Sunday, August 7, 2016
Kauffman Stadium
For Updated Odds on This Game Click Here
Probable Pitchers: Marcus Stroman vs. Yordano Ventura
The Toronto Blue Jays visit Kauffman Stadium on Sunday to play the Kansas City Royals. The probable starters are Marcus Stroman for the Blue Jays and Yordano Ventura for the Royals. The opening line for this matchup has Toronto at -135 and Kansas City at +125. The over/under was set at 8.5. The Blue Jays have a 43-62-5 over/under record and a 57-53-0 run line mark, meaning they cover 52% of the time. The Royals are 57-52-0 against the run line and have a 47-57-5 over/under record. They cover the spread 52% of the time.
The Blue Jays head into this matchup with a 63-47 record, including 31-23 on the road. Starting pitcher Marcus Stroman has a 8-4 record with an earned run average of 4.74 and a WHIP of 1.29. He has 114 strikeouts over his 142.1 innings pitched and he has given up 148 hits so far this season. He has allowed 9.4 hits per 9 innings and he has a FIP of 3.81. The bullpen this year has an earned run average of 3.93 and they have given up 291 base hits on the year. Teams are hitting .245 against the bullpen while being struck out 300 times and walking 86 times this season. As a team, Toronto has allowed 8.1 hits per nine innings while striking out 7.91 batters per nine. They are 5th in the league in team earned run average at 3.71. The Blue Jays pitchers have collectively given up 902 base hits and 413 earned runs. They have allowed 126 home runs this season and they allow 1.1 homers per nine innings as a staff. Toronto as a pitching staff has walked 301 batters and struck out 881. They walk 2.7 men per 9 innings while striking out 7.9 per 9. They have a team WHIP of 1.20 and their FIP as a unit is 4.03.
As a team, Toronto is batting .247, good for 21st in the league while putting together a .235 average away from home. The Blue Jays hold a .433 team slugging percentage and an on-base percentage of .328 which is good for 9th in baseball. They rank 20th in baseball with 8.45 hits per game. Edwin Encarnacion comes into this game hitting .265 and his on-base percentage is at .353. He has 108 hits this season along with 68 runs scored and 91 runs batted in. He's struck out 98 times and has walked 54 times. Josh Donaldson is hitting .299 and he has an on-base percentage of .411. He has totaled 122 hits so far while scoring 90 runs and he's driven in 77. He has walked 72 times and has struck out 81 times. The Blue Jays have 930 hits, including 193 doubles and 158 home runs. They've stolen 34 bases while they've been thrown out stealing 15 times. Toronto has walked 418 times this season and they've struck out 936 times as a unit. They've left 749 men on base and have a team OPS of .761. They score 4.84 runs per contest and have scored a total of 532 runs so far this year.
Kansas City comes into this matchup with a 32-20 home record and a 51-58 overall mark. With an earned run average of 4.83, Yordano Ventura has a 6-9 record and a 1.38 WHIP. He has 88 strikeouts over the 119.1 innings he's pitched during which he has given up 115 hits. He has allowed 8.7 hits per nine innings and his FIP stands at 4.86. So far this season the bullpen has an earned run average of 3.47 and they have given up 337 base hits on the year. Teams are hitting .245 against the Royals bullpen while being struck out 343 times and walking 128 times this season. As a team, Kansas City has allowed 8.79 hits per nine innings while striking out 8.28 batters per nine. They are 22nd in the league in team earned run average at 4.35. The Royals pitchers as a team have surrendered 934 base knocks and 462 earned runs so far this season. They have given up 148 home runs this year and they give up 1.4 home runs per nine innings as a staff. Kansas City as a staff has walked 353 hitters and struck out 880. They give up a walk 3.3 times per 9 innings while they strike out 8.3 per 9. Their team WHIP is 1.35 while their FIP as a staff is 4.55.
As a team, they are batting .263, good for 7th in the league while putting together a .281 average at home. The Royals hold a .395 team slugging percentage and an on-base percentage of .312 which is good for 22nd in baseball. They rank 9th in baseball with 8.93 hits per contest. Eric Hosmer comes into this matchup batting .277 and he has an OBP of .335. He has 114 hits this year along with 54 runs scored and 59 RBI. He's struck out 91 times and has walked on 36 occasions. Alcides Escobar is hitting .251 and he has an OBP of .277. He has collected 112 hits so far while he's scored 36 runs and drove in 27. He has earned a walk 17 times and has punched out 64 times. The Royals as a unit have 972 base hits, including 178 doubles and 93 homers. They have 65 stolen bases while they've been thrown out 21 times. Kansas City as a team has walked 249 times this year and they have struck out 804 times. They've had 715 men left on base and have an OPS of .706. They score 3.81 runs per game and have totaled 415 runs so far this season.
Toronto Blue Jays Betting Trends
The Toronto Blue Jays are 43-62-5 against the over/under so far this season
The Toronto Blue Jays are 57-53-0 against the run line so far this season
Kansas City Royals Betting Trends
The Kansas City Royals are 47-57-5 against the over/under so far this season
The Kansas City Royals are 57-52-0 against the run line so far this season
Injuries to Watch
Toronto Blue Jays
08/02/16 RF Ezequiel Carrera Achilles 15-day DL (8/1)
06/27/16 P Gavin Floyd Shoulder 60-day DL (6/26)
Kansas City Royals
07/31/16 P Wade Davis Hip 15-day DL (7/30)
07/29/16 P Luke Hochevar Shoulder 15-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)
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)
Guy's Pick: Take the Blue Jays
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