Photo Credit: AP
Playoff baseball starts now! This is a very special game as the Royals FINALLY return to the postseason after a 29 year absence. It is a very special time in Kansas City for fans who have waited and waited for their team to play October baseball. They will still have to wait as this game will be played in September, however, they are just happy to be elegant again as James Shields takes the mound for the Royals.
The Royals are not a team that will overpower their competition with home runs, but their lineup boasts eight of nine hitters hitting about .250. In fact, this team finished dead last in home runs this season. They are a team that can keep innings alive playing small ball and stealing bases. Their pitching staff also is good at holding runners on base which is bad news for the A’s who are the second- worst base running team.
The Oakland A’s send Jon Lester to the mound who is used to big time games. Lester is phenomenal in the postseason, posting a 2.11 ERA and has been even better against the Royals. The A’s will need him to be dominant because their team struggled mightily in the second half of the season. They got off to one of the hottest starts in the league, but limped to the second wild card position. The A’s do have the second best bullpen in the league so even when Lester is done, the Royals will have their work cut out for them in terms of scoring runs.
A’s vs. Royals- Who You Takin?
