In the second of a three-game series between the Kansas City Royals (29-20) and the Cleveland Indians (29-20) at Kauffman Stadium, Chris Young (4-1, 1.55 ERA) and Corey Kluber (3-5, 3.52 ERA) get the ball. The Indians won the last game 2-1 and Cleveland leads the series 1-0. The game gets underway at 8:10 p.m. ET on Wednesday, Jun. 3 and will air on STO and FSN-KC.
Young is 2-0 with a 2.08 ERA and 0.83 WHIP against the Indians in his career. Kendrys Morales (.303, 32 Rs, 6 HRs, 37 RBIs) went 1 for 4 yesterday. In his career against the Royals, Kluber is 4-3 with a 3.48 ERA. He gets a strong Kansas City offense that’s batting .275. Michael Brantley (.302, 21 Rs, 4 HRs, 31 RBIs, 7 SBs) went 1 for 3 yesterday with one RBI.
Kansas City, a +119 underdog, will look to capitalize at home against Cleveland. The matchup currently has a seven-run Over/Under (O/U). The Royals are 13-9 as the underdog and have an overall money line of +934. Over the last 10 games, they have performed poorly when playing as the underdog (1-4). Kansas City has averaged 3.2 runs per game over the last 10 games, lower than its season average of 4.7. The Royals come into the game with the second-ranked scoring offense in the AL, averaging 4.7 runs per game. The Royals lead the AL in hits with 9.6 per game. As for the pitching staff, the Royals don’t give up many hits at home to opposing batters at Kauffman Stadium, leading the AL with only 7.2 hits allowed per home game.
On the other side, the Indians have a record of 15-16 when they are favored and are -626 overall with the money line. Over the past 10 matchups, they are 7-3 SU and have played well as the favorite with a 5-2 record. The Indians are known for their bats, hitting 158 extra base hits. Cleveland has an eye for the strike zone, averaging an AL-best 3.9 walks per game.
The Royals have gotten the best of the Indians in head-to-head matchups this season, going 4-3. The Royals will take on a right-hander (Kluber) in this game and have a 19-13 record against right-handed starting pitchers this season. Taking the hill against the Indians will be the left-hander Young. They sport a 10-11 record against southpaws.
Predictions: SU Winner – CLE, O/U – Over
Notes
The Indians won their last game by a one-run margin. In games decided by one run, the Royals are 5-5. The Indians are 4-6 in close games this season.
When the Royals play into extra innings, they have a 3-1 record. The Indians are 1-2 when their games exceed nine innings.
The Indians are coming into this game after allowing two walks during their last outing. The Royals have an 18-16 record when opponents give up that many walks or fewer.
When they are outhit, the Royals are 1-15. The Indians have a 4-21 record when opponents outhit them.
Ranking 27th in home runs, Kansas City has hit 37 this season. Cleveland ranks 16th with 48 home runs.
Ranking first in hits, Kansas City has earned 9.56 per game this season. Cleveland ranks sixth with 8.60 hits.
Ranking seventh, Cleveland is in the top 10 of the league for its on-base plus slugging percentage (.734). Kansas City ranks in the top five at fifth with an OPS of .741.
When the Indians allow at least one home run, they are 17-20, well-matched with the Royals who are 13-14 when allowing at least one homer.
