Athletics at Royals
Kansas City handed Oakland its ninth consecutive defeat on Friday, with Felipe Paulino and three relievers combining on a three-hitter in a 2-0 victory. The Athletics’ offensive drought extended to 19 scoreless innings, not an entirely shocking development given the lineup’s struggles all season. Oakland has totaled just 12 runs during its current skid. The Royals, meanwhile, have won five of six to remain within seven games of Chicago in the American League Central.
The promising young Royals have been unable to get fully untracked because of a pitching staff that near the bottom of the American League in most categories. Missed opportunities have also been costly — Kansas City is just 6-for-34 (.176) with the bases loaded and leaves nearly seven men on base per game. Oakland is last in the American League with 164 runs while sporting a .210 batting average, the worst in baseball.
TV: 2:10 p.m. ET, Comcast Sports (Oakland), Fox Sports (Kansas City)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Athletics RH Brandon McCarthy (3-3, 2.95 ERA) vs. Royals RH Luke Hochevar (3-5, 6.19 ERA)
McCarthy spent the back half of May on the disabled list with a shoulder strain. He had been pitching well prior to the DL stint, allowing two earned runs or fewer in seven of nine starts. He has a lackluster history against the Royals, going 1-1 with a 4.94 ERA in 11 games (three starts), but pitched well in a no-decision against them back on Apr. 11 (6 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 4 K).
Hochevar has been his usual inconsistent self, but his numbers have gradually improved since a pair of disastrous outings to open May (6 1/3 IP, 19 H, 16 ER). In his last four trips to the mound, the right-hander has given up eight earned runs in 24 1/3 innings, striking out 25. A high pitch count limited Hochevar to 4 2/3 innings in his last start, costing him credit for his team’s win.
WALK-OFFS:
1. Hochevar is still looking for his first career win against the A’s — he is 0-6 with a 6.39 ERA in seven starts. Current Oakland hitters are just 15-for-84 (.179) against him, however.
2. Kansas City SS Yuniesky Betancourt is 3-for-5 with a home run against McCarthy and C Humberto Quintero is 3-for-6, but the rest of the Royals are 11-for-47 (.234).
3. Four of the last five games between the teams have ended in shutouts, with each side being blanked twice.