<packet_instructions>
You are reading a data packet from PNN Game Packs (A Prediction News Network project). It contains real MLB
data pulled from the MLB Stats API at the generation time below. When the
user asks questions:
  - Work ONLY from the data in this file. Never invent or estimate stats.
  - If something isn't in the file, say so plainly.
  - When you make a claim, name the section (and game/date) it came from.
</packet_instructions>

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# STARTING PITCHERS — Kansas City Royals @ St. Louis Cardinals
Slate date: 2026-05-15
Generated: 2026-08-07 06:44:12 AM ET — all data is as of this moment
Source: MLB Stats API (statsapi.mlb.com) | Packaged by PNN Game Packs
Depth: last 3 completed game(s) per team and last 3 start(s) per probable starter
Size: ~594 tokens (est., chars/4)
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## GAME DETAILS
- First pitch: 8:15 PM ET
- Venue: Busch Stadium (night game)
- Series: Regular Season, game 1 of 3
- Status: Final — Kansas City Royals 4, St. Louis Cardinals 5 (at generation time)
- Away: Kansas City Royals [KC] — record 19-26 (.422)
    Probable starter: Michael Wacha — 5-8, 3.51 ERA, 138.1 IP, 111 K / 38 BB, 1.16 WHIP (22 GS)
    Last 3 starts (most recent first):
      2026-07-31 @ Colorado Rockies (L): 6.0 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 7 K, 99 pitches
      2026-07-25 @ Detroit Tigers (ND): 7.0 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 3 K, 1 HR, 96 pitches
      2026-07-20 vs San Francisco Giants (ND): 6.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 5 K, 1 HR, 96 pitches
      Last 3 starts: 19.0 IP, 4 ER (1.89 ERA), 15 K / 4 BB, 0.95 WHIP
- Home: St. Louis Cardinals [STL] — record 26-18 (.591)
    Probable starter: Dustin May — 5-7, 4.38 ERA, 109.0 IP, 106 K / 35 BB, 1.28 WHIP (21 GS)
    Last 3 starts (most recent first):
      2026-07-29 vs Chicago Cubs (ND): 5.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 3 K, 70 pitches
      2026-07-24 vs Cincinnati Reds (ND): 6.0 IP, 7 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 8 K, 89 pitches
      2026-07-18 @ Arizona Diamondbacks (L): 5.0 IP, 8 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 4 BB, 6 K, 98 pitches
      Last 3 starts: 16.0 IP, 6 ER (3.38 ERA), 17 K / 7 BB, 1.44 WHIP

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End of packet. PNN Game Packs — LLM-ready MLB packets. Data © MLB Advanced Media, via the public Stats API.