ROYALS @ ATHLETICS...K.C. HARDBALL trying to saty in contention in the AL Central gets the ATHLETICS looking like ZITO, MULDER, and HUDSON of old...and that would be GRAY, KAZMIR, LESTER, CHAVEZ, and SAMARDZIJA...Yikes! "WEEKEND BENDERS" with the ROYALS and A's chasing or getting chased in the Division! #KCvsOAK

The Kansas City Royals come into the "Black Hole" Hardball Set-Up watching everything unfold like everyone yesterday talking the 2014 MLB Trade Deadline. After the smoke cleared the Royals tried to move their Dates up playing Oakland to sometime in 2015...what!

That's right A's Nation grabbed the #2 Deal at the Deadline adding Carmines Left-Hand Ace Jon Lester to a Starting Rotation that was already considered by many as 2014 Fall Classic Worthy. Shades of that Barry Zito, Mark Mulder, and Tim Hudson is back on the "Bump" for Billy Ball. Sonny Gray, Scott Kazmir, Jon Lester, Jeff Samardzija, and Jesse Chavez and that's going five-man starting rotation. Now comes K.C. Hardball facing the new Swingin' Elephants!

#RoyalsNation KANSAS CITY (55-52 2nd AL Central)

@

#SwinginElephants OAKLAND (66-41 1st AL West)

Junior Circuit August Madness

from

The

BLACK HOLE

T.G.I.F. August 1, 2014 @ 9:35pm ET 

KC Guthrie (6-9) vs OAK Gray (12-3)

Saturday August 2, 2014 @ 4:05pm ET 

KC Vargas (8-4) vs OAK Lester (10-7)

Sunday August 3, 2014 @ 4:05pm ET 

KC Shields (9-6) vs OAK Kazmir (12-3)

The Royals are throwing Vargas and Shields as they will see Gray, Lester, and Kazmir in that order and that send chills down any line up.

Stars at the Dish

#KCHardball 

DH B. Butler .269 5 HR 41 RBI
C S. Perez .275 12 HR 39 RBI
LF A. Gordon .276 9 HR 47 RBI

#SwinginElephants

3B J. Donaldson .247 23 HR 76 RBI
1B B. Moss .259 23 HR 72 RBI
C D. Norris .300 9 HR 40 RBI

Only time will tell if losing All-Star OF Yoenis Cespedes to the Carmines will effect that A's Line Up...they did get Jon Lester in return!