Series Preview –

The Royals alternated wins in Anaheim while taking the series against the Halos and are 20-17 this season. Oakland is finishing a six game home stand which began with dropping two-of-three against Texas earlier this week.

Probable Pitching Matchups –

Friday, May 17 (9:07 pm): James Shields (2-3, 3.04) v. Jarrod Parker (2-5, 6.39)
- Shields is coming off a tough loss last Saturday against the Yankees at the K
- His career record against the A’s is 5-3 with a 4.08 ERA and is 2-2 in Oakland

Saturday, May 18 (8:07 pm): Ervin Santana (3-2, 2.79) v. Tommy Milone (3-5, 3.71)
- Santana is sitting on 99 careers wins
- In his career he’s 6-1 at the Coliseum with a 2.08 ERA in 12 outings (10 starts)

Sunday, May 19 (3:07 pm): Luis Mendoza (1-2, 6.00) v. A.J. Griffin (4-3, 3.48)
- Last time out Mendoza picked up his first win of 2013 at Los Angeles
- The Dozer went six innings for the third time this season on Monday while striking out six Angels

2012 Results –

Kansas City won the season series 5-4 against Oakland in 2012 in what was a close series, KC outscored the A’s 22-20 in nine meetings. The Athletics held a 2-1 lead when the teams played at the Coliseum in the lone trip the Royals made to the Bay Area both losses were by a run. Fans will remember the series finale going 12 innings and Jonathan Broxton being unable to protect the lead.

TV/Radio –

All three games are on Fox Sports Kansas City with Ryan Lefebvre and Rex Hudler on the call with Joel Goldberg hosting the pre and post game. On 610 Sports Radio will be Steve Physioc and Steve Stewart.

2013 Schedule v. Athletics –

May 17-19, Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum
July 5-7, Kauffman Stadium

Team Game Notes –

Kansas City
Oakland

Tommy Milone kept the Royals off-balanced earlier this season in Oakland can KC return the favor this weekend? Photo Credit: Kim Klement-US PRESSWIRE

These two teams met in early April with the A’s taking two-of-three against KC, Oakland won the first and third games of that series. The Royals were coming off an opening series win in Anaheim lost a 1-0 game, won 3-0 eighth inning game and lost 5-4 in 12-innings.

In the opener Kansas City met Tommy Milone who three-hit the Royals over eight innings, the stat that sticks out is he didn’t strike out anyone. Luis Mendoza threw 5 2/3 innings on 97 pitches allowing just one-run. Grant Balfour picked up the save coming in the ninth inning stranding Mitch Maier on second base after walking him with one-out.

Danny Duffy made the start in game two on what was a rainy night in Oakland, more on that in a moment and handcuffed the A’s over six innings. Cliff Pennington’s double was the only hit that Duffy allowed during the game. KC struck for two runs in the fourth inning putting up two-runs with Mike Moustakas doubling home Billy Butler and Humbero Quintero getting Jeff Francoeur home on a sac fly.

For much of the night there was a steady mist that fell during the game which picked up late. Maier hit a homerun in the seventh putting KC up 3-0 which was all the run support needed on this night. In the eighth the rain really picked up which after the inning put the contest in a rain delay resulting in the game being called.

Game three started the Jonathan Broxton anxiety which every Royals fan seems to have when Mr. Excitement (my nickname due to this) given how it ended. The game went back and forth with quality starts from Bruce Chen and Brandon McCarthy.

Fast forward to the top of the 12^th inning when KC took a 4-3 lead. Broxton, struck out Daric Barton before walking back-to-back A’s, Alcides Escobar committed an error to start the trouble. Two straight walks were followed by an RBI-groundout tying the game which Broxton then hit two hitters in-a-row ending the game.

