Probable pitchers & starting lineups, KC Royals vs. Oakland, June 18

Without a day off since weather forced postponement of their June 5 game at Cleveland, the KC Royals took a well-deserved one-day respite Monday in Oakland. But they're back in action tonight — the Royals, still second in the American League Central, take on the AL West cellar-dwelling A's in an 8:40 p.m. CDT contest at Oakland Coliseum.

The game is the first of three the Royals have in Oakland before they head to Texas for a weekend series with the Rangers.

For Kansas City, this series with the A's represents an excellent chance to gain ground on Central Division Cleveland. While the Royals haven't been as good this month as they were in April and May, the Athletics have been far worse — they've lost nine in a row and 15 of their last 18, and are already 17 games behind first-place Seattle in the AL West.

What does tonight's contest look like?

Two big league sophomores face each other this evening.

Right-hander Alec Marsh, who broke in with the Royals last season and is now a staple of their rotation, will start for Kansas City. He's 5-3 with a 3.63 ERA, but three of his last four starts have been rough. He gave up five runs to Minnesota May 27, another five to San Diego June 1, and four to Seattle a week later. Marsh comes into tonight's game off a Thursday's better performance against the Yankees — he held the AL East leaders scoreless and struck out seven in seven innings.

Like Marsh, Oakland starter Hogan Harris made his big league debut in 2023. A lefty, he hasn't earned a decision in five appearances, including three starts, but boasts a nice 2.49 ERA and a good 1.105 WHIP. His best effort of the season came June 7 against Toronto when he shut out the Blue Jays for six innings.

Who's in Kansas City's lineup?

Here's how manager Matt Quatraro plans to send out his Royals tonight:

Who's in Oakland's lineup?

Manager Mark Kotsay will deploy his club like this:

How can KC Royals fans watch or listen to tonight's game?

Bally Sports Kansas City, NBC Sports California, and MLBN (subject to blackout) will televise the game. ESPN+ will stream it; other streaming options are here. On radio, tune to KCSP-AM 610 Sports Radio or the other affiliates of the Royals Radio Network.

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