Welcome to Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri, where the regular season marches on this Wednesday at 7:40 PM EDT on MLB.TV and Royals.TV. If you are a purist who swoons over pristine, Cy Young-caliber pitching, you might want to shield your eyes. The Athletics and their majestic 5.49 team ERA are visiting a Royals squad boasting a slightly less catastrophic 4.78 mark. At the plate, it is a virtual mirror image of offensive restraint, with Oakland’s .244 team batting average barely towering over Kansas City’s .243.
The starting pitching matchup is a beautifully symmetrical comedy of identical 5-7 records. Oakland sends left-hander Gage Jump and his 1.45 WHIP to the mound, while the Royals counter with righty Seth Lugo, who has already graciously served up 16 home runs over 139.1 innings this season. With Oakland shortstop Jacob Wilson currently day-to-day and starter Jeffrey Springs chilling on the 15-day injured list, depth is more of a suggestion than a reality right now. Slide on over to StreakChat to lock in your pick and tell us which of these masterpieces you are backing tonight.