Game one hundred and fifty five: Kansas City Royals at Detroit Tigers

This would have been a much more compelling late-season matchup eight years ago

Is there an iconic pizza for Kansas City? Detroit has their own style and I could whip out Little Caesars (lol) to represent them, but I don’t know of one for us. Grinders? Anyway, it’s game 18 of Detroit vs. Kansas City tonight. The Royals could clinch the season series with a win tonight, while Detroit needs to complete the sweep to take the season series. Having already won the season series over Chicago, a victory tonight would give the Royals a season victory over at least two division rivals. They got bludgeoned 7-12 in the Minnesota season series. Kansas City still could take the season set over Cleveland, but they would need to go 5-1 in their season-ending six-gamer to do so. Seems unlikely.

I wrote about Daniel Lynch in the blurb here before his last start and what I said there still rings true. Lynch has made three starts against Detroit this season, totaling 12.2 innings with an 8.53 ERA and 6.43 FIP. On an unrelated note, Detroit has had the worst offense in the majors this year with a team wRC+ of 80.

Matt Manning takes the ball for Detroit. He’s been mostly fine this year but I don’t believe in any pitcher that doesn’t strike guys out and he’s one of them, with an 18.3% K rate this season and 16.2% career mark. He did punch dudes out in the minors though, so I think he’d fit in perfectly on the Royals staff.

Also, check it out, my actual name shows up as the author now! How about that, only took the entire season. It’s probably Coral’s fault.

First Pitch: 5:40 pm CDT

Royals lineup

Tigers lineup