Henry Owens (1-1, 6.19 ERA) and Johnny Cueto (9-7, 2.46 ERA) take the hill in the second of a four-game series between the Boston Red Sox (55-66) and the Kansas City Royals (73-47) at Fenway Park. The Red Sox won the last game 4-1 and Boston leads the series 1-0. Action begins at 7:10 p.m. ET on Friday, Aug. 21 and can be seen on FSKC and NESN.
Owens pitched 6.0 innings in his last outing, surrendering seven runs, striking out 10 and walking one in a 10-8 defeat to the Mariners. Cueto went 8.0 innings, surrendering one run and striking out four in a 9-4 win over the Angels in his most recent start.
Kansas City takes on Boston as a -159 favorite. The Over/Under (O/U) for the matchup is sitting at eight runs. The Red Sox have an overall money line of -1,858 and a record as the underdog of 22-28. The Red Sox have seen an uptick in scoring as of late, averaging 8.5 runs during the last 10 games compared to their season average of 4.5 runs per game. Boston is one of the best in the AL in terms of walks, earning an average of 3.0 per game. Boston’s pitching staff has been doing poorly against opposing offenses during the last 10 games, allowing an average of 6.2 runs per game, well above its season average of 4.9.
In the other locker room, Kansas City is coming in with an overall money line of +2,452 and an impressive record of 42-22 as the favorite. They played solid baseball as the favorite over their last 10 games with a 7-1 record, and an 8-2 record SU. The Royals are tough outs for opponents, ranking second in the AL with 9.2 hits per game. The Royals are an excellent base stealing team with 82 stolen bases, ranking fifth in the MLB.
The Red Sox lead the season series, 3-1. The Red Sox have a 41-46 record against right-handed starting pitchers on the year, which is what they’ll be facing when Cueto takes the mound. Owens (LHP) will be on the hill against the Royals, who have a 23-18 record against left-handed starting pitchers.
Predictions: SU Winner – KC, O/U – Over
Notes
The Red Sox are coming into this game after allowing one walk during their last outing. The Royals have a 21-21 record when opponents give up that many walks or fewer.
When they are outhit, the Red Sox are 11-55. The Royals have an 11-38 record when opponents outhit them.
Kansas City ranks near the bottom of the league at 27th when it comes to home runs, hitting 94 this season. Boston ranks in the top half at 13th with 117.
Boston and Kansas City both rank in the top five of the league in hits. Boston sits at third with 9.16 hits per game and Kansas City ranks second with 9.18.
Ranking 11th, Kansas City is in the top half of the league for its on-base plus slugging percentage (.729). Boston ranks in the top 10 at seventh with an OPS of .738.
The Royals are 33-32 in games where they allow one or more home runs. The Red Sox are 28-55 when they allow at least one homer.
