them 25th overall. The pitching staff has recorded a 4.70 team ERA, pegging them 27th in the big leagues.