Danny Duffy (0-0, 3.23 ERA) and Chris Archer (3-6, 4.62 ERA) are on the hill in the last of a three-game series between the Kansas City Royals (29-22) and the Tampa Bay Rays (22-28) at Ewing M. Kauffman Stadium. The Royals won the last game 10-5, continuing a five-game winning streak. Action begins at 8:15 p.m. ET on Wednesday, Jun. 1 and can be seen on FSKC and SUN.
Duffy pitched 5.1 innings in his last outing, surrendering five runs and striking out five in a 7-5 win over the White Sox. Eric Hosmer (.330, 30 Rs, 10 HRs, 35 RBIs, 4 SBs) continued his strong play yesterday, going 3 for 5 with two runs and two RBIs. Archer went 8.0 innings, surrendering four, striking out seven and walking three in a 4-1 defeat to the Yankees in his most recent start.
The odds for Kansas City and Tampa Bay are even, while the Over/Under (O/U) is currently unavailable. The Royals have seen an uptick in scoring as of late, averaging 0.0 runs during the last 10 games compared to their season average of 0.0 runs per game. Kansas City is one of the best in the MLB in terms of steals, swiping 38 bases. Kansas City’s pitching staff has been doing better against opposing offenses during the last 10 games, only allowing an average of 0.0 runs per game, well under their season average of 0.0.
Offensively, the Rays have really picked up the pace in the last 10 games. They have exceeded their season average of 0.0 runs per game by averaging 0.0 during that stretch. The Rays can change the game with one swing of the bat, ranking third in the league with 71 home runs. Tampa Bay is excellent at making contact with just 9.5 strikeouts per game, ranking third in the AL. The Rays allow 0.0 runs per game, but have improved upon those numbers in the past 10 games, allowing 0.0 runs per game during that span. When it comes to issuing walks, the Rays have the fifth-fewest in the AL with an average of just 2.7 walks allowed per game.
The Royals have the edge in the season series, 2-0.
Predictions: SU Winner – TB
Notes
The Royals are coming into this matchup after a high-scoring game where they scored a whopping 10 runs. The Rays have a 0-2 record when opponents score that many runs or more.
It looks like the Royals have a slight leg up on the Rays, as the Royals have won their last five games while the Rays have lost their last three.
When they outhit their opponents, the Royals are 23-8. The Rays have a 16-5 record when outhitting opponents.
Ranking 22nd in runs, Tampa Bay has earned 206 this season. Kansas City ranks 20th with 210 runs.
Ranking 29th, Kansas City is near the bottom of the league in walks, notching 118 this season. Tampa Bay ranks in the bottom half at 19th with 152.
When the Royals hit at least one home run, they are 22-11. When the Rays hit at least one homer, they have a 19-20 record.
