Friday, September 16, 2016

Kauffman Stadium

For Updated Odds on This Game Click Here

Probable Pitchers: Chris Sale vs. Ian Kennedy

The Chicago White Sox head to Kauffman Stadium on Friday to take on the Kansas City Royals. The probable pitchers are Chris Sale for the White Sox and Ian Kennedy for the Royals. The opening line for this game has Chicago at -114 and Kansas City at +104. The over/under is 7. The White Sox have a 68-70-7 over/under mark and a 73-72-0 run line record, meaning they cover 50% of the time. The Royals are 77-68-0 against the run line and have a 66-71-8 over/under record. They cover the spread 53% of the time.

The White Sox head into this game with a 70-75 record, and they are 30-42 on the road. Starting pitcher Chris Sale has a 15-8 record with an ERA of 3.03 and a WHIP of 1.02. He has 205 strikeouts during his 201.2 innings pitched and he has given up 162 hits so far this year. He has surrendered 7.2 hits per 9 innings and he has a FIP of 3.42. The bullpen this season has an earned run average of 3.66 and they have allowed 405 base hits on the year. Teams are hitting .248 against the pen while they've been struck out 396 times and walked 205 times this year. As a unit, Chicago has given up 8.87 base hits per nine innings while striking out 7.86 hitters per nine. They are 11th in the Majors in team earned run average at 4.06. The White Sox pitchers have collectively given up 1,281 base hits and 587 earned runs. They have allowed 171 home runs this season and they allow 1.2 homers per nine innings as a staff. Chicago as a pitching staff has walked 476 batters and struck out 1,135. They walk 3.3 men per 9 innings while striking out 7.9 per 9. They have a team WHIP of 1.35 and their FIP as a unit is 4.32.

As a team, Chicago is hitting .257, good for 14th in the league while putting together a .253 average on the road. The White Sox have a .406 team slugging percentage and an OBP of .318 which is good for 22nd in the league. They rank 13th in baseball with 8.8 hits per contest. Melky Cabrera comes into this game hitting .296 and his on-base percentage is at .346. He has 155 hits this season along with 61 runs scored and 71 runs batted in. He's struck out 63 times and has walked 43 times. Jose Abreu is hitting .297 and he has an on-base percentage of .349. He has totaled 168 hits so far while scoring 60 runs and he's driven in 94. He has walked 37 times and has struck out 114 times. The White Sox have 1,275 hits, including 248 doubles and 146 home runs. They've stolen 69 bases while they've been thrown out stealing 31 times. Chicago has walked 413 times this season and they've struck out 1,155 times as a unit. They've left 996 men on base and have a team OPS of .723. They score 4.21 runs per contest and have scored a total of 611 runs so far this year.

Kansas City comes into this game with a 42-28 home mark and a 74-71 overall record. With an ERA of 3.62, Ian Kennedy has a 11-9 record and a 1.20 WHIP. He has 166 strikeouts over the 171.1 innings he's pitched during which he has given up 149 hits. He has allowed 7.8 hits per nine innings and his FIP stands at 4.73. So far this season the bullpen has an earned run average of 3.35 and they have given up 438 base hits on the year. Teams are hitting .241 against the Royals bullpen while being struck out 453 times and walking 163 times this season. As a team, Kansas City has allowed 8.83 hits per nine innings while striking out 8.06 batters per nine. They are 16th in the league in team earned run average at 4.14. The Royals pitchers as a team have surrendered 1,264 base knocks and 592 earned runs so far this season. They have given up 185 home runs this year and they give up 1.3 home runs per nine innings as a staff. Kansas City as a staff has walked 450 hitters and struck out 1,154. They give up a walk 3.1 times per 9 innings while they strike out 8.1 per 9. Their team WHIP is 1.33 while their FIP as a staff is 4.38.

As a team, they are batting .261, good for 9th in the league while putting together a .273 average at home. The Royals hold a .398 team slugging percentage and an on-base percentage of .313 which is good for 24th in baseball. They rank 9th in baseball with 8.95 hits per contest. Alcides Escobar comes into this matchup batting .269 and he has an OBP of .300. He has 156 hits this year along with 53 runs scored and 49 RBI. He's struck out 85 times and has walked on 26 occasions. Eric Hosmer is hitting .275 and he has an OBP of .340. He has collected 151 hits so far while he's scored 75 runs and drove in 91. He has earned a walk 55 times and has punched out 118 times. The Royals as a unit have 1,297 base hits, including 237 doubles and 131 homers. They have 105 stolen bases while they've been thrown out 30 times. Kansas City as a team has walked 353 times this year and they have struck out 1,089 times. They've had 957 men left on base and have an OPS of .711. They score 4.1 runs per game and have totaled 595 runs so far this season.

Chicago White Sox Betting Trends

The Chicago White Sox are 68-70-7 against the over/under so far this season

The Chicago White Sox are 73-72-0 against the run line so far this season

Kansas City Royals Betting Trends

The Kansas City Royals are 66-71-8 against the over/under so far this season

The Kansas City Royals are 77-68-0 against the run line so far this season

Injuries to Watch

Chicago White Sox

08/03/16 CF Charlie Tilson Hamstring 15-day DL (8/3)
07/27/16 2B Brett Lawrie Hamstring 15-day DL (7/22)
07/01/16 3B Matt Davidson Foot 60-day DL (6/30)
06/21/16 P Zach Putnam Elbow 15-day DL (6/21)
06/10/16 CF Austin Jackson Knee 15-day DL (6/10)
05/06/16 P Jacob Petricka Hip 60-day DL (5/2)

Kansas City Royals

09/11/16 CF Lorenzo Cain Wrist out indefinitely
08/31/16 P Chien-Ming Wang Bicep 15-day DL (8/31)
08/31/16 P Edinson Volquez Finger "?" for next scheduled start
07/29/16 P Luke Hochevar Shoulder 60-day DL (7/25)
07/19/16 P Kris Medlen Shoulder 60-day DL (5/11)
05/26/16 3B Mike Moustakas Knee 60-day DL (5/23); out for season
04/10/16 P Mike Minor Shoulder 60-day DL (3/15); out for season
04/04/16 P Tim Collins Elbow 60-day DL; out for season
03/31/16 P Jason Vargas Elbow 60-day DL (3/15)

Tony's Pick: Take the Royals

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