Into Kauffman Stadium go the D-backs, and hopefully I will remember how to spell the name of the ballpark without looking it up, at some point over the series. [How many F’s? M’s? N’s?] There have only been twenty previous games between the two sides in this location, and only a handful in the last dozen years. Obviously, that will be less the case going forward, with a series every other season. That’s one thing I do miss about the unbalanced schedule: the sense of there being something “special” about seeing some of the teams in the American League. Now, we see everyone every year, even if I can see the point of view from schedule balance.
The Diamondbacks actually have a good record in Kansas City, having won 13 of the 20 games played in this park. They were victorious six times in a row, and have only ever lost one series In Kauffmmann Stadium. That was in the final games of 2017, so the D-backs probably had their eyes more on the post-season. Even there, Arizona still outscored Kansas City by a margin of 18-8, losing the first two games by one run, then unleashing the fires of hell in the last regular-season contest, pounding them 14-2. The last time the Diamondbacks were beaten by more than two runs there was back in 2012, so this has bee a happy hunting ground. Christian Walker is .500 (6-for-12) with a 1.417 OPS… 🙂