KC Royals have right man on the mound tonight

Fighting for the right to play October baseball but mired in a seven-game losing streak with just six regular season games left to play, the KC Royals won't have their winningest starter on the mound when they begin a crucial road series with Washington tonight.

But that's not all bad ... or even bad at all. While Seth Lugo, the club leader in wins with 16 who pitched more than well enough to win Sunday but fell victim to his club's prolonged offensive slump, awaits his next start, likely to come Saturday in Atlanta, Cole Ragans gets the nod against the Nationals.

And that should give the edge to the Royals as they kick off their final regular season road trip — and the last six games of the 2024 schedule — at Nationals Park in Washington. Game time is set for 5:45 p.m. CDT.

Cole Ragans will start for the KC Royals tonight

With Kansas City locked in a tie with Detroit for the second American League Wild Card spot and Minnesota, Seattle, Boston, and Tampa Bay still in the Wild Card mix, Ragans is well-credentialed to work the first of the half-dozen contests that will determine whether the Royals play on or head home for the winter when those games conclude.

The left-hander is 11-9 with a 3.24 ERA. He's 1-0 and has been charged with only three runs in 19 September innings covering three starts, and is 5-3, 3.39 with six quality starts in 11 tries since the All-Star Break. Opponents are batting only .215 against him for the season.

Who will face Cole Ragans and the Royals?

Mitchell Parker is the first of three left-handers Washington manager Dave Martinez is sending out against Kansas City in this Tuesday-Wednesday-Thursday series. Working in his first big league season, Parker is 7-10 with a 4.44 ERA in 28 starts. The rookie hasn't won since beating Colorado Aug. 21 and has lost eight of his last 11 decisions. He'll show the Royals a four-pitch repertoire that includes a four-seam fastball, slider, curve, and splitter.

What does Kansas City's starting lineup look like?

Here it is:

Who's in Washington's lineup?

The Nationals will line up like this:

Where can KC Royals fans find this evening's game?

Bally Sports Kansas City will, as usual, televise tonight's contest. Streaming options are here. Kansas City stations 96.5 FM The Fan and KFNZ-AM 610 will carry the game on radio, as will the other affiliates on the Royals Radio Network.

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