Chris Young (4-2, 2.56 ERA) is on the hill for the Kansas City Royals (32-23) as they square off against Trevor May (4-3, 4.45 ERA) and the Minnesota Twins (33-24) in the second of a three-game series at Target Field. The Royals won the last game 3-1 and Kansas City leads the series 1-0. Action begins at 8:10 p.m. ET on Tuesday, Jun. 9 and can be seen on FSN-KC and FSN-N.
May is 0-2 with a 7.20 ERA in his appearances against the Royals, and goes up against a quality Kansas City offense which is batting .270 this season. Brian Dozier (.268, 47 Rs, 11 HRs, 28 RBIs, 3 SBs) went 1 for 3 yesterday. When pitching against the Twins, Young is 1-2 with a 3.35 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, and 20 strikeouts. Eric Hosmer (.306, 32 Rs, 7 HRs, 35 RBIs, 3 SBs) has been successful at the plate for the Royals, going 2 for 4 yesterday with one run and one RBI.
Minnesota is a slim -113 favorite at home against Kansas City. According to the oddsmakers, the Over/Under (O/U) is currently eight runs. The Twins have an overall money line of +1,666 and a record as the favorite of 6-5. Minnesota has gone winless in its last 10 as the favorite. The Twins are the top team in the AL at limiting walks to their opponents, allowing only 2.3 walks per game so far this season.
In games where it is the underdog, Kansas City has a 14-10 record and an overall money line of +618. They have been playing solid baseball as the underdog with a 7-6 record against teams in their division, and a 16-12 record SU. Offensively, the Royals have really sputtered in the last 10 games. They have decreased their season average of 4.4 runs per game by averaging 2.5 during that stretch. The Royals are tough outs for opponents, ranking second in the AL with 9.2 hits per game. Kansas City is excellent at not striking out with an AL-low 5.9 per game.
The Royals lead the season series, 4-3. The Twins have an 18-16 record against right-handed starting pitchers on the year, which is what they’ll be facing when Young takes the mound. May (RHP) will be on the hill against the Royals, who have a 21-16 record against right-handed starting pitchers.
Predictions: SU Winner – KC, O/U – Over
Notes
When leading after 7 innings, Kansas City is 15-7, while Minnesota is 9-10.
Having scored one run in their last game, the Twins are going to have to up their game if they want to win this matchup. The Royals have a 12-0 record in games where opponents scored that many runs or fewer.
When they are outhit, the Royals are 2-18. The Twins have a 6-22 record when opponents outhit them.
Minnesota and Kansas City both rank near the bottom of the league in home runs. Minnesota sits at 23rd with 45 home runs this season and Kansas City ranks 26th with 41.
Ranking eighth, Minnesota is in the top 10 of the league in hits, notching 8.50 per game. Kansas City ranks in the top five at second with 9.22.
Ranking 21st, Minnesota is near the bottom of the league for its on-base plus slugging percentage (.686). Kansas City ranks in the top 10 at eighth with an OPS of .728.
The Royals are 14-16 in games where they allow one or more home runs. The Twins are 18-18 when they allow at least one homer.
