***Official Royals vs Orioles GDT - August 2***
 

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">The <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Royals?src=hash">#Royals</a> close out the Baltimore series in tonight&#39;s finale. Jason Vargas will take the mound. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RaisedRoyal?src=hash">#RaisedRoyal</a> <a href="https://t.co/MkEuIPpwSy">pic.twitter.com/MkEuIPpwSy</a></p>&mdash; Kansas City Royals (@Royals) <a href="https://twitter.com/Royals/status/892836367000121344">August 2, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Tonight&#39;s lineup vs KC with Jeremy Hellickson (<a href="https://twitter.com/JHell58">@JHell58</a>) making his <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Orioles?src=hash">#Orioles</a> debut. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Birdland?src=hash">#Birdland</a> <a href="https://t.co/U1WnaT7bZv">pic.twitter.com/U1WnaT7bZv</a></p>&mdash; Baltimore Orioles (@Orioles) <a href="https://twitter.com/Orioles/status/892822675873247233">August 2, 2017</a></blockquote>
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No Alex or Moose tonight. :hmmm:


Shit, nevermind, Alex is in center. No Cain. I don't get that, Cain is showing signs of turning it around.

WTF, Ned?

And Moose is DH. I should look closer before responding.

Still, I'd rather see Cain in there than Gordon.

Look again. It's no Cain tonight.

Oh great let's take out one of our hottest hitters. #Yosted

No off days until August 17. Going to have to give some guys some days off.

Per 810: Cain tweeked a hammy during that missed fly ball at the wall last night. Says he can play, but Ned is giving him a night off. I agree with Ned. Why take any chances of making it worse?

Also of note, Moose is still having fluid drained from where he got plunked by Rondon. :cuss:

That's a much deeper lineup for hitting.

But our OF. Woooof. That's bad. Luckily we're playing in a sardine can instead of at the K.

Sweep!

Wait...

In for a salvage win.

Here's to Melky getting a couple of hits and Gordo looking palpable in center. I'm also game for Vargas to get that ERA back under 3.

Turning it around? Cain has been fantastic this year. He's our best player and the 12th best player in the American League.

This is the place to do it, if you do it.

Vargas is a fly ball pitcher. I expect 3 home runs tonight

ROYALS BEST PLAYERS OVER THE LAST 4 YEARS
WAR ACCUMULATED
Cain 18.4
Gordon 10.8
Perez 10.7
Moose 9.3 (pro rated)
Hosmer 8.3
Dyson 8.1 (not even including this year, 3 yr sample)
Merrifield 4.6 (even with 2 seasons not playing)
Escobar 2.6

RANK based on qualified pitchers in FB%
5. Ian Kennedy
9. Jason Vargas
16. Danny Duffy
17. Jason Hammel
(72 pitcher sample)

We're all about the fly ball. These stadiums always scare me. Especially in the hot and humid summer.

Sure would be nice to have a guy like Marcus Stroman in the playoffs, to strategically start in the games at smaller stadiums.