The Brewers enter play today at 17-10, two games back of the 20-9 Rockies. With a couple of wins, it's possible they could close the gap and have a chance to clinch the Cactus League's best record tomorrow.
With that said, I'd gladly forfeit both of these games in exchange for a promise that no one else will get hurt this spring.
Follow the jump for today's pitching matchups, lineups and more!
First, the home game:
Shaun Marcum (4.63 ERA this spring) pitches today in his first outing since being removed from a start with shoulder stiffness on March 17. Before coming out of that game, Marcum was dominant: He allowed just one hit (a dropped popup), and struck out two.
He'll face Anthony Bass (0.00 ERA this spring), who is making his fourth Cactus League appearance and his first start. Bass is 23 years old and spent most of last season pitching for Lake Elsinore in the California League (High A). He posted a 3.13 ERA in 27 starts there, which is pretty impressive in the hitter-friendly league. John Sickels rated him as a C prospect.
Here's the lineup for that game:
Weeks 2B
Gomez CF
Fielder 1B
Braun LF
McGehee 3B
Kotsay RF
Betancourt SS
Kottaras C
Marcum P
Now, the away game:
Kyle Davies (5.79 ERA this spring) gets his sixth start for the Royals. He's skipped in turn in the rotation since facing the Indians on 3/18 and allowing two runs on six hits over five innings. He's facing the Brewers for the second time this spring: They knocked him around a bit on March 13, scoring five runs on eight hits in two innings.
Davies will face Sam Narron (13.50 ERA this spring), who must have been closest to the phone when the Brewers called down to minor league camp for a starter. This is Narron's first Cactus League appearance since 2009. He split last season between AAA and independent ball, posting a 4.14 ERA in 17 appearances (16 starts) for Nashville.
As of this writing, I haven't seen a Brewer lineup for this game. Since most of the regulars appear to be in the home game, this one may very well be the Nashville lineup.
Weather:
No issues today, as temps should be in the high 70's with winds under 10 mph.
Coverage:
The Royals game is available on MLB.tv and KCSP (the Royals' flagship). The Padres game has no video, but a webcast is available via Gameday Audio.
Enjoy the games!