Game thread XLI - Royals at Angels

Happy Cole Ragans day!

The Royals won the first two games of the series against the Angels thanks to some heroics from Adam Frazier last night. During both games, their starting pitchers pitched quite well.

So I am absolutely salivating about what Cole Ragans might be able to do to this hapless Angels offense tonight.

Ragans picked up right where he left off last season. If you could somehow excise that awful start against the Orioles from his stats, he’d be the runaway favorite for the Cy Young Award. As it is, he’s still in early contention. If the Royals can get him any run support tonight, they could give themselves a chance for their second four-game sweep of the season tomorrow afternoon.

As for the offense, left-hander Tyler Anderson will go for the Angels. He’s done a good job of limiting hard contact this year, though that hasn’t allowed him to avoid home runs. Also, his two best starts were his first two starts and he’s given up at least two runs - and at least one home run - in each of his last three. The Royals are rolling out the lefty lineup which means Nelson Velázquez, Hunter Renfroe, and Garrett Hampson will all be there. Nelly did have the double in his ninth-inning at-bat last night, but the complaint has been he’s trying to pull too much and that one was right down the left-field line. Hampson reached base three times in the series opener. Maybe he’s getting hot? I don’t know, I’m grasping at straws.

The best news the Royals could get would be the return of Bobby Witt Jr. to the hit column. So far in this series, he’s only reached base once via walk. After going six straight games - the entire homestand - without a strikeout, he’s struck out three times, as well. I’m not going to call it a slump, yet, but I’d rather we never got there.

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