Jeremy Guthrie (1-2, 6.52 ERA) and the Kansas City Royals (18-11) are in Detroit to meet Anibal Sanchez (2-3, 5.11 ERA) and the Tigers (19-11) in a game that could be high scoring. This is the second of a three-game series at Comerica Park. The Tigers won the last game 6-5 and Detroit leads the series 1-0. The game gets underway at 1:08 p.m. ET on Saturday, May. 9 and will air on FSN-KC, FSN-DET and FS1.
Sanchez has a 1.40 ERA and a 6-2 record in his career against the Royals, but is up against a solid Kansas City offense that’s hitting .293 on the year. Miguel Cabrera (.346, 16 Rs, 6 HRs, 21 RBIs, 1 SB) went 1 for 4 yesterday. In his pitching opportunities against the Tigers, Guthrie is 9-8 with a 4.84 ERA. He gets a strong Detroit offense that’s batting .277. Lorenzo Cain (.337, 21 Rs, 3 HRs, 13 RBIs, 6 SBs) has been hitting the ball well for the Royals, going 3 for 5 yesterday.
Detroit is a -155 favorite in this game and the Over/Under (O/U) is eight runs. The Tigers perform well as a favorite with a 12-6 record and have an overall money line of +580. Over the last 10 games, they have a very good record when playing as the favorite (3-1). Detroit has averaged 5.1 runs per game during divisional play, higher than its season average of 4.5. The Tigers are a nightmare for opponents on the bases with 28 steals, one of the highest totals in baseball. Turning to the pitching staff, the Tigers don’t give up many walks to opposing batters, ranking third in the AL with only 2.6 walks allowed per game.
Switching gears, the Royals come into this game with a solid win percentage of .692 when playing as the underdog (9-4) and an overall money line of +785. Against fellow AL Central members, they are 13-9 SU and 4-4 as the underdog. Kansas City is the top hitting team in the AL with an average of 10.1 hits per contest. The Royals average just 6.0 strikeouts per game, good for least in the AL. Kansas City’s pitching staff and defense as a whole has been firing on all cylinders so far, averaging an AL-best 3.6 runs allowed per game. They have a WHIP of 1.16, fifth best in the MLB.
The Tigers are 3-2 against the Royals this season. The Tigers will take on a right-hander (Guthrie) in this game and have a 12-8 record against right-handed starting pitchers this season. Taking the hill against the Royals will be the right-hander Sanchez. They sport a 10-7 record against righties.
Predictions: SU Winner – KC, O/U – Over
Notes
The Royals lost their last game by a one-run margin. In games decided by one run, the Tigers are 6-4. The Royals are 2-3 in close games this season.
When leading after 7 innings, Kansas City is 8-3, while Detroit is 9-4.
The Tigers are coming into this game after allowing zero walks during their last outing. The Royals have a 0-4 record when opponents give up that many walks.
When they are outhit, the Royals are 0-6. The Tigers have a 1-8 record when opponents outhit them.
Detroit and Kansas City both rank in the bottom half of the league in home runs. Detroit sits at 16th with 25 home runs this season and Kansas City ranks 19th with 23.
Ranking first in hits, Kansas City has earned 10.11 per game this season. Detroit ranks third with 9.24 hits.
Ranking sixth, Detroit is in the top 10 of the league for its on-base plus slugging percentage (.764). Kansas City ranks in the top five at second with an OPS of .780.
When the Royals allow at least one home run, they are 11-6. When the Tigers allow one or more homers, they have a 6-7 record.
