Royals at Padres
It’s been feast or famine on offense for the Kansas City Royals lately and they hope to keep the bats hot one day after a big effort when they visit the San Diego Padres for the rubber match of a three-game set on Sunday. Lorenzo Cain’s grand slam highlighted a nine-run, eighth-inning rally Saturday in a 12-6 triumph after Kansas City managed just four runs total in back-to-back losses.
The Royals, who belted five homers in a game for the first time since 2003 on Saturday, have scored 40 runs in their last four wins and seven in the past four losses during their see-saw season. Jake Junis gets the start for Kansas City in the finale and will oppose fellow rookie Dinelson Lamet, who is coming off the worst of his three major-league outings. San Diego has dropped six of its last seven games - giving up double-digit runs in four of the setbacks - after winning five in a row straddling May and June. Cory Spangenberg is 5-for-8 in the series for the Padres and teammate Jose Pirela is making a strong impression since his recall, going 9-for-12 with a homer and four RBIs in his last four contests.
TV: 4:40 p.m. ET, FSN Kansas City, FSN San Diego
PITCHING MATCHUP: Royals RH Jake Junis (1-0, 7.84 ERA) vs. Padres RH Dinelson Lamet (2-1, 6.92)
Junis makes his third straight start after giving up seven runs and nine hits over 3 2/3 innings in his last outing without factoring into the decision. The former 29th-round draft pick allowed two runs and five hits over 4 2/3 innings in his first major-league start at Minnesota on May 21. The 24-year-old Illinois native has walked 10 in 10 1/3 innings overall, including four in two frames of relief.
Lamet struggled in his last outing, permitting nine runs (seven earned) over three frames last Tuesday in a loss after winning his first two major-league starts. The 24-year-old Dominican Republic native yielded three runs on eight hits and three walks with 16 strikeouts in those first two outings. Lamet was 3-2 with a 3.23 ERA with 50 strikeouts over 39 innings in eight starts at Triple-A before being recalled.
WALK-OFFS
1. San Diego 1B Wil Myers, who boasts 12 homers and 31 RBIs, was scratched from Saturday’s lineup due to illness and is day-to-day.
2. Kansas City C Salvador Perez belted his 100th career home run Saturday and is 9-for-20 during a five-game hitting streak.
3. The Padres lost for just the second time in 20 games when they have scored at least five runs this season.