In the third of a four-game series between the Cleveland Indians (29-24) and the Kansas City Royals (30-24) at Progressive Field, Josh Tomlin (7-1, 3.79 ERA) and Ian Kennedy (4-3, 3.03 ERA) get the ball. The Indians won the last game 6-1, and Cleveland leads the series 2-0. The game starts at 7:15 p.m. ET on Saturday, Jun. 4 and will air on FOX.
In his last start, Tomlin pitched 3.2 innings, allowing eight runs (four unearned) and striking out one in a 9-2 loss to the Rangers. Mike Napoli (.237, 36 Rs, 12 HRs, 40 RBIs, 2 SBs) went 1 for 3 yesterday with one run and one RBI. The Royals were victorious the last time Kennedy pitched. He had a good outing, pitching 6.0 innings, allowing one runs (one unearned), striking out six and walking five in a 6-2 victory over the Rays.
Oddsmakers have deemed this game an even matchup and the Over/Under (O/U) is currently unavailable. The Indians have a SU record of 13-6 against teams in their division. The Indians come into the game with the AL’s fourth-ranked home scoring offense, averaging 5.3 runs per game in their own ballpark. They have been a terror on the base paths, ranking third in all of baseball with 39 steals. Over their past 10 games, Cleveland’s pitchers have been playing lights out, only allowing 0.0 runs per game, below their season average of 0.0.
Against divisional foes, the Royals are 15-7 SU. During the last 10 games, they averaged 0.0 runs per game, above their 0.0 season average. Kansas City is a terror on the base paths, ranking third in the MLB with 39 stolen bases. The last 10 games have really brought the best out of the Kansas City pitchers. They’ve allowed 0.0 runs per game during that span, which is lower than their season average of 0.0. The Kansas City pitching staff has been an intimidating group on the road this year, averaging 6.8 strikeouts per game.
In their previous five games this season, the Indians have a 4-1 record.
Predictions: SU Winner – CLE
Notes
When leading after seven innings, Kansas City is 12-11, while Cleveland is 12-12.
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 an 11-0 record in games where opponents scored one run or less.
When they are outhit, the Royals are 4-14. The Indians have a 5-14 record when opponents outhit them.
Kansas City ranks near the bottom of the league at 27th when it comes to home runs, hitting 47 this season. Cleveland ranks in the bottom half with 58.
Ranking 11th, Cleveland is in the top half of the league in hits, notching 8.85 per game. Kansas City ranks in the top five at fourth with 9.36.
Ranking 16th, Kansas City is in the bottom half of the league for its on-base plus slugging percentage (.732). Cleveland ranks in the top 10 with an OPS of .741.
The Royals are 16-17 when they allow at least one home run. The Indians perform similarly when they allow one or more homers with a 19-20 record.
