The Kansas City Royals can earn their first home sweep in the I-70 series in 25 years this afternoon when they face the St. Louis Cardinals.
Kansas City is riding a three-game winning streak after Friday’s 6-5 win against the Cardinals. The teams received a rare scheduled Saturday off because a World Cup match, Ecuador vs. Curacao, was taking place at adjacent Arrowhead Stadium.
The last time Kansas City swept St. Louis at home was June 12-14, 2001.
That day off could allow Royals superstar shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. to return after missing Friday’s game due to a ligament sprain in his right knee sustained during Thursday’s contest. Manager Matt Quatraro told AppleTV the team plans to check on Witt today.
Witt hit his 10th home run of the season in Thursday’s 14-6 win against the Cardinals, giving him hits in eight of his last nine games.
Tyler Tolbert replaced Witt in the lineup and earned raves from Quatraro for his all-around play. Tolbert’s sixth-inning sacrifice fly put the Royals ahead 6-2.
“He’s worked so hard and doesn’t get a ton of opportunities to play,” Quatraro said. “He got an opportunity to play and stepped up big time.”
Stephen Kolek (4-1, 2.68 ERA) will take the mound for Kansas City today. Last Sunday, he pitched into the eighth inning for the second time this season as he earned the win in the Royals’ 4-0 victory against the Houston Astros. In 7 1/3 innings, he allowed five hits and one walk while striking out four.
The right-hander has also pitched well in three appearances (two starts) against the Cardinals. Kolek owns a 2-0 record with a 1.26 ERA. That includes a May 17 game in St. Louis, where he tossed 6 1/3 shutout innings. He earned the victory in the 2-0 win, giving up four hits and a walk with three strikeouts.
The Cardinals have dropped three straight games and four of the last six. They almost pulled out a win Friday, scoring three times with two outs in the ninth inning. The go-ahead run was at the plate, but Jose Fermin grounded into a fielder’s choice to end the game.
“It’s pretty clear that’s what this group does,” Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said. “They are going to give you their best shot. They did it again in the ninth… but unfortunately, we came up short.”
Cardinals right fielder Jordan Walker has two hits and an RBI in each of the first two games of the series. The 24-year-old is enjoying a breakout year with career highs in home runs (18) and RBI (58) before the halfway mark of the season.
Right-hander Dustin May (5-6, 3.75 ERA) will try to end the Cardinals’ losing streak as he enters the start with 15 consecutive scoreless innings. That includes a one-hit shutout Monday in a 3-0 win against the Padres. May struck out nine for the third time in his last four starts while issuing one walk.
Against the Royals, May is 0-1 in three starts with a 6.59 ERA. May also faced Kansas City earlier this season, earning a no-decision May 15 after working six innings. He allowed four hits and a season-high four walks, while only striking out three as the Cardinals won 5-4 in 11 innings.
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