Back to baseball for the Kansas City Royals against Texas

The Kansas City Royals welcome Texas to Kauffman Stadium to kick off the season’s second half.

Baseball’s back, back again

Baseball’s back, tell a friend

What a horrible few days without baseball. No baseball Wednesday. No baseball Thursday. Monday and Tuesday only had a passing resemblance to America’s sport.

It’s finally Friday and we have Kansas City Royals baseball live from Kauffman Stadium!

At 44-43, the Royals have some work to do. But fortunately, the next 10 games they get to do it from the friendliest confines in the AL Central, against a similarly hovering near .500 Rangers team and the Tigers and White Sox, both eying firesales.

We missed you, baseball. We missed you so, so much.

Anyway, here’s Wonderwall.

Game One: Jason Hammel (4-8, 5.04 ERA) vs. Martin Perez (4-6, 4.60 ERA); 7:15 p.m. (CT), Friday; FSKC

Very, very quietly, Jason Hammel has quit sucking. His ERA in his last seven starts is 3.75, he turned in a quality start against the vaunted Dodgers right before the break and can avenge a Kansas City Royals loss to Texas in April tonight if he were so inclined.

Also, it’s Friday night and I’m excited to see Jason Hammel pitch a baseball game. Abolish the All-Star break.

Watch If: You’ve missed baseball like Tom Hanks missed Helen Hunt in Cast Away.

Game Two: Danny Duffy (5-5, 3.76 ERA) vs. Cole Hamels (4-0, 3.51 ERA); 6:15 p.m. (CT), Saturday; FS1

Duff Man vs. Hamels is gonna be AMAAAAAAAAZING. It’s not often you can find a matchup of quality southpaws, and this one should have the goods—provided Duffy is fully recovered from his stint on the disabled list. His first two outings weren’t his best, but I’m going to chalk it up to rust.

Apparently, Saturday is Huskers Night at ye olde ballparke. Perhaps we’ll get a Bubba Starling appearance, or is it too soon to kid about what might’ve been for Bo Pelini if he’d had Bubba? Would Bubba have appeared on this list?

Watch If: You enjoy a few Duff’s on a Saturday night.

Game Three: Ian Kennedy (3-6, 4.45 ERA) vs. Yu Darvish (6-8, 3.49 ERA); 1:15 p.m. (CT), Sunday; FSKC

There’s been a groundswell of support for Kennedy in recent weeks, since he’s been perfectly acceptable in his last five starts, posting quality outings in four of those five. This is a bad, wrong-headed thing to think—I’d rather have Sonny Gray, put Kennedy in Travis Wood’s role and put Wood on a rocket to Jupiter.

Darvish was an All-Star because somebody had to represent the Rangers; this has not been his finest season, but he’s got a 2.32 ERA on the road.

Watch If: You want to see someone touch Adrian Beltre’s head; he’s .300 lifetime against Kennedy with a homer.

Predictions Sure to be Wrong

In Game One: Sam Mellinger makes fun of Salvador Perez’s shirt; tensions rise.

Game Two: Mike Moustakas, still in Home Run Derby mode, twists an ankle trying on a Hamels curveball.

Next: No, Dear Sweet Jesus, No

Game Three: An unknown stench permeates the clubhouse; it turns out Brandon Moss left a jar of sauerkraut in his locker over the break.