Yordano Ventura (13-8, 4.08 ERA) and the Kansas City Royals meet Collin McHugh (19-7, 3.89 ERA) and the Houston Astros in Game 1 of the Divisional Playoffs at Ewing M. Kauffman Stadium. The Royals enter this series on a five-game winning streak. The game starts at 7:37 p.m. ET on Thursday, Oct. 8 and will air on FS1.
In his last start, Ventura pitched 7.0 innings, giving up one run, striking out 11 and walking three in a 5-1 victory over the Twins. Lorenzo Cain (.307, 101 Rs, 16 HRs, 72 RBIs, 28 SBs) continued his strong season Sunday, going 3 for 4 with two runs and one RBI. The Astros were victorious over the Diamondbacks 6-2 the last time McHugh pitched. He went 7.0 innings, allowing one run, striking out six and walking one. Colby Rasmus (.239, 68 Rs, 26 HRs, 62 RBIs, 2 SBs) went 1 for 3 Tuesday with one run, one home run, and one RBI.
Kansas City, a -142 favorite, will look to capitalize at home against Houston. The Over/Under (O/U) for the matchup is set at seven runs. The Royals perform well as a favorite with a 58-37 record and have an overall money line of +1,904. They have been a terror on the base paths, ranking fifth in all of baseball with 104 steals.
On the other side, the Astros have a record of 30-31 when they are the underdog and are -295 overall with the money line. Houston has been playing better lately, averaging 6.4 runs per game, more than their season average of 4.5. The Astros are known for their power, smashing a league-leading 232 home runs. Houston is a terror on the base paths, ranking third in the MLB with 123 stolen bases. Houston’s pitching staff and defense as a whole have been firing on all cylinders so far, averaging an AL-best 3.8 runs allowed per game. They have a WHIP of 1.20 on the year, good for fifth in the league.
The Astros have gotten the better of the Royals in head-to-head matchups this season, going 4-2. Taking the hill against the Astros will be the right-hander Ventura. They sport a 55-47 record against righties.
Predictions: SU Winner – Hou, O/U – Over
Notes
When leading after seven innings, Kansas City is 40-23, while Houston is 42-28.
The Astros are coming into this game after allowing two walks during their last outing. The Royals have a 52-47 record when opponents give up that many walks or fewer.
When they outhit their opponents, the Astros are 65-18. The Royals have a 75-8 record when outhitting opponents.
Both falling in the top 10 of the league based on total runs this season, Kansas City ranks seventh with 724 runs and Houston is sixth with 732.
Ranking 29th, Kansas City is near the bottom of the league in walks, notching 383 this season. Houston ranks in the top 10 at 10th with 491.
The Royals are 64-31 when they hit at least one home run. The Astros perform similarly when they hit one or more homers with a 74-46 record.
