Carlos Carrasco (2-0, 2.45 ERA) takes the hill for the Cleveland Indians (27-24) as they square off against Yordano Ventura (4-3, 5.17 ERA) and the Kansas City Royals (30-22) in the first of a four-game series at Progressive Field. The Royals come into this series hoping to extend a six-game winning streak. Action begins at 7:10 p.m. ET on Thursday, Jun. 2 and can be seen on STOh and FSKC.
Carrasco pitched 2.2 innings in his most recent start, surrendering zero runs and striking out two in a 6-3 win over the Tigers. Mike Napoli (.230, 33 Rs, 12 HRs, 38 RBIs, 2 SBs) went 1 for 4 yesterday with one run, one home run, and two RBIs. Ventura went 7.0 innings, surrendering seven runs (one unearned) and striking out four in an 8-7 win over the White Sox in his last outing. Lorenzo Cain (.305, 30 Rs, 8 HRs, 34 RBIs, 6 SBs) has been successful at the plate, going 3 for 4 yesterday with two runs and one RBI.
The odds for Cleveland and Kansas City are even, while the Over/Under (O/U) is currently not available. Within its division, Cleveland has a record of 13-5 SU. The Indians have no trouble scoring as they rank fourth in the AL in home offense with 5.3 runs per game. Cleveland is one of the best in the MLB in terms of steals, swiping 37 bases. Cleveland’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.
The Royals are 14-7 against AL Central opponents. Offensively, the Royals 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 Royals are an excellent base stealing team with 39 stolen bases, ranking third in the MLB. The Royals 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. The Royals have established a reputation of overwhelming hitters with an AL-best 6.9 strikeouts per road game, making them one of the top five teams in the league.
The Indians lead the season series, 2-1.
Predictions: SU Winner – CLE
Notes
When leading after seven innings, Kansas City is 12-10, while Cleveland is 11-12.
The Royals are coming into this game after allowing two walks during their last outing. The Indians have a 6-11 record when opponents give up two walks or less.
When they outhit their opponents, the Royals are 24-8. The Indians have an 18-5 record when outhitting opponents.
Ranking 22nd, Kansas City sits near the bottom of the league in runs, scoring 216 this season. Cleveland ranks in the top 10 at ninth with 243.
Ranking 30th, Kansas City is at the bottom of the league in walks, notching 120 this season. Cleveland ranks in the top half at 12th with 175.
When the Indians hit at least one home run, they are 16-17. When the Royals hit at least one homer, they have a 22-11 record.
