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KANSAS CITY [url=http://www.detroitlionsteamonline.com/austin-bryant-jersey]http://www.detroitlionsteamonline.com/austin-bryant-jersey[/url] , Mo. — The Cincinnati Reds have the worst record in the National League at 24-43, but they still have a better record than the Kansas City Royals.
The Reds beat the Royals 5-1 in 10 innings Tuesday. The Royals have dropped eight of their past nine and are 22-45 overall. Only the Baltimore Orioles (19-47) have a worst record.
The Royals are 23 games below .500 for the first time since Sept. 13, 2011, when they were 63-86.
The Reds will go for a sweep of the two-game mini-series in Kansas City on Wednesday night. The Reds’ victory Tuesday was their first over the Royals since June 12, 2010.
Right-hander Tyler Mahle of the Reds and Jason Hammel of the Royals are scheduled starting pitchers for the series finale.
Mahle (4-6, 4.33 ERA) is 1-0 in two June starts, allowing 11 hits and two earned runs in 10 innings, while striking out 11 and walking four.
This will be Mahle’s first time facing the Royals, but not his first time on the Kaufman Stadium mound. He threw a mound session before the 2013 draft when the Reds chose him in the seventh round.
“They had a high school workout,” Mahle said. “Pitchers just threw a bullpen off the game mound; that was it. All the scouts were here.”
He said never pitching against the Royals does not change his preparation.
“It’s the same between every start [url=http://www.houstontexansteamonline.com/max-scharping-jersey]Max Scharping Jersey[/url] ,” Mahle said. “I prepare to go out there and hit my spots and compete. It’s a new team, and I’ve never seen them play before, so I’m going to do my homework and kind of make a game plan out of it.”
He said he pitches not to the Royals’ weaknesses, but his strengths.
“You always play to your own strength,” he said. “We’re going to find out what their weaknesses are and kind of find something there in the middle. I throw a lot of fastballs, but if there’s a guy who likes a lot of fastballs, it kind of collides there.
“But, at the same time, if you hit spots, good things are going to happen. Obviously if you throw it down the middle [url=http://www.pantherscheapshop.com/cheap-authentic-brian-burns-jersey]Brian Burns Jersey[/url] , he’s going to hit it, but if you hit a corner, or something like that, always if you make your pitch, good things are going to happen.”
Good things happened to the Reds in the Tuesday victory. They trailed 1-0 entering the ninth, but Tucker Barnhart led off the inning with a blast off Kelvin Herrera that landed in the Royals’ bullpen.
“That is against one of the best closers in the game, so that was huge,” Reds manager Jim Riggleman said. “Both pitchers are pitching so good it’s probably going to be a home-run type game. Nobody was putting a rally together. They got one and we got one, and our bullpen really did a great job.”
Hammel (2-6, 5.12 ERA) is 2-1 with a 2.59 ERA in his last four starts after a 13-start winless streak in which he went 0-8 with a 7.28 ERA. He has issued two or fewer walks in 10 of his 13 starts this season.
Hammel is 0-3 with a 4.70 ERA in five home starts this year and is winless in his last seven Kauffman Stadium starts dating to Aug. 20.
He is 4-1 with a 3.42 ERA in 12 career outings (11 starts) against the Reds. He has won his last four starts against Cincinnati with a 0.75 ERA [url=http://www.pantherscheapshop.com/cheap-authentic-greg-little-jersey]http://www.pantherscheapshop.com/cheap-authentic-greg-little-jersey[/url] , but has not faced the Reds since 2016.
A look at what’s happening around the majors today:
NEED A HAND
The Giants are looking for answers at the back of the bullpen after closer Hunter Strickland broke his hand Monday night punching a door in frustration. Strickland blew a save in a 5-4 loss to Miami, then cost himself six to eight weeks with his postgame outburst. Manager Bruce Bochy said Strickland had shown maturity and progress keeping his emotions in check since a fight last year with Nationals star Bryce Harper, leading Bochy to feel ”thoroughly disappointed” by this injury. Sam Dyson and Tony Watson will be called upon for closing duties, with one getting most of the opportunities, though Bochy didn’t reveal which one that would be. The manager doesn’t consider Mark Melancon – signed to a $62 million, four-year deal before last season to work the ninth – ready for the role after a series of injuries.
KING OF THE BRONX
Felix Hernandez (6-6, 5.44 ERA) pitches for Seattle at Yankee Stadium in the middle game of a series between AL playoff contenders. King Felix is 7-2 with a 2.00 ERA over 11 career starts in the Bronx, including 6-1 with a 1.41 ERA in nine outings at the current Yankee Stadium. The 32-year-old righty, a six-time All-Star and the 2010 AL Cy Young Award winner, is 10-7 with a 3.04 ERA and four complete games in 21 starts against New York overall. Jonathan Loaisiga (1-0) gets the ball for the Yankees after throwing five scoreless innings to win his major league debut vs. Tampa Bay last Friday.
SUPER KLUBER
Corey Kluber tries to become the major league’s first 11-game winner this season when Cleveland hosts the White Sox. Kluber (10-3 [url=http://www.pantherscheapshop.com/cheap-authentic-will-grier-jersey]Will Grier Jersey[/url] , 2.24) won five straight decisions before losing to Minnesota last time out, giving up two homers and four runs in a 6-3 defeat. Chicago starter Reynaldo Lopez (2-4, 3.35) is looking to solve the reigning AL Central champs after they tagged him for seven runs in 2 2/3 innings on May 30.
PITCHING IN
Anibal Sanchez hopes to give the upstart Braves a little more late-career magic. The 34-year-old Sanchez (3-0, 1.93) has been excellent for Atlanta, most recently throwing seven scoreless innings against San Diego. Sanchez has been a surprise contributor after posting a 6.09 ERA over his final two seasons in Detroit and signing with the Braves on a minor league contract in March. He’ll face Blue Jays lefty J.A. Happ (8-3, 3.4 in Toronto in the afternoon.
ROLLING ROSS
Ross Stripling (6-1, 1.76) tries to win his seventh consecutive start when the Dodgers complete a three-game set against the Cubs at Wrigley Field. Stripling joined LA’s rotation amid a bevy of injuries and has been consistently on point, walking just two batters over his past seven starts (43 innings). Chicago will counter with Jon Lester (8-2, 2.2.
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