Danny Salazar (2-0, 2.08 ERA) and Danny Duffy (1-0, 4.15 ERA) take the hill in the last of a three-game series between the Cleveland Indians (6-13) and the Kansas City Royals (14-6) at Progressive Field. The Royals won the last game 11-5 and Kansas City leads the series 2-0. Action begins at 6:10 p.m. ET on Wednesday, Apr. 29 and can be seen on FSN-KC and STO.
Salazar is 2-3 with a 5.33 ERA in his appearances against the Royals, and goes up against a good Kansas City offense which is batting .305 this season. Brandon Moss (.236, 10 Rs, 4 HRs, 14 RBIs) continued his strong play yesterday, going 2 for 4 with two runs, one home run, and three RBIs. Duffy is 2-1 with a 2.61 ERA against the Indians in his career. He takes on a below-average Cleveland offense that’s batting just .234. Mike Moustakas (.346, 17 Rs, 3 HRs, 8 RBIs, 1 SB) has been successful at the plate, going 2 for 5 yesterday with one run and one RBI.
Cleveland is a -116 favorite against Kansas City and the Over/Under (O/U) for this game is sitting at seven runs. The Indians have recorded an overall money line of -813 and have shown a weak performance as a favorite this season with a record of 3-7. Cleveland is a disappointing 1-4 as the favorite over its last 10 games. Cleveland’s batters do not strike out very often, with only 6.9 per game. Cleveland’s pitchers fall apart when division rivals are on the field. Its average runs allowed per game rises to 4.9 against fellow AL Central members, compared to its 4.3 season average. Opponents have consistently been struck out by the Indians, who lead the AL in strikeouts per home game with 9.2.
In the other locker room, Kansas City is coming in with an overall money line of +697 and an impressive record of 7-1 as the dog. They played solid baseball as the underdog over their last 10 games with a 4-1 record, and a 6-4 record SU. Offensively, they average five runs per game on the road, which is fourth in the AL. The Royals capitalize on their at-bats at a high percentage, leading the league with a .305 team batting average. The Royals are an excellent base stealing team with 18 stolen bases, ranking fifth in the MLB. Kansas City’s pitching staff has set the standard for its league, with an AL-low 2.88 ERA. When it comes to preventing batters from getting on base, the Royals are one of the best in the league with a WHIP of 1.09 for the season. The Royals have established a reputation of overwhelming hitters with an AL-best 7.2 strikeouts per road game, making them one of the top five teams in the league.
The Royals have the edge in the season series, 2-0. The Indians have a 5-5 record against right-handed starting pitchers on the year, which is what they’ll be facing when Duffy takes the mound. Salazar (RHP) will be on the hill against the Royals, who have a 6-4 record against right-handed starting pitchers.
Predictions: SU Winner – KC, O/U – Over
Notes
Cleveland has won 33% (3-6) of its games when leading after 7 innings. However, Kansas City has won 88% (7-1) of its games when taking a late lead.
The Indians managed to give up four walks in their last game. They’ll have to pick it up against the Royals who are coming in with a 6-1 record against opponents who give up that many walks or more.
It looks like the Royals have a slight leg up on the Indians, as the Royals have won their last two games while the Indians have lost their last four.
When they outhit their opponents, the Indians are 5-1. The Royals have a 13-2 record when outhitting opponents.
Ranking first in runs, Kansas City has earned 106 this season. Cleveland ranks 22nd with 71 runs.
Ranking 23rd, Kansas City is near the bottom of the league in walks, notching 50 this season. Cleveland ranks in the bottom half at 16th with 59.
The Indians are 5-6 in games where they hit one or more home runs. The Royals are 9-2 when they hit at least one homer.
