In the first of a three-game series between the Cleveland Indians (6-11) and the Kansas City Royals (6-11) at Progressive Field, Corey Kluber (0-2, 3.90 ERA) and Jeremy Guthrie (1-1, 5.50 ERA) get the start. The game gets underway at 6:10 p.m. ET on Monday, Apr. 27 and will air on FSN-KC and STO.
Kluber is 4-1 with a 2.83 ERA against the Royals in his career, but faces a solid Kansas City offense that’s hitting .295 on the year. Carlos Santana (.250, 11 Rs, 3 HRs, 11 RBIs, 2 SBs) played well again yesterday, going 2 for 3 with two runs and one RBI. In his career against the Indians, Guthrie is 5-5 with a 6.06 ERA. He gets a struggling Cleveland offense that’s batting just .237. Lorenzo Cain (.375, 13 Rs, 2 HRs, 12 RBIs, 5 SBs) went 1 for 4 yesterday.
Cleveland, a -152 favorite, will look to capitalize at home against Kansas City. The Over/Under (O/U) for the matchup is set at seven runs. The Indians have a losing record of 3-6 when playing as the favorite and an overall money line of -674. They have disappointing records of 2-6 as the favorite and 4-10 SU within their division. They typically aren’t overmatched by pitchers, ranking fourth in the AL with an average of only 7.1 strikeouts per game. Whenever an AL Central opponent shows up on the calendar, the Indians seem to struggle with pitching. They allow an average of 4.2 runs per game, but allow 4.9 against teams from their own division.
Across the field, the Royals have a nice record of 6-1 when they are the underdog and are +685 overall with the money line. Over the past 10 matchups, they are 5-5 SU and have played well as the underdog with a 3-1 record. The Royals are the top-ranked scoring offense in the AL when playing on the road, averaging five runs per game so far. Kansas City is the top hitting team in the AL with an average of 10.6 hits per contest. Kansas City is a terror on the base paths, ranking fifth in the MLB with 15 stolen bases. The Royals are a problem for opposing batters, sporting a 3.08 ERA this season. They have a WHIP of 1.08 on the year, good for tops in the league. They also have some of the most overpowering arms in the AL with an average of 7.3 strikeouts per road game.
This game will feature Guthrie (LHP) on the mound against the Indians, who have a 1-6 record when they take on a left-handed starter. Taking the hill against the Royals will be the right-hander Kluber. They sport a 5-3 record against righties.
Predictions: SU Winner – KC, O/U – Over
Notes
For the second time this season, the Royals registered at least two errors in a game.
When the Royals play into extra innings, they have a 1-0 record. The Indians are 0-1 when their games exceed nine innings.
The Royals are coming into this game after allowing two walks during their last outing. The Indians have a 3-2 record when opponents give up that many walks or fewer.
When they outhit their opponents, the Indians are 5-1. The Royals have an 11-2 record when outhitting opponents.
Ranking 24th in runs, Cleveland has earned 64 this season. Kansas City ranks eighth with 89 runs.
Ranking 25th, Kansas City is near the bottom of the league in walks, notching 44 this season. Cleveland ranks in the bottom half at 20th with 50.
When the Indians hit at least one home run, they are 5-4. When the Royals hit at least one homer, they have an 8-2 record.
