In the first of a one-game series between the Chicago Cubs (90-65) and the Kansas City Royals (90-65) at Wrigley Field, Kyle Hendricks (7-7, 4.23 ERA) and Yordano Ventura (12-8, 4.40 ERA) take the mound. The Cubs won the last game 3-0 and Chicago can finish out the series sweep with a win in this game. The game gets underway at 8:05 p.m. ET on Monday, Sep. 28 and will air on FSKC and CSCh.
In his most recent outing, Hendricks pitched 6.0 innings, giving up three runs and striking out eight in a 4-1 loss to the Brewers. Kris Bryant (.282, 86 Rs, 26 HRs, 99 RBIs, 13 SBs) continued his strong season yesterday, going 2 for 4 with one RBI. The Royals were unsuccessful the last time Ventura pitched. He went 6.0 innings, allowing three runs, striking out four and walking one in a 4-3 loss to the Mariners. Lorenzo Cain (.308, 99 Rs, 16 HRs, 71 RBIs, 28 SBs) has been doing well offensively for the Royals, going 3 for 4 yesterday with one run.
Chicago is a small -102 underdog in this game and the Over/Under (O/U) is presently unavailable. When playing as the underdog, the Cubs have a 25-27 record and overall money line at +957. They have an SU record of 9-10 against the American League and a 3-4 record when they were the underdog in those games. The Cubs typically don’t swing at bad pitches, which has led to an impressive 3.5 walks per game. Turning to the pitching staff, the Cubs lead the league in WHIP at 1.18.
Switching to the opposing bench, the Royals come into this game with a solid win percentage of .604 when playing as the favorite (55-36) and an overall money line of +1,639. NL opponents haven’t been able to get the upper hand on fiery Kansas City. The Royals hold a record of 10-2 in games where they were ranked as the favorite and a 13-6 SU. The Royals have racked up 99 steals on the year, making them one of the most threatening base-running teams in the league. The last 10 games have really brought the worst out of the Kansas City pitchers. They allowed 5.1 runs per game during that span, which is higher than their season average of 4.0. They also allow just 8.6 hits per road game, good for fifth in the AL.
This game will feature Ventura (RHP) on the mound against the Cubs, who have a 71-51 record when they take on a right-handed starter. The right-handed Hendricks will take the mound against the Royals, who have a 62-39 record against righty starters this season.
Predictions: SU Winner – KC
Notes
Chicago has won 59% (37-26) of its games when leading after 7 innings. However, Kansas City has won 62% (37-23) of its games when taking a late lead.
The Royals are coming into this game after allowing two walks during their last outing. The Cubs have a 20-29 record when opponents give up that many walks or fewer.
When they outhit their opponents, the Cubs are 62-9. The Royals have a 71-8 record when outhitting opponents.
Ranking 17th, Chicago is in the bottom half of the league in runs, scoring 659 this season. Kansas City ranks in the top 10 at sixth with 697.
Ranking 30th, Kansas City is at the bottom of the league in walks, notching 358 this season. Chicago ranks in the top five at third with 539.
The Cubs are 64-28 when they hit at least one home run. The Royals perform similarly when they hit one or more homers with a 62-30 record.
