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Cole Ragans will look to rebound from his worst start of the season when the Kansas City Royals host the Colorado Rockies in a opener of a doubleheader on Thursday.
The teams' scheduled Wednesday game was postponed due to rain, necessitating the twin bill.
Ragans (1-1, 3.58 ERA) gave up season worsts of five runs, six hits and three walks in four-plus innings on Friday in a loss to the Detroit Tigers.
The 2024 All-Star did strike out eight batters, and he has fanned 42 in just 27 2/3 innings.
"I didn't command the baseball very well," the 27-year-old left-hander said of his latest outing. "Left a lot of breaking balls arm side and didn't get ahead as well as I have been in the past. Made some good pitches at times and they put good swings on them. But overall, I just fell behind a lot of guys."
Ragans has no decisions and a 2.00 ERA in two career games (one start) against Colorado.
The Royals enter Game 1 with the chance to match their season-best winning streak of three games.
Winning has been tough due to a lack of offense. Kansas City ranks last in the majors with 12 homers and has scored four or fewer runs in 22 of its 24 games.
The Royals last scored more than four on April 4 in an 8-2 rout of the Baltimore Orioles.
Colorado owns the worst record in the majors with 18 losses in 22 games and is a dismal 1-12 on the road. The Rockies have lost their past 11 road games.
Colorado dropped the series opener at Kansas City 4-3 in 11 innings on Tuesday.
The doubleheader is the Rockies' second in five days. Colorado split a pair of games with the Washington Nationals on Sunday.
Rockies center fielder Brenton Doyle returned to the team Wednesday after a stint on the bereavement list. He has had just one at-bat since April 10 due to a quadriceps injury and the leave.
Still, Doyle leads the Rockies in batting average (.315) and RBIs (12) and is tied for the team lead with three homers.
"Your body gets so used to playing every day, practicing every day," Doyle said. "When you're out of it for even two days off, it feels weird. I haven't gone out in I don't know how many days, so I'm pretty amped."
Colorado right-hander German Marquez will face Ragans in Game 1. He was slated to pitch Wednesday before the postponement.
Marquez (0-3, 8.27 ERA) has experienced a tough start. The 30-year-old has allowed 22 hits and eight walks in just 16 1/3 innings.
He recorded just two outs in his last turn against the Los Angeles Dodgers on April 16 while giving up seven runs and six hits.
Marquez is 1-0 with a 3.75 ERA in two career starts against Kansas City. He has held Hunter Renfroe (eight strikeouts) and Mark Canha to 1-for-13 efforts while serving up homers to Salvador Perez (1-for-3) and Jonathan India (2-for-8).
Right-hander Michael Lorenzen (1-3, 4.57 ERA) is slated to start Game 2 for the Royals. He also was a scheduled Wednesday starter.
He has dropped his past two starts, including an April 17 outing when he gave up four runs and seven hits over 4 2/3 innings against the Tigers.
Lorenzen, 33, is 1-2 with a 4.97 ERA in 13 appearances (three starts) against the Rockies. Mickey Moniak (3-for-15) has homered off Lorenzen while Jacob Stallings is hitless in 15 at-bats.
Colorado will give the ball to rookie right-hander Chase Dollander (1-2, 7.36 ERA) in the second game. The 23-year-old has struck out 18 but has served up a whopping eight homers in just 14 2/3 innings.
Dollander yielded four long balls while losing to the Nationals on Saturday. He gave up nine runs (six earned) and nine hits over four-plus innings. He will be facing the Royals for the first time.
More must-reads:
- Yankees quickly pull plug on key trade-deadline acquisition
- Cubs president admits trade-deadline gamble 'not looking like a good bet'
- The 'MLB playoff home run leaders' quiz
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