Royals Continue Winning Despite Underwhelming Hitting Performance

BALTIMORE, Maryland — The Kansas City Royals are on a hot streak, having swept the Tampa Bay Rays and won nine of their last ten games. Despite their recent success, they sit in third place in the American League Central, 2.5 games behind the Detroit Tigers.

The two teams last faced each other in the early season, with the Royals winning two out of three games. Some fans might find it unusual to be finished with a series by May 4, especially if they are not fond of the opposing team.

Bobby Witt Jr., one of the biggest stars in baseball, is shining brightly this season. Currently, he is on a remarkable 22-game hitting streak and boasts a .400 on-base percentage with an .896 OPS. After hitting his third home run of the season last night, expectations remain high for his power numbers to improve, as he has previously hit over 30 home runs in each of the last two seasons.

Unfortunately for the Royals, outside of Witt, the offense has struggled. They average just 3.13 runs per game, the lowest in the American League. With a team OPS+ of 76, nearly every player other than Witt is performing below par.

The pitching staff, however, tells a different story. The Royals’ starting rotation is among the best in the league, ranked second in fWAR according to FanGraphs, just behind the Texas Rangers. The bullpen is also performing well, featuring key players such as Lucas Erceg, Daniel Lynch, and closer Carlos Estévez, who interestingly is the birth name of actor Charlie Sheen. As a team, the Royals allow only 3.48 runs per game, significantly lower than the Orioles, who give up 5.63 runs.

In the upcoming match, the Royals’ RHP Michael Wacha (1-3, 3.38 ERA, 26 K, 12 BB) is set to face the Orioles’ RHP Dean Kremer (2-4, 7.04 ERA, 20 K, 8 BB). Kremer’s season has been disappointing, surrendering five or more runs in four of his six starts. He previously faced the Royals on April 4, allowing three runs.

Meanwhile, Wacha has been solid, managing to keep runs to a minimum in most of his starts, except for one against the Orioles where he allowed four runs in 5.2 innings.

An anticipated matchup features RHP Tomoyuki Sugano (3-1, 3.00 ERA, 17 K, 6 BB) going against LHP Kris Bubic (2-2, 2.25 ERA, 37 K, 12 BB). Sugano has emerged as a strong presence in the rotation, not allowing more than three runs in any start, including two seven-inning outings.

Facing Bubic could pose a challenge for the Orioles, who have historically struggled against left-handed pitchers. Initially, Bubic handily outperformed the Orioles on April 6, pitching 6.2 innings with just one run allowed and striking out eight.

Finally, the Orioles’ RHP Kyle Gibson (0-1, 22.50 ERA, 2 K, 2 BB) will look to improve after a disastrous last outing, where he allowed four home runs in his first five batters faced. He now faces RHP Michael Lorenzen (3-3, 3.48 ERA, 28 K, 13 BB), who has been a reliable addition for the Royals after being traded last season.