Jaime Garcia (1-3, 2.67 ERA) gets the ball for the St. Louis Cardinals (39-21) as they meet Yordano Ventura (3-5, 4.62 ERA) and the Kansas City Royals (34-23) in the first of a three-game series at Busch Stadium. The game gets underway at 8:15 p.m. ET on Friday, Jun. 12 and will air on FSN-KC, FSN-MW and MLB Net.
Garcia has an 8.31 ERA and a 0-1 record in his career against the Royals, and faces a solid Kansas City offense that’s hitting .269 on the year. Matt Carpenter (.297, 39 Rs, 8 HRs, 31 RBIs, 1 SB) continued his strong season Wednesday, going 2 for 5 with one run and one RBI. In his pitching opportunities against the Cardinals, Ventura is 1-1 with a 4.15 ERA. He gets a strong St. Louis offense that’s batting .262. Eric Hosmer (.300, 33 Rs, 7 HRs, 36 RBIs, 3 SBs) went 1 for 4 Wednesday with one run and one RBI.
Oddsmakers have deemed this game an even matchup and the Over/Under (O/U) is presently unavailable. The Cardinals have an SU record of 4-5 against the AL. The Cardinals seem to play worse on offense against American League opponents. In those matchups, St. Louis has only averaged 3.0 runs per game compared to its 4.0 season average. The Cardinals typically don’t swing at bad pitches, which has led to an impressive 3.1 walks per game. Transitioning to the pitching staff, the Cardinals lead the AL in home ERA with a 2.52 team average.
When playing Interleague opponents, the Royals have a 5-2 record SU. During the last 10 games, they averaged 2.6 runs per game, below their 4.4 season average. Kansas City is the top road hitting team in the AL with an average of 9.8 hits per contest. The Royals average just 5.9 strikeouts per game, good for least in the AL. Kansas City’s pitching staff and defense as a whole has been firing on all cylinders so far, ranking second in the AL with only 3.5 runs allowed per game. They have a WHIP of 1.20 on the year, good for fifth in the league.
In their previous three games this season, the Royals have a 2-1 record. This game will feature Ventura (RHP) on the mound against the Cardinals, who have a 19-4 home and 32-14 overall record when they take on a right-handed starter. The left-handed Garcia will take the mound against the Royals, who have a 10-7 record against lefty starters this season.
Predictions: SU Winner – KC
Notes
The Royals are 3-1 in games that go into extra innings. Meanwhile, the Cardinals are 5-3 in such matchups.
After a weak showing last week where they got in eight hits, the Royals need to step it up. The Cardinals have a record of 24-8 when opponents get eight hits or fewer.
When they outhit their opponents, the Cardinals are 27-7. The Royals have a 29-4 record when outhitting opponents.
Ranking 18th, St. Louis is in the bottom half of the league in runs, scoring 240 this season. Kansas City ranks in the top half at 13th with 249.
Ranking 30th, Kansas City is at the bottom of the league in walks, notching 120 this season. St. Louis ranks in the top 10 at 10th with 186.
When the Cardinals hit at least one home run, they are 24-8. When the Royals hit at least one homer, they have a 23-10 record.
