Time to turn the tide for the Kansas City Royals against Seattle

The more things change, the more they stay the same for the Kansas City Royals. Maybe they’ll change for the better against Seattle.

Sometimes when I sit down to write about an upcoming series, I go back to see what I wrote the last time the Kansas City Royals played a particular squad.

So I checked today to see what I said about the Royals ahead of the last series against the Mariners. It was surprisingly poignant:

Depending on the week, the opponent or even the starting pitcher, how you feel about the Kansas City Royals chances on any given day could be in flux.

That… definitely holds up after the Baltimore series, which harkened back to the late-April Royals squad which was among the league’s worst day-to-day teams.

So moving forward… how do we move forward?

Darned if I know.

Ned Yost is still tinkering with his new toys. We’ve yet to see a lineup featuring Melky Cabrera, Alex Gordon, Lorenzo Cain AND Jorge Bonifacio—and if the first three games are any indication, we may NEVER see that lineup. Brandon Maurer was inserted to mop up in the eighth inning, and instead gave up three runs. There’s a long way to go and, to quote Jerry Reed, a short time to get there; Ned’s got to get the ducks in a row fast.

Positive progress could start tonight; regression could also persist. Either way, let’s get to it. Here’s Joshua James.

Game One: Trevor Cahill (4-3, 4.15 ERA) vs. Yovani Gallardo (5-7, 5.34 ERA); 7:15 p.m. (CT), Thursday; FSKC

Cahill will make his second start in a Royals uni and first at home, hoping for better results than his first outing against Boston. Gallardo, recently re-inserted into the rotation, tossed three innings in relief against the Royals back in July; Cabrera, a lifetime .455 hitter against Gallardo, hopes to rectify that.

Also, it’s Library Night. No idea what that means, but I love books so it gets mentioned here.

Watch If: Old Friend Jarrod Dyson making his emotional return to the K gets you right in the feels.

Game Two: Jason Hammel (5-8, 4.75 ERA) vs. James Paxton (11-3, 2.68 ERA); 7:15 p.m. (CT), Friday; FSKC

James Paxton went 6-0 last month. Propping up Jason Hammel, who has two starts of seven or more innings since mid-June, against that behemoth seems patently unfair, particularly since Robinson Cano (.409, one homer) rakes against Hammel.

Watch If: I dunno… it’s a Friday night as summer draws to a close, you really want to spend it watching Jason Hammel get beat all over the park?

Game Three: Danny Duffy (7-6, 3.42 ERA) vs. Felix Hernandez (5-4, 4.28 ERA); 6:15 p.m. (CT), Saturday; FSKC

Duffy-Hernandez I (played July 4 because ‘Merica) went to the Duffman, who tossed 5.2 innings and allowed two earned, while Whit Merrifield and Mike Moustakas both took King Felix deep. What will the rematch hold?

Watch If: Duffy and Hernandez may not be the duel it once was, but Felix is still capable of dusting off the magic arm and Duffy is Duffy.

Game Four: Ian Kennedy (4-7, 4.60 ERA) vs. Erasmo Ramirez (4-3, 4.83 ERA); 1:15 p.m. (CT), Sunday; FSKC

Ian Kennedy, Trevor Cahill and Jason Hammel in the same series, what fresh hell is this? Ned Yost angered some forgotten Norse god somewhere along the way.

Watch If: You’re excited for Ian Kennedy to record his first home win of the season (in August)!

Kansas City Royals Predictions Sure to be Wrong

In Game One: Dyson gets a loud cheer from the Kansas City faithful; multiple signs are visible extolling the brass to “Trade (current struggling Royals player) for Dyson.”

Game Two: It’s Jason Hammel, all bets are off.

Game Three: Duffy-Hernandez II plays out like Gatti-Ward II, replete with bloodshed.

Next: A Disscussion With Our Cleveland Counterparts

And in Game Four: A sobbing Ned Yost refuses to remove Kennedy after another sub-par outing, instead sending Mike Jirschele to do the duty.