I don’t learn about you, however each time I consider Independence Day, I take into consideration Independence Day, the 1996 movie. And I all the time first keep in mind President Whitmore’s grand speech forward of the climactic battle towards the aliens.
What a speech. We was a gorram nation with gorram motion pictures.
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Anyway. The different factor I all the time keep in mind from that – let’s face it, glorious – movie is Will Smith’s first encounter with an alien
It’s the latter clip I hope to see the Royals replicate towards the Philadelphia Phillies this night. “Welcome to Kansas City, please enjoy this jab to the jaw.”
The Royals will, very similar to Will Smith and the remainder of Earth on this film, be the underdogs in at this time’s contest. They merely don’t have the firepower that their opponents can boast. They don’t have the pace, they usually don’t have the expertise. But possibly with some grit they’ll pull off a win.
OK, now that I’ve gone on about that for manner too lengthy, let’s discuss concerning the matchups.
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Jesús Luzardo, a really robust left-hander, goes for the Phillies at this time. The Royals have had their issues towards lefties this yr. They’ve overwhelmed just a few in latest weeks, together with torching Shane McClanahan in Tampa Bay simply final week. But Luzardo can be a problem even when they have been persistently good towards lefties. He was a 5.3 fWAR pitcher final yr, and he’s been nearly precisely the identical man this yr after signing a pleasant, lengthy extension with Philadelphia.
Luzardo is a real four-pitch pitcher; he throws none of them extra typically than 36.2% or lower than 17.5%. His sweeper leads the best way, and it’s a fully filthy pitch. He will get chase and whiffs on his three finest pitches, however makes use of his sinker to attempt to preserve lefties trustworthy to combined impact. Honestly, that is likely to be his one weak spot this yr. It’s not a lot of a weak spot, although, as he’s nonetheless considerably higher towards lefties total than righties.
The Royals will counter with Michael Wacha. Wacha has been implausible for KC this yr, a real anchor within the stormy seas of their misplaced season. He’s additionally most likely their most beneficial commerce chip because the deadline looms in lower than a month. It’s unclear if the Royals will commerce him, however both manner, it will be good to see him have extra success, if solely as a result of it’s extra enjoyable to look at the Royals in aggressive video games than in any other case.
Lineups
Interestingly, after years of being the leadoff man for the Phillies, Kyle Schwarber has spent most of his time batting second this yr. He’ll be there once more, although that makes the Phillies’ center of the order probably weak to a left-handed reliever. I suppose Matt Strahm and Daniel Lynch IV are the one ones the Royals have, they usually’re not notably horrifying.
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Despite the lefty on the mound, Carter Jensen will nonetheless lead off tonight. Jac Caglianone has been demoted to the 4 spot, although, as he’s been a bit chilly because the two-home run game towards the Rays final week. Salvador Perez continues to be out of the lineup and Tyler Tolbert will get one other begin in proper discipline over Kameron Misner, who had a few adventures on the market final time.