Josh Taylor is making his first start of the season as the Kansas City Royals (12-27) take on the Milwaukee Brewers (20-17) at American Family Field on Friday for the opener of a three-game Interleague series.
The Royals are playing their first of nine games on the road after closing out a 10-game homestand (5-5). They won three out of four in their last series against the White Sox, taking the finale 4-3 on Thursday at Ewing M. Kauffman Stadium.
Michael Massey was 1 for 3 with a solo home run, stretching his on-base streak to 10 games. The Brewers are in the midst of a six-game homestand. They lost two of three against the Dodgers in their last series, dropping the finale 8-1 on Wednesday at American Family Field.
William Contreras went 1 for 4 with a solo home run.The teams are meeting for the first time since July 21, 2021, when the Royals finished off a two-game series sweep with a 6-3 victory at American Family Field.
ON THE MOUND
Taylor (0-0, 6.55 ERA) is in line to start for Kansas City, his first of the season. The left-hander threw a scoreless inning in relief in his last appearance, a 5-4 road defeat against the Athletics on Saturday. He scattered one hit while striking out one.
For Milwaukee, righty Corbin Burnes (3-2, 3.86 ERA) will toe the rubber. In his last start on May 5, Burnes took the loss on the road against the Giants. He threw six innings and gave up five runs (2 ER) on four hits, striking out five and walking three in the 6-4 defeat.
AT THE PLATE
The Kansas City offense is averaging 4.2 runs per game for the season, with a slash line of .240/.302/.398. Vinnie Pasquantino leads the team in OPS at .922. The first baseman is slashing .298/.383/.539 with seven home runs, 19 RBIs, and 20 runs over 39 games.
Over the last five games, however, Kansas City has averaged 6.4 runs a game while performing better across the board (.282/.330/.476). Against righties like Burnes this season, the Royals have a .673 OPS. Pasquantino also is the team’s most potent producer against right-handers with a .936 OPS in 107 at-bats.
Milwaukee is slashing .239/.314/.386 for the season and averaging 4.4 runs per game. Rowdy Tellez leads the team with ann .858 OPS. The first baseman has 10 home runs, 23 RBIs, and 17 runs scored with a slash line of .239/.318/.540.
The Brew Crew have a .594 OPS against lefties in 2023, lowest in the league. With a 1.030 OPS over 31 at-bats, Contreras has been their best hitter against left-handers.
HOME AND AWAY
Kansas City is 6-10 on the road in 2023, scoring 4.0 runs per game while allowing 4.9 runs. Milwaukee has gone 10-8 at home this season, averaging 4.5 runs per game while surrendering 3.9. In the last 10 meetings at American Family Field, Kansas City is 6-4 with an average scoreline of 4.4-4.3.
STANDINGS UPDATE
The Royals are fifth in the AL Central, nine games behind the division-leading Twins. The Brewers are second in the NL Central, zero games behind the Pirates.
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Milwaukee Brewers (-250)
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