Royals at Cardinals (Game 1)
Baseball fans in Missouri will be treated with a double dip between their favorite teams when the Kansas City Royals visit St. Louis for a day-night twinbill with the Cardinals on Wednesday. The threat of severe weather forced the postponement of Tuesday's scheduled opener and prompted a slight shuffle of the series' pitching matchup, with Brad Keller of the Royals facing Michael Wacha in the matinee before Homer Bailey and Adam Wainwright meet in the nightcap.
St. Louis is in a four-team battle for National League Central supremacy and fell into fourth place while dropping 13 of their last 17 contests, including two of three in an interleague series at Texas over the weekend. The team's lack of recent success hasn't slowed the bat of shortstop Paul DeJong, who drove in three runs in Sunday's 5-4 loss and went 5-for-12 with a homer and seven RBIs against the Rangers. The Royals totaled seven runs during a four-game slide before breaking out with a 5-1 victory at the Los Angeles Angels on Sunday, but are 1-11 in May when scoring four or fewer runs. Kansas City has lost each of its seven road series.
TV: 1:15 p.m. ET, FS Kansas City, FS Midwest
PITCHING MATCHUP: Royals RH Brad Keller (2-5, 4.66 ERA) vs. Cardinals RH Michael Wacha (3-1, 4.93)
Keller worked at least six innings in five of his first six starts but has failed to get through six in each of his last four outings. He has an ERA of 6.86 in that span after giving up four runs in 5 2/3 innings of a loss to the Los Angeles Angels on Friday. The 23-year-old worked two scoreless innings of relief against the Cardinals last season.
Wacha failed to complete six innings in any of his last four starts but is coming off the best of that stretch after holding the Atlanta Braves to two runs - one earned - and four hits in five frames. The 27-year-old, who ended up with his first loss in a 4-0 final against the Braves, is up to 26 walks in 42 total innings. Wacha won his lone start against Kansas City last season, allowing two runs - one earned - and four hits in 6 2/3 innings while striking out six without a walk.
WALK-OFFS
1. Kansas City optioned RHP Heath Fillmyer to Triple-A Omaha while St. Louis released RHP Luke Gregerson.
2. Royals LHP Jake Diekman owns 15 strikeouts in 7 1/3 innings over his last seven appearances.
3. St. Louis took four of the six meetings last season and eight of 10 over the last two campaigns.