MLB Game Preview - Toronto at Kansas City
Wed Jul 31, 2019 1:15 PM EDT

ATL
5
WSH
4
F(10)
PIT
1
CIN
4
F
ARI
5
NYY
7
F
TOR
4
KC
1
F
LAD
5
COL
1
F
DET
9
LAA
1
F
SF
5
PHI
1
F
MIN
7
MIA
4
F
TB
8
BOS
5
F
HOU
4
CLE
10
F
SEA
7
TEX
9
F
NYM
4
CHW
2
F
CHC
2
STL
0
F
MIL
4
OAK
2
F
Jays target series sweep against Royals
Wed Jul 31, 2019 4:04 AM

When the Toronto Blue Jays and the host Kansas City Royals get together for a Wednesday matinee at Kauffman Stadium, they will be battling for more than just position in next year's MLB draft -- though they are separated by two games for the third-worst record in baseball.

The starting pitchers are also playing for bragging rights over the proper way to spell their name. Namely, the K or the C.

Right-hander Jacob Waguespack (1-1, 5.63 ERA) will take the mound for the Blue Jays, while RHP Jakob Junis (6-9, 5.03) will get the honors for the Royals.

That covers the alphabet. As for the scoreboard, the Blue Jays will be looking for a three-game sweep as they claimed a 9-2 victory over Kansas City on Tuesday night. The outcome was very much undecided until the Jays plated five unearned runs in the ninth inning, including a grand slam by Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

Both starting pitchers don't offer much when it comes to major league experience. For the 6-foot-6, 235-pound Waguespack, his 2019 stats also are his career numbers. He has appeared in five games, with three starts. He's faced the Red Sox twice, earning his first win in relief, and the Rays twice, picking up his first career loss in his last start on Friday.

Waguespack was acquired at the trade deadline in 2018 as the Blue Jays began their roster overhaul. He was picked up from Philadelphia in a trade that sent reliever Aaron Loup to the Phillies.

Waguespack has pitched an average of five innings in all three starts with a WHIP of 1.80. He has a career minor league ERA of 4.04 with just over a third of his 133 appearances coming in starts.

He'll be facing the Royals for the first time, something he believes will be to his advantage.

"I think it's helpful because they haven't seen you yet," Waguespack said Tuesday. "A lot of guys get comfortable when they've seen you a couple of times. They can relay information. I think it's beneficial if it's your first time seeing them, for sure."

Junis, also a big man at 6-2, 225 pounds, is a "seasoned veteran" compared to Waguespack, though he's not yet been completely around the block three times.

He made his debut in 2017 and quickly made a name for himself. He finished that season 9-3 with a 4.30 ERA. He made 16 starts among his 20 appearances, and he was 7-3 with a 4.16 ERA in the starting role.

It earned him a spot in the rotation for 2018 and he has not pitched out of the pen in the last two years.

His struggles this season have been because of walks and the long ball. His home runs per nine innings spiked from 1.4 in 2017 to 1.6 in 2018 and so far in 2019. His walks per nine innings in 2019 is up a full point, from 2.2 last season to career-worst 3.2 in 2019.

True to his first name, his "Ks" are up, too. Junis is up to 8.6 strikeouts per nine innings (120 punchouts in 125 1/3 innings).

"My command early wasn't the greatest, but it got better," Junis said after getting a career-high 10 strikeouts on July 15.

"Fastball command got better as the game went on," Junis said after that outing. "Probably the sharpest my slider has been all year. That was pretty nice to have that going."

Both pitchers are part of their teams' pitching futures. Wednesday may just be the first of many spelling bees to come.

--Field Level Media

Team Record Comparison

Team Standings GB W-L Aw/Hm Stk L10
Toronto            
Kansas City            

Scheduled Starting Pitchers

Jacob Waguespack - TB
Matchup
Season
vs. Opp Has not pitched vs. Kansas City
Jakob Junis - MIL
Matchup
Season
vs. Opp Has not pitched vs. Toronto

Hot Batters (Last 10 team games)

Injury Report

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