KANSAS CITY AT LOS ANGELES TIME/TV 8:07 p.m.,TBS SEASON SERIES Tied 3-3.
PROJECTED LINEUP
ROYALS SS Alcides Escobar .285 3 50 RF Nori Aoki .285 1 43 CF Lorenzo Cain .301 5 53 1B Eric Hosmer .270 9 58 DH Billy Butler .271 9 66 LF Alex Gordon .266 19 74 C Salvador Perez .260 19 70 2B Omar Infante .252 6 66 3B Mike Moustakas .212 15 54
STARTING PITCHER W L ERA Jason Vargas 11 10 3.71
ANGELS RF Kole Calhoun .272 17 58 CF Mike Trout .287 36 111 1B Albert Pujols .272 28 105 2B Howie Kendrick .293 7 75 SS Erick Aybar .278 7 68 3B David Freese .260 10 55 LF Josh Hamilton .263 10 44 DH C.J. Cron .256 11 37 C Chris Iannetta .252 7 43
STARTING PITCHER W L ERA Jered Weaver 18 9 3.59
MATCHUPS The teams met only six times in the regular season, each taking 2 of 3 at home. … They haven’t met since June 29, when the Royals beat Los Angeles 5-4 to knock the Angels 5 ½ games behind Oakland in the AL West. The Angels won the division by 10 games. … Los Angeles has won eight of their past 11 meetings, including six of eight in Kansas City. … The Angels have won 15 of the past 18 season series against the Royals, going 70-38 since 2002. … Angels ace Weaver has dominated nearly every hitter in the Royals’ lineup during their careers, allowing more than six hits to just one batter former teammate Raul Ibanez. The 42-year-old slugger, 15 for 36 with 4 HRs against Weaver, was released by Los Angeles on June 21 and rejoined Kansas City nine days later.
BIG PICTURE
Royals: After ending a 29-year postseason drought, the Royals continued their winning ways in the playoffs. They won the last three games of the 1985 World Series against St. Louis. So after their thrilling 9-8, 12-inning victory over Oakland in Tuesday night’s AL wild-card game, Kansas City has now won four consecutive playoff games. …. The Royals win with strong starting pitching, a stingy bullpen and daring on the basepaths. They swiped seven bags against the A’s, including one that helped set up the tying run in the 12th inning. … The Royals burned through all of their shut-down relievers against Oakland — Brandon Finnegan, Kelvin Herrera, Wade Davis and closer Greg Holland. But with a day off Wednesday they should be rested and ready against Los Angeles.
Angels: Los Angeles streaked through the final months of the regular season and finished with the majors’ best record at 98-64, earning homefield advantage throughout the postseason. … The Angels are back in the postseason for the first time since 2009 with their sixth AL West title under Manager Mike Scioscia. … Los Angeles had the majors’ most productive offense in the lowest-scoring big league season since 1981, driving in 773 runs with a deep, balanced offense led by likely AL MVP Mike Trout, who will make his first postseason appearance. … Trout led the majors with 115 runs scored, 84 extra-base hits and 111 RBI, becoming the Angels’ second RBI champion after current hitting coach Don Baylor, who did it in 1979.