Athletics at Royals
The Oakland Athletics appear to have recovered from back-to-back home losses in the Bay Bridge Series, thanks in no small part to Marcus Semien. The team looks to clinch a series victory when it visits the Kansas City Royals on Wednesday for the third contest of their four-game set.
Oakland had won seven of eight contests - including a three-game sweep of the New York Yankees - before dropping two to San Francisco but has bounced back by winning the first two games of the series with Kansas City. After cruising to a 19-4 victory in the opener, the Athletics scored in each of the first two innings on Tuesday and held on for a 2-1 triumph as they moved one game ahead of Tampa Bay for the second wild card in the American League and within one-half game of Cleveland for the top spot. Semien has been a key contributor in the series, recording two of Oakland's five hits and driving in a run in Tuesday's win after going 2-for-6 with a triple, a homer and a career-high seven RBIs in the opener. Alex Gordon recorded two hits and drove in the lone run for the Royals, who have lost seven of their last eight contests.
TV: 8:15 p.m. ET, NBCS California (Oakland), FS Kansas City
PITCHING MATCHUP: Athletics RH Tanner Roark (8-8, 3.95 ERA) vs. Royals RH Jakob Junis (8-12, 4.89)
Roark has pitched well since being acquired from Cincinnati, going 2-1 with a 2.63 ERA with 23 strikeouts and five walks in four starts. The 32-year-old native of Illinois is coming off a home victory over the New York Yankees on Thursday in which he permitted two runs and seven hits over 6 1/3 innings. Roark has made one start and one relief appearance against Kansas City in his career, going 1-0 while giving up four runs - three earned - on seven hits and three walks in 12 frames.
Junis has lost back-to-back starts and four of his last six after surrendering four runs and six hits in four innings at Cleveland on Friday. The 26-year-old, who also hails from the Prairie State, has yielded 13 runs and 23 hits over 19 1/3 frames while losing his last three turns at home. Junis owns a 1-2 record and 5.03 ERA in three starts and one relief appearance against Oakland in his career.
WALK-OFFS
1. Semien has hit safely in nine of his last 10 games, recording five two-hit performances during that stretch.
2. Kansas City has been held to one run in four of its last seven losses.
3. Oakland had scored in 10 consecutive innings before being blanked in the third on Tuesday.