Runs may be hard to come by in this one as Lance McCullers (3-2, 2.33 ERA) and the Houston Astros (44-34) meet Joe Blanton (2-0, 1.73 ERA) and the Kansas City Royals (44-28) in the first of a three-game series at Minute Maid Park. The game starts at 8:10 p.m. ET on Monday, Jun. 29 and will air on FSN-KC and ROOT-SW.
In his last start, McCullers pitched 6.0 innings, allowing one run, striking out six and walking three in a 2-1 loss to the Angels. George Springer (.266, 40 Rs, 12 HRs, 27 RBIs, 13 SBs) went 1 for 4 yesterday. In his career against the Astros, Blanton is 3-2 with a 3.29 ERA, 0.98 WHIP, and 51 strikeouts. Lorenzo Cain (.293, 44 Rs, 6 HRs, 33 RBIs, 15 SBs) went 1 for 1 yesterday with one run.
Houston, a -129 favorite, will look to capitalize at home against Kansas City. The Over/Under (O/U) for the matchup is seven runs. The Astros are 21-18 as the favorite and have an overall money line of +764. The Astros are a power hitting team with an MLB-best 110 home runs. They have been a terror on the base paths, ranking third in all of baseball with 61 steals. Transitioning to the pitching staff, the Astros don’t allow many hitters to get on base, ranking second in the league with a 1.18 WHIP.
Switching gears, the Royals come into this game with a win percentage of .594 when playing as the underdog (19-13) and an overall money line of +1,383. They have played at the top of their game when rated as the underdog as of late. They managed a 4-1 record when playing as the underdog and an SU record of 7-3. The Royals are one of the top AL pitching staffs on the road, essentially shutting down opponents to the tune of three runs allowed per away game. They also average just 7.9 hits allowed per game, second-best in the AL.
This game will feature Blanton (RHP) on the mound against the Astros, who have a 28-18 record when they take on a right-handed starter. The right-handed McCullers will take the mound against the Royals. Against righty starters this season, they’ve racked up an impressive 31-16 record.
Predictions: SU Winner – HOU, O/U – Over
Notes
When the Royals play into extra innings, they have a 3-1 record. The Astros are 3-3 when their games exceed nine innings.
The Royals are coming into this game after allowing one walk during their last outing. The Astros have a 4-14 record when opponents give up that many walks or fewer.
When they outhit their opponents, the Astros are 31-9. The Royals have a 38-4 record when outhitting opponents.
Ranking 14th, Kansas City sits in the top half of the league in runs, scoring 316 this season. Houston ranks in the top five at fourth with 346.
Ranking 30th, Kansas City is at the bottom of the league in walks, notching 152 this season. Houston ranks in the top 10 at seventh with 241.
When the Astros hit at least one home run, they are 34-20, well-matched with the Royals who are 29-12 when hitting one or more homers.
