Royals at Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals elected not to become sellers at the non-waiver trade deadline, and now they’ve surged into contention in the National League Central. The Cardinals aim for a sixth straight victory and a four-game sweep of the visiting Kansas City Royals when the I-70 Series wraps up on Thursday.
The Cardinals have clawed within 1 1/2 games of the division-leading Chicago Cubs after many thought they would be sellers at the deadline. The player they were thought most likely to deal was right-hander Lance Lynn, who takes the mound Thursday opposite Kansas City’s Jason Hammel. The Royals have dropped three straight and five of their last six to fall four games behind first-place Cleveland in the American League Central and one back of Seattle for the second wild-card spot. Yadier Molina’s grand slam lifted St. Louis to an 8-5 win Wednesday after the Cardinals outscored the Royals 21-6 in two wins in Kansas City to start the series.
TV: 7:15 p.m. ET, MLB Network, FSN Kansas City, FSN Midwest (St. Louis)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Royals RH Jason Hammel (5-9, 4.73 ERA) vs. Cardinals RH Lance Lynn (10-6, 3.12)
Hammel has recorded quality starts in each of his last two outings and four of his last six. The 34-year-old held Seattle to three runs and six hits over 6 1/3 innings Friday but suffered a hard-luck loss in a 5-2 defeat. Hammel is 4-6 with a 5.68 ERA in 12 career starts against the Cardinals.
Lynn is 4-0 with a 1.21 ERA over his last six starts and has allowed more than one run only once during that stretch. The 30-year-old continued his dominant stretch by holding Cincinnati to one run and three hits over six innings on Saturday. Lynn is 0-1 with a 6.38 ERA in three career starts against the Royals.
WALK-OFFS
1. Molina is 10-for-24 with five extra-base hits against Hammel.
2. Royals 2B Whit Merrifield went 4-for-5 on Wednesday and is 11-for-26 during his six-game hitting streak.
3. Kansas City LF Alex Gordon has been out of the lineup the last two games and is mired in a 1-for-18 slump, but he is 6-for-10 lifetime versus Lynn.