Cody Anderson (0-1, 7.65 ERA) and Ian Kennedy (3-2, 2.61 ERA) start in the second of a three-game series between the Cleveland Indians (14-12) and the Kansas City Royals (14-14) at Progressive Field. The Indians won the last game 7-1, and Cleveland leads the series 1-0. Action begins at 4:10 p.m. ET on Saturday, May. 7 and can be seen on STOh and FSKC.
Anderson pitched 5.2 innings in his most recent start, surrendering five runs, striking out four and walking one in a 6-5 defeat to the Twins. Mike Napoli (.237, 16 Rs, 5 HRs, 19 RBIs) continued his strong play yesterday, going 2 for 4 with one run and two RBIs. Kennedy went 5.0 innings, surrendering one run, striking out six and walking two in a 4-1 win over the Mariners in his last outing.
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 5-2 SU. The Indians 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. 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 Indians are the fourth-best team in the league at limiting hits and walks to their opponents, recording a WHIP of 1.151 so far this season.
The Royals are 9-3 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 22 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 Indians have the edge in the season series, 1-0.
Predictions: SU Winner – CLE
Notes
Kansas City has won 50% (5-5) of its games when leading after seven innings. However, Cleveland has won 62% (5-3) of its games when taking a late lead.
Having scored one run in their last game, the Royals are going to have to step it up if they want to win this matchup. The Indians have a 7-0 record in games where opponents scored one run or less.
When they are outhit, the Royals are 3-10. The Indians have a 2-6 record when opponents outhit them.
Cleveland and Kansas City both rank near the bottom of the league in home runs. Cleveland sits at 24th with 24 home runs this season and Kansas City ranks 28th with 21.
Cleveland and Kansas City both rank in the top half of the league in hits. Cleveland sits at 11th with 8.54 hits per game and Kansas City ranks 13th with 8.32.
Ranking 26th, Kansas City is near the bottom of the league for its on-base plus slugging percentage (.671). Cleveland ranks in the bottom half at 18th with an OPS of .723.
The Royals are 8-10 when they allow at least one home run. The Indians perform similarly when they allow one or more homers with an 8-9 record.
