Royals’ Keller set for hometown debut in Atlanta

Kansas City’s Brad Keller will have extra motivation — and a few additional fans in the seats — when he faces the Atlanta Braves in the finale of a two-game series on Wednesday.

Keller, who is from Flowery Branch, Ga., a northeastern suburb of Atlanta, will make his first career appearance against his hometown team at Atlanta’s SunTrust Park. The right-hander was drafted and signed by the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2013 before being acquired by Kansas City in 2017.

Keller (6-9, 4.18 ERA) will be opposed by veteran Atlanta right-hander Julio Teheran (5-6, 3.61).

The Royals won the series opener 5-4 on Tuesday when they rallied for three runs in the eighth inning against the Braves’ bullpen. It was the first meeting between the two clubs in Atlanta since 2013.

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Keller is enjoying a very good month. In three starts during July, he is 2-0 with a 1.80 ERA and 16 strikeouts in 20 innings. He beat the Chicago White Sox in his most recent start on Thursday, pitching 6 1/3 innings and giving up four runs, two earned, with seven strikeouts and two walks. He had allowed two combined runs in 13 2/3 innings in his two previous starts against Detroit and Washington.

Keller has never faced the Braves. This will be his ninth interleague game, sixth start, and he is 1-2 with a 4.45 ERA against the National League. He has allowed just one homer in 32 1/3 innings in interleague competition.

“We’re playing really good ball right now,” Keller said of the Royals. “The offense is alive and killing it right now. The starters and relievers are doing their job. The (All-Star) break helped us, I think.”

The Royals improved to 4-5 in interleague games and the Braves fell to 4-3 against the American League. The two clubs meet again Sept. 24-25 in Kansas City.

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