MLB Game Preview - Oakland at Kansas City
Tue Aug 27, 2019 8:15 PM EDT

PIT
5
PHI
4
F
BAL
2
WSH
0
F
ATL
1
TOR
3
F
CIN
8
MIA
5
F
CHC
5
NYM
2
F
CLE
10
DET
1
F
STL
6
MIL
3
F
TB
1
HOU
15
F
MIN
3
CHW
1
F
OAK
2
KC
1
F
BOS
10
COL
6
F
ARI
3
SF
2
F
TEX
2
LAA
5
F
LAD
9
SD
0
F
NYY
7
SEA
0
F
Fiers tries to maintain success as A's face Royals
Tue Aug 27, 2019 3:03 AM

The Oakland A's played 129 games before facing the Kansas City Royals for the first time in 2019.

It was worth the wait, as they clobbered the Royals 19-4 Monday night. They'll get right back at it Tuesday as they send right-hander Mike Fiers (12-3, 3.46 ERA) to the mound to face lefty Mike Montgomery (3-6, 4.99 ERA).

The A's will be without outfielder Stephen Piscotty, who was placed on the 10-day injured list retroactive to Sunday due to a sprained right ankle.

In a great example of "next man up," outfielder Seth Brown made his major league debut Monday and picked up hits in his first two at-bats. He finished 2-for-6 with two runs and an RBI.

"It's been an incredible journey for me," Brown said before Monday's game. "I've got so many people to thank for support and help along the way. It's been an incredible ride. To get this invite up here and try to help us win, it's something you only dream about. It's been a pretty emotional few days for me. But I'm up here.

"For me, it was nailing down an approach. Regardless of who's on the mound, having the same routine day in and day out has been the biggest thing. Just nailing that down."

Brown had been tearing up the Pacific Coast League with 37 home runs and 104 RBIs to go with a .297 average over 112 games for Triple-A Las Vegas. Brown, who batted sixth and started in left field on Monday, blooped a single in his first at-bat and later scored in a five-run second inning. He collected his first career RBI with a single in the third.

The newcomer could be back in the lineup Tuesday behind Fiers, who is 10-0 with a 2.44 ERA in his past 19 starts. He is averaging more than 6 1/3 innings in those 19 starts, never going fewer than five innings.

Fiers is 2-3 with a 5.30 ERA in seven career starts against Kansas City. He last faced the Royals in 2018 when he had two starts against them as a member of the Detroit Tigers, going 1-0 with a 6.75 ERA.

In his latest outing, against the Yankees on Wednesday, Fiers allowed two runs on six hits in 5 1/3 innings during the Athletics' 6-4 victory.

Montgomery is 2-4 with a 4.46 ERA in seven starts since joining the Royals in mid-July. Over four August starts, he is 2-2 with a 2.74 ERA with 25 strikeouts, including a career-high 12 over seven scoreless innings Aug. 10 at Detroit.

He took his first loss since Aug. 5 in his latest start, allowing five runs on a season-high eight hits in an 8-1 setback at Baltimore on Wednesday. Montgomery served up three homers for the first time in his career.

"The first one was a first-pitch ambush, and I was mad at myself," Montgomery said of Jonathan Villar's second-inning home run. "I knew he would swing first pitch at that one.

"It was just one of those nights where it seemed like they really were one step ahead of me of what I was trying to do. I made a lot of really good pitches right below the zone that they didn't chase. My changeup is my bread and butter, and they didn't chase that pitch, so credit to them."

Montgomery is 3-0 with a 4.05 ERA in five career appearances (two starts) vs. the A's. He hasn't faced them since 2016.

--Field Level Media

Team Record Comparison

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

Scheduled Starting Pitchers

Mike Fiers - (N/A)
Matchup
Season
vs. Opp Has not pitched vs. Kansas City
Mike Montgomery - LAD
Matchup
Season
vs. Opp Has not pitched vs. Oakland

Hot Batters (Last 10 team games)

Injury Report

--%>