Jeremy Guthrie (4-3, 6.17 ERA) and Colby Lewis (5-3, 4.48 ERA) take the hill in the last of a three-game series between the Kansas City Royals (30-23) and the Texas Rangers (30-26) at Kauffman Stadium. The Rangers won the last game 4-2 and Texas leads the series 2-0. Action begins at 2:10 p.m. ET on Sunday, Jun. 7 and can be seen on FSN-SW and FSN-KC.
Guthrie is 6-4 with a 3.41 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, and 47 strikeouts against the Rangers. Eric Hosmer (.305, 31 Rs, 7 HRs, 33 RBIs, 3 SBs) had another good game yesterday, going 2 for 4. Lewis is 2-4 with a 5.49 ERA when pitching against the Royals. He is up against a good Kansas City offense which is hitting .271 this season. Prince Fielder (.356, 27 Rs, 10 HRs, 40 RBIs) has been successful at the plate for the Rangers, going 2 for 3 yesterday with one run.
Kansas City is a -131 favorite against Texas and the Over/Under (O/U) for this game is sitting at eight runs. The Royals have an overall money line of +663 and a record as the favorite of 16-12. Kansas City has gone winless in its last 10 as the favorite. The Royals have seen a decline in scoring as of late, averaging 2.1 runs during the last 10 games compared to their season average of 4.4 runs per game. The Royals have no trouble scoring as they rank fifth in the AL in offense with 4.4 runs per game. The Royals lead the AL in hits with an impressive 9.2 per game. Kansas City strikes out the least of any team in the AL, with only 5.9 per game. Kansas City’s pitching staff has been doing poorly against opposing offenses during the last 10 games, allowing an average of 4.9 runs per game, well above its season average of 3.6. The Royals are the top team in the AL at limiting hits during home games, allowing only 7.3 hits per contest to their opponents this season.
In games where it is the underdog, Texas has a 26-23 record and an overall money line of +1,226. The Rangers have a dynamic offense, ranking fifth in the league with 167 extra base hits.
The Rangers lead the season series, 4-2. The Royals have a 20-16 record against right-handed starting pitchers on the year, which is what they’ll be facing when Lewis takes the mound. Guthrie (RHP) will be on the hill against the Rangers, who have a 20-15 record against right-handed starting pitchers.
Predictions: SU Winner – KC, O/U – Over
Notes
Texas has won 46% (12-14) of its games when leading after 7 innings. However, Kansas City has won 65% (13-7) of its games when taking a late lead.
The Royals managed to give up four walks in their last game. They’ll have to pick it up against the Rangers who are coming in with a 12-6 record against opponents who give up that many walks or more.
It looks like the Rangers have a slight leg up on the Royals, as the Rangers have won their last three games while the Royals have lost their last three.
When they outhit their opponents, the Royals are 26-4. The Rangers have a 23-3 record when outhitting opponents.
Ranking 14th in runs, Kansas City has earned 233 this season. Texas ranks second with 260 runs.
Ranking 30th, Kansas City is at the bottom of the league in walks, notching 111 this season. Texas ranks in the top 10 at ninth with 178.
When the Royals hit at least one home run, they are 19-10, well-matched with the Rangers who are 22-12 when hitting one or more homers.
