Keys to the series, game times as Kansas City Royals begin road trip against Angels
The Kansas City Royals will play in the Pacific Time Zone for the first time this season when they begin a three-game series against the Los Angeles Angels on Monday night in Anaheim, California. The Royals took two of three games from the Angels in April in Kansas City.
The Royals (29-28) are coming off a four-game series split with the Minnesota Twins. They lost the last two games, a pair of one-run games in which the Royals had the tying run in scoring position in the final inning.
The Angels (27-32) took two out of three games from the Seattle Mariners, but lost the series finale on Sunday.
The Royals announced right-hander Jackson Kowar will start Monday night’s series opener. He’ll be making his major-league debut.
Series rundown
SCHEDULE: Monday, 8:38 p.m. CT; Tuesday, 8:38 p.m. CT; Wednesday, 8:38 p.m. CT
PLACE: Angel Stadium
PITCHING PROBABLES: Monday, KC RHP Jackson Kowar (0-0, 0.00) vs. LAA RHP Dylan Bundy (0-6, 6.49); Tuesday, KC LHP Kris Bubic (1-0, 2.12) vs. LAA LHP Andrew Heaney (3-3, 4.76); Wednesday, KC RHP Brad Keller (6-4, 5.50) vs. LAA RHP Griffin Canning (4-4, 5.82).
TV: All three games will be broadcast by Bally Sports Kansas City. Wednesday night’s game will also air nationally on ESPN.
RADIO: All three games will air on KCSP Radio (610 AM).
NOTABLE: The Royals are 4-1-1 in the last six series and have gone 11-6 since May 18.
Keys to the series
Timely hitting or the lack thereof has been crucial to the Royals’ success.
From May 28 through June 4, they led all MLB teams with a .422 batting average (27 for 64) with runners in scoring position.
In the two losses to the Twins, they hit 3 for 15 with runners in scoring position.
Royals left fielder Andrew Benintendi has five consecutive games with at least one RBI. He has 11 RBIs during that stretch. He has also recorded at least one hit in each of his last 10 starts.
Angels center fielder Mike Trout, a three-time MVP and eight-time All-Star, remains on the injured list with a calf strain. He’s expected to be out until July.
Designated hitter/pitcher Shohei Ohtani and first baseman Jared Walsh are the central figures in the Angels offense. Ohtani has 16 home runs and 42 RBIs in 54 games, while Walsh has 13 homers, 40 RBIs and a .301 batting average in 57 games.
This story was originally published June 7, 2021 at 9:02 AM.
