Game thread XLVIII - Athletics at Royals

I don’t think before the season there was any way that you could have convinced me that Seth Lugo could be leading the American League in ERA for qualified starters. (And he’s fourth in MLB! The Cubs have TWO starters with a better ERA than Lugo, but a worse record!) But if you could have convinced me it could happen, and that Ragans would still be Ragans and Alec Marsh would take the step forward I was predicting, that I would feel really good about the Royals.

And, yeah, we should all feel pretty good about the Royals!

Ragans, of course, shoved again last night, and so Lugo goes to the mound, knowing the Royals still won’t be swept in this series, but with a chance to help lead the team to another series victory and give them a chance at a sweep tomorrow. It’s exciting stuff.

Also exciting is the celebration of the 2014 team that has been happening this weekend. And the best part of that might be the continuation of Salvador Perez’s journey into and beyond his youth. Of all the players who appeared for that 2014 squad, only one other player has appeared in the major leagues this season. Liam Hendricks is hurt and may appear later this year, Danny Duffy has been pitching in the minors in a comeback attempt, but Aaron Brooks made a start for the Oakland Athletics on Wednesday. And he, for what it’s worth, made his major league debut in 2014. Everyone else is out of baseball.

And Salvador Perez is just out here having his fifth three-hit game of 2024 continuing what has been, so far, a very convincing MVP campaign. His toughest competition is in the form of teammate Bobby Witt Jr. As they like to say, the boys are playin’ some ball!

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