Noah Syndergaard (10-8, 3.20 ERA) and the New York Mets meet Yordano Ventura (13-9, 4.18 ERA) and the Kansas City Royals in Game 3 of the World Series at Citi Field. The Royals won the last game 7-1, and Kansas City leads the series 2-0. The game starts at 8:07 p.m. ET on Friday, Oct. 30 and will air on FOX.
In Game 2 of the League Championship Series, Syndergaard pitched 5.2 innings, giving up one run, striking out nine and walking one in a 4-1 victory over the Cubs. Lucas Duda (.246, 69 Rs, 28 HRs, 80 RBIs) played well again Wednesday, going 2 for 3 with one RBI. The Royals were also victorious the last time Ventura pitched. He pitched well, going 5.1 innings, allowing one run, striking out five and walking two in a 4-3 victory over the Blue Jays. Kendrys Morales (.287, 86 Rs, 26 HRs, 116 RBIs) went 1 for 4 Wednesday.
New York, a -145 favorite, will look to capitalize at home against Kansas City. The Over/Under (O/U) for the matchup is seven runs. The Mets have a winning record of 72-34 when playing as the favorite and an overall money line of +596. They have performed well against the American League to earn a SU record of 9-11, but only have a 7-5 record when they were the favorite. New York has averaged 3.3 runs per game during interleague play, lower than its season average of 4.2. The Mets are a dangerous hitting team with 518 extra base hits, one of the highest totals in the MLB. New York’s pitchers struggle against teams that play in the American League. The Mets have given up an average of 4.3 runs to opponents from the AL, well over their defense’s season average of 3.8. The Mets are second in the league in WHIP at 1.175.
Moving on to the away team, the Royals come into this game with a win percentage of .552 when playing as the underdog (37-30) and an overall money line of +1,904. Teams in the National League haven’t been able to nail down Kansas City this season. The Royals hold a record of 3-5 in games where they were ranked as the underdog and a 13-7 SU. The Royals are known for their bats, hitting 521 extra base hits. The Royals have racked up 112 steals on the year, making them one of the most threatening base-running teams in the league. The Royals pitchers are a problem for opposing batters, sporting a 3.80 ERA on the road this season. They also average just 8.5 hits allowed per road game, fifth-best in the AL.
So far this season, the Royals are 2-0 against the Mets. The Mets will take on a right-hander (Ventura) in this game and have a 72-56 record against right-handed starting pitchers this season. Taking the hill against the Royals will be the right-hander Syndergaard. They sport a 64-41 record against righties.
Predictions: SU Winner – KC, O/U – Over
Notes
Having scored one run in their last game, the Mets are going to have to step it up if they want to win this matchup. The Royals have a 35-1 record in games where opponents scored one run or less.
It looks like the Royals have a slight leg up on the Mets, as the Royals have won their last three games while the Mets have lost their last two.
When they outhit their opponents, the Mets are 68-9. The Royals have an 81-9 record when outhitting opponents.
Ranking eighth in runs, New York has earned 731 this season. Kansas City ranks second with 799 runs.
Ranking 24th, Kansas City is near the bottom of the league in walks, notching 420 this season. New York ranks in the top 10 at seventh with 520.
When the Mets hit at least one home run, they are 70-33, well-matched with the Royals who are 71-35 when hitting one or more homers.
