The 6-4 (Road: 3-1) Kansas City Royals take on the 4-6 (Home: 4-3) Texas Rangers at 8:05 pm EST tonight as part of our Baseball Instinct Game of the day!
TV: Royals – FSKC , Rangers – KDFI-HD , MLB Network, On the Net – MLB.tv
Radio: Royals – KCSP 610, Rangers - KRLD 1080, KFLC 1270. As always you can catch all games on MLB Game Day Audio.
Here’s a closer fantasy look at the game of the day!
Probable Royals starting pitcher: RHP Zach Greinke (2-0, 0-0 ERA in 2009)
From Jeff Mezydlo, STATS senior writer – Zach Greinke might have already shown the Kansas City Royals were right to sign him to a contract extension. Greinke (2-0, 0.00) hasn’t missed a beat since Kansas City signed him to a four-year, $38 million extension in the off season.
Greinke has 16 strikeouts in two games, including nine Monday while giving up six hits in five innings of a 4-2 win over Cleveland. Dating to Sept. 13 at Cleveland, Greinke has gone 25 consecutive innings without surrendering a run. He’s also shown plenty of poise by working out of a number of jams.
“I don’t know how many times I can continue doing that, but the last two games I’ve been doing good with men on base,” Greinke said. “You’ve got to take the two wins, no matter how it happens. That’s as good as it can get.”
The right-hander is 2-3 with a 3.69 ERA in seven starts against Texas (4-6), which has scored the second-most runs (74) in the majors, but was stymied by Gil Meche and the Royals in a 13-3 loss Friday.
Probable Rangers starting pitcher: RHP Kevin Millwood (1-0, 0.64 ERA in 2009)
Millwood has allowed one run and just nine singles in 14 innings over his first two starts. He allowed four hits and struck out six in seven scoreless innings Sunday at Detroit, but the Rangers’ bullpen couldn’t hold a four-run lead and Texas lost 6-4.
“I don’t think you can ask Millwood to do any more than he did today,” manager Ron Washington told the Rangers’ official Web site.
The right-hander, who’s 36-36 with a 4.78 ERA since signing with Texas in December 2005, is 6-3 with a 4.66 ERA lifetime against the Royals.
Fantasy hitting stud for the Royals: There’s no true studs here. However, OF David Dejesus and OF Coco Crisp should put up good numbers at a bargain price, while 3B Alex Gordon, DH Billy Butler, and SS Mike Aviles are on the rise. Gordon is 25 and recently went on the DL needing the same hip surgery that Alex Rodriguez needed. He will be out 2 months. Butler is 22, while Aviles is 28 years old. So obviously the clock is running shorter on Aviles than the other 2, but still should be productive at the premium position in 2009.
Who’s hot: Closer Joakim Soria has 4 saves. Greinke is 2-0 and hasn’t allowed a run in his 11 innings on the season, he goes for his 3rd win tonight.
Who’s not: RP Kyles Farnsworth has been ugly, and his 16.20 era – not even his mother could love.
Worth keeping an eye on: SP Kyle Davies. Like Greinke, Davies is also 25 years old, however is not nearly as talented. Still, he has secured the #3 spot in the rotation and could put up so middle of rotation type numbers for fantasy squads. I’m seeing him on the free agent lists in most leagues, and hes 1-0 with a 2.13 era and 13 k’s in 12.2 innings. Go get him.
Fantasy pitching studs for the Rangers: *Insert Rangers pitching joke here*. Seriously though, while there are no studs in this organization yet, there’s a lot of young talent. RP Frank Francisco and SP Brandon McCarthy could be valuable to fantasy staff’s this season.
Who’s hot: SP Kevin Millwood is 1-0 with a 0.64 era and 11 k’s in 14 innings pitched. That’s a pretty impressive start and he looks to extend that tonight.
Who’s not: The Ranger’s bullpen. With the exception of RP Jason Jennings and Francisco, this pen is sporting a plus 10.00 era. Ouch.
Worth keeping an eye on: SP Neftali Perez and SP Derek Holland. Perez is ranked #11 and Holland #24 on our Baseball Instinct top 100 prospects for 2009. Both could be part of the Rangers plan this season, though it looks like the Rangers are going to send Holland to the pen. While they need help there, this isn’t the way we would recommend fixing the problem.
Interestingly enough: Tonight’s starting pitchers Zach Greinke and Kevin Millwood are two of the stingiest pitchers in baseball right now, combining for 25 innings and 27 k’s, while allowing only 1 run to score.
KEY STAT: Texas won seven of its nine meetings with the Royals last season.
CONNECTIONS: Rangers SS Omar Vizquel and Royals OF Coco Crisp played together for the Indians from 2002 to 2004. Rangers SP Kevin Millwood also played with Crisp in Cleveland during the 2005 season. Millwood and Texas temmates SS Elvis Andrus and C Jarrod Saltalamachia are all former top prospects of the Braves.
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