John Danks (0-2, 6.06 ERA) and Edinson Volquez (2-1, 1.99 ERA) are on the hill in the second of a three-game series between the Chicago White Sox (6-9) and the Kansas City Royals (12-4) at U.S. Cellular Field. The Royals won the last game 3-2 and Kansas City leads the series 1-0. Action begins at 2:10 p.m. ET on Saturday, Apr. 25 and can be seen on FSN-KC and CSN-CHI.
Danks is 7-1 with a 2.63 ERA in his appearances against the Royals, but goes up against a quality Kansas City offense which is batting .301 this season. Jose Abreu (.305, 7 Rs, 5 HRs, 13 RBIs) had another good game Thursday, going 2 for 4 with one RBI. When pitching against the White Sox, Volquez is 1-1 with a 4.26 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, and eight strikeouts. Lorenzo Cain (.375, 13 Rs, 2 HRs, 12 RBIs, 5 SBs) went 1 for 3 Thursday with one run.
Kansas City is a narrow -115 favorite over Chicago. According to the oddsmakers, the Over/Under (O/U) is currently eight runs. The White Sox have recorded an overall money line of -333 and have shown a weak performance as an underdog this season with a record of 3-7. Chicago has had a discouraging season against division opponents, earning records of 3-7 and 6-9 as the underdog and SU respectively.
Over in the other dugout, Kansas City is coming in with an overall money line of +785 and an impressive record of 6-4 as the favorite. They have been playing solid baseball as favorite with a 6-3 record against AL Central foes, and a 7-3 record SU. The Royals capitalize on their at-bats at a high percentage, leading the league with a .301 team batting average. The Royals are an excellent base stealing team with 15 stolen bases, ranking fourth in the MLB. Kansas City’s pitching staff is one of the top in the AL at pitching on the road, with a 3.18 ERA. When it comes to preventing batters from getting on base, the Royals are one of the best in the league with a WHIP of 1.05 for the season. The Royals have established a reputation of overwhelming hitters with an AL-best 7.3 strikeouts per road game, making them one of the top five teams in the league.
The Royals have the edge in the season series, 4-0. The White Sox have a 6-6 record against right-handed starting pitchers on the year, which is what they’ll be facing when Volquez takes the mound. Danks (LHP) will be on the hill against the Royals, who have a very good 7-1 record against left-handed starting pitchers.
Predictions: SU Winner – KC, O/U – Over
Notes
The Royals won their last game by a one-run margin. In games decided by one run, the White Sox are 2-2. The Royals are 2-0 in close games this season.
The Royals are 1-0 in games that go into extra innings. Meanwhile, the White Sox are 0-1 in such matchups.
The Royals managed to give up four walks in their last game. They’ll have to pick it up against the White Sox who are heading in with a 2-3 record against opponents who give up that many walks or more.
When they outhit their opponents, the White Sox are 6-1. The Royals have an 11-1 record when outhitting opponents.
Ranking 26th in runs, Chicago has earned 52 this season. Kansas City ranks fourth with 84 runs.
Chicago and Kansas City both rank near the bottom of the league in walks. Chicago sits at 28th with 33 this season and Kansas City ranks 22nd with 42.
When the White Sox hit at least one home run, they are 5-4. When the Royals hit at least one homer, they have an 8-1 record.