Probable Pitching Match-Ups (All Times Central):     

Friday, 7:10 pm – Bartolo Colon (4-5, 4.52) v. Felipe Paulino (2-1, 2.03)
- Colon is 1-2 in his last three starts against the Angels, Giants and Yankees picking up a win at San Francisco. His lone win he went five innings striking out seven with two walks, in the other two games he lost he pitched six plus with three strikeouts and no walks. In his career against the Royals he’s 15-9 with a 4.92 ERA.
- Paulino’s record doesn’t show just how good he’s been for the Royals with a win at New York sandwiched around two no-decisions against Baltimore. Saturday, Felipe went only 5.2 innings compiling five walks and strikeouts in 109 pitches at Camden Yards. In three career starts against Oakland he’s 0-0 but has a 12.46 ERA going just four innings allowing six-runs.

Saturday, 1:10 pm – TBD v. Luke Hochevar (3-5, 6.19)
- It’s not know who the A’s will start on Saturday against KC, the Athletics list four starters on their roster but we’ll see if they make a roster move.
- Hochevar despite losing two of his last three starts he’s seen his ERA drop from 7.02 to 6.61 to its current 6.19 state. Kansas City won 4-2 on Sunday in Luke’s last start but he couldn’t escape the fifth inning going just 4.2 innings striking out seven, walking one. In seven career games Hoch is 0-6 with a 6.39 ERA against Oakland.

Sunday, 1:10 pm – Tommy Milone (6-4, 3.64) v. TBD
- Milone was mentioned earlier from his mastery of the Royals back in April but coming into this start he’s just 1-2. He’s pitched into the seventh inning in all three starts losing 4-1 at Texas and 2-0 against New York while beating Los Angeles 2-1. After not throwing 100 pitches in his first seven starts, he’s reached the century mark over the last three.
- One would think with Kansas City not announcing a starter that Jonathan Sanchez who pitched Tuesday in Omaha could be called up. Vin Mazzaro could also get a spot start or Mendoza who threw 3.2 innings Monday at Cleveland if the team didn’t make a move.

For the most part, it has been since the close of the 2011 and the moves of the offseason that has many chomping at the bit. Add in the fact that ESPN will be showing the game to a national audience although that reason is most likely to show off the Angels free agent signings. For Royals fans though, 9 p.m. Friday is Our Time!

Bruce Chen will toe the rubber and lead Kansas City in game one of 162 games this season where hope reigns eternal. Having the team be relevant past the ASG is what we want as long suffering fans and this might finally be the season that we’ve got hope going into September…and dare I say, October.

Waiting for the late night opening pitch will be tough especially since most of the league will have played already. As colleagues on Kings of Kauffman have written, this feels a lot like Christmas Eve waiting to open your presents. The home opener will be similar. If your team opens on the road, it’s like getting two presents.

We can talk about how the team will do later and for the most part it’s how we’ve spent the offseason. Chen versus Jered Weaver looks like a mismatch on paper, but anything can happen between the lines on the first day.

One game won’t make your season, but with high expectations for once, the team with the youngest Opening Day roster just has me chomping at the bit. I don’t need to tell Royals fans that optimism has been lacking since 1985. We had a strike shortened season in 1994 and the 2003 season with a lot of losing bookending all of this.

Tonight at Angels Stadium is Opening Day in my mind because it’s when OUR Kansas City Royals take the field and begin the climb to make us proud. Find your blue, wear it proud, have friends over or go somewhere to watch the game tomorrow night because 2012 is OUR TIME and I’m beyond excited for tonight!

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If you’ve read Moneyball, he’s a Billy Beane kind of player, and now, Beane can have him.  The Royals received minor leaguer Ethan Hollingsworth for him in a trade this afternoon after Kila was designated for assignment last week.

The Royals did well to get anything for a player they had no spot for any longer.

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O’Sullivan ran into some trouble in the first as he walked Coco Crisp and gave up a walk to David DeJesus. After Sean managed to get Conor Jackson to fly out, Hosmer was faced with his first defensive test. Hideki Matsui hit a sharp grounder right to Hosmer who calmly fielded the ball on a knee and threw to second before recieving a return throw for a bang-bang 3-6-3 double play. I wanted Hos to get involved early, but I was thinking more along the lines of a nice soft grounder to second or the pitcher maybe, where he could recieve an easy throw and kind of get into the flow. He didn’t look fazed by Matsui’s grounder though and made a slick-looking MLB play on it and got the fans at Kauffman excited early. (more…)