Wednesday, July 22, 2015

Kauffman Stadium

For Updated Odds on This Game Click Here

Probable Pitchers: Charlie Morton (6-3) vs. Edinson Volquez (8-5)

The Kansas City Royals host the Pittsburgh Pirates at Kauffman Stadium on Wednesday. Charlie Morton is the probable starter for the Pirates and he'll face Edinson Volquez of the Royals. The opening line for this matchup has Pittsburgh at +114 and Kansas City at -124. The over/under was set at 7.5. The Pirates have a 39-44 over/under record and a 39-53 run line mark, meaning they cover 42% of the time. The Royals have a 40-41 over/under record and a 52-39 run line mark, which means they are covering the spread 57% of the time.

The Pirates head into this matchup with a 54-38 record, including 22-22 on the road. Starting pitcher Charlie Morton holds a 6-3 record with an earned run average of 4.34 and a WHIP of 1.31. In his starts, the Pirates are 7-3 over his 58 innings pitched this season while giving up 57 hits during those innings. The Pirates are also 3-5 against the over/under in his starts. His teammates are averaging 4.2 runs a game when he pitches. The bullpen has an earned run average of 2.52 and they have given up 251 base hits on the year. Teams are hitting .236 against the bullpen while being struck out 245 times and walking 82 times this season. As a team, Pittsburgh has allowed 8.29 hits per nine innings while striking out 7.74 batters per nine. They are 2nd in the league in team earned run average at 2.97.

Pittsburgh ranks 11th in the league in team batting average at .255 while hitting .255 on the road. The Pirates hold a .381 team slugging percentage and an on-base percentage of .317 which is good for 14th in baseball. They rank 7th in baseball with 8.85 hits per game and Andrew McCutchen leads the team with 93.

With a 30-17 home record, Kansas City will hope to improve on their 55-36 overall mark. With an earned run average of 3.28, Edinson Volquez will come into this game holding a 8-5 record and a 1.26 WHIP. In his starts, the Royals are 13-6 and he has allowed 100 hits over 112.1 innings pitched this season. The Royals are also 9-7 against the over/under in his starts. His teammates score an average of 5.1 runs a game when he pitches. The bullpen has an earned run average of 2.24 and they have given up 225 base hits on the year. Teams are hitting .202 against the Royals bullpen while being struck out 279 times and walking 102 times this season. As a team, Kansas City has allowed 8.26 hits per nine innings while striking out 6.89 batters per nine. They are 8th in the league in team earned run average at 3.54.

They rank 2nd in the league in team batting average with a .275 average while hitting .284 at home. The Royals hold a .412 team slugging percentage and an on-base percentage of .326 which is good for 5th in baseball. They rank 2nd in baseball with 9.43 hits per game and Lorenzo Cain leads the team with 99.

Pittsburgh has a team fielding percentage of .982 after having committed 67 errors with 1117 assists and 2,546 put outs for the season. For the home team, they hold a .984 team fielding percentage while committing 55 errors, accumulating 913 assists and compiling 2,430 put outs.

Pittsburgh Pirates Betting Trends

The Pittsburgh Pirates are 39-44 against the over/under so far this season

The Pittsburgh Pirates are 39-53 against the run line so far this season

Kansas City Royals Betting Trends

The Kansas City Royals are 40-41 against the over/under so far this season

The Kansas City Royals are 52-39 against the run line so far this season

Injuries to Watch

Pittsburgh Pirates

07/21/15 C Francisco Cervelli Wrist injured last game, "?" Tuesday vs. Kansas City Royals
07/20/15 SS Jordy Mercer Knee Injury is on the 15 day disabled list (7/20)
07/19/15 CF Gorkys Hernandez Shoulder Injury is on the 15 day disabled list (7/13)
07/18/15 P Francisco Liriano Neck "?" for next scheduled start
07/06/15 3B Josh Harrison Thumb Injury is on the 15 day disabled list (7/6)
06/24/15 RF Corey Hart Shoulder Injury is on the 60 day disabled list (6/22)
05/07/15 LF Andrew Lambo Plantar Fasciitis Injury is on the 60 day disabled list (5/4)
04/06/15 P Brandon Cumpton Elbow Injury is on the 60 day disabled list (3/27)
04/06/15 SS Justin Sellers Heel Injury is on the 60 day disabled list (3/27)

Kansas City Royals

07/09/15 LF Alex Gordon Groin Injury is on the 15 day disabled list (7/9)
05/17/15 P Brian Flynn Shoulder Injury is on the 60 day disabled list (5/16)
04/06/15 P Tim Collins Elbow Injury is on the 15 day disabled list (4/6)

Josh's Pick: Take the Pirates

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