Friday, June 10, 2016

U.S. Cellular Field

For Updated Odds on This Game Click Here

Probable Pitchers: Ian Kennedy vs. Chris Sale

The Kansas City Royals visit U.S. Cellular Field on Friday to play the Chicago White Sox. The probable starters are Ian Kennedy for the Royals and Chris Sale for the White Sox. The opening line for this matchup has Kansas City at +170 and Chicago at -180. The over/under was set at 7.5. The Royals have a 25-30-4 over/under record and a 31-28-0 run line mark, meaning they cover 53% of the time. The White Sox are 26-33-0 against the run line and have a 27-29-3 over/under record. They cover the spread 44% of the time.

The Royals head into this matchup with a 30-29 record, including 11-22 on the road. Starting pitcher Ian Kennedy has a 4-4 record with an earned run average of 3.44 and a WHIP of 1.21. He has 65 strikeouts over his 65.1 innings pitched and he has given up 55 hits so far this season. He has allowed 7.6 hits per 9 innings and he has a FIP of 4.45. The bullpen this year has an earned run average of 2.71 and they have given up 171 base hits on the year. Teams are hitting .230 against the bullpen while being struck out 199 times and walking 71 times this season. As a team, Kansas City has allowed 8.71 hits per nine innings while striking out 8.34 batters per nine. They are 15th in the league in team earned run average at 4.09. The Royals pitchers have collectively given up 498 base hits and 234 earned runs. They have allowed 69 home runs this season and they allow 1.2 homers per nine innings as a staff. Kansas City as a pitching staff has walked 199 batters and struck out 477. They walk 3.5 men per 9 innings while striking out 8.3 per 9. They have a team WHIP of 1.35 and their FIP as a unit is 4.30.

As a team, Kansas City is batting .266, good for 7th in the league while putting together a .260 average away from home. The Royals hold a .395 team slugging percentage and an on-base percentage of .316 which is good for 18th in baseball. They rank 8th in baseball with 9.05 hits per game. Eric Hosmer comes into this game hitting .321 and his on-base percentage is at .381. He has 71 hits this season along with 30 runs scored and 35 runs batted in. He's struck out 44 times and has walked 22 times. Alcides Escobar is hitting .248 and he has an on-base percentage of .274. He has totaled 63 hits so far while scoring 21 runs and he's driven in 15. He has walked 9 times and has struck out 40 times. The Royals have 534 hits, including 100 doubles and 47 home runs. They've stolen 42 bases while they've been thrown out stealing 12 times. Kansas City has walked 137 times this season and they've struck out 422 times as a unit. They've left 398 men on base and have a team OPS of .711. They score 3.8 runs per contest and have scored a total of 224 runs so far this year.

Chicago comes into this matchup with a 13-14 home record and a 29-30 overall mark. With an earned run average of 2.54, Chris Sale has a 9-2 record and a 0.94 WHIP. He has 78 strikeouts over the 85 innings he's pitched during which he has given up 62 hits. He has allowed 6.6 hits per nine innings and his FIP stands at 3.1. So far this season the bullpen has an earned run average of 3.50 and they have given up 155 base hits on the year. Teams are hitting .237 against the White Sox bullpen while being struck out 148 times and walking 75 times this season. As a team, Chicago has allowed 8.65 hits per nine innings while striking out 7.6 batters per nine. They are 8th in the league in team earned run average at 3.79. The White Sox pitchers as a team have surrendered 506 base knocks and 222 earned runs so far this season. They have given up 56 home runs this year and they give up 1.1 home runs per nine innings as a staff. Chicago as a staff has walked 193 hitters and struck out 445. They give up a walk 3.3 times per 9 innings while they strike out 7.6 per 9. Their team WHIP is 1.33 while their FIP as a staff is 4.00.

As a team, they are batting .243, good for 22nd in the league while putting together a .234 average at home. The White Sox hold a .379 team slugging percentage and an on-base percentage of .314 which is good for 20th in baseball. They rank 19th in baseball with 8.24 hits per contest. Adam Eaton comes into this matchup batting .271 and he has an OBP of .359. He has 62 hits this year along with 24 runs scored and 19 RBI. He's struck out 34 times and has walked on 25 occasions. Melky Cabrera is hitting .286 and he has an OBP of .348. He has collected 61 hits so far while he's scored 26 runs and drove in 25. He has earned a walk 20 times and has punched out 22 times. The White Sox as a unit have 486 base hits, including 91 doubles and 52 homers. They have 25 stolen bases while they've been thrown out 13 times. Chicago as a team has walked 191 times this year and they have struck out 469 times. They've had 417 men left on base and have an OPS of .693. They score 4.03 runs per game and have totaled 238 runs so far this season.

Kansas City Royals Betting Trends

The Kansas City Royals are 25-30-4 against the over/under so far this season

The Kansas City Royals are 31-28-0 against the run line so far this season

Chicago White Sox Betting Trends

The Chicago White Sox are 27-29-3 against the over/under so far this season

The Chicago White Sox are 26-33-0 against the run line so far this season

Injuries to Watch

Kansas City Royals

06/02/16 CF Brett Eibner Ankle 15-day DL (6/1)
05/26/16 3B Mike Moustakas Knee 15-day DL (5/23); out for season
05/23/16 LF Alex Gordon Wrist 15-day DL (5/22)
05/12/16 P Kris Medlen Shoulder 15-day DL (5/11)
04/10/16 P Mike Minor Shoulder 60-day DL (3/15)
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)

Chicago White Sox

06/07/16 P Carlos Rodon Neck expected to miss next scheduled start Thursday vs Washington Nationals
05/06/16 P Jacob Petricka Hip 15-day DL (5/2)
04/27/16 C Kevan Smith Pelvis 15-day DL (4/24)

Guy's Pick: Take the Royals

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