Houston Astros vs Kansas City Royals Prediction, 8/19/2021 MLB Pick, Tips and Odds

Game: Houston Astros vs Kansas City Royals

Date: Thursday, August 19, 2021

Location: Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, MO

TV: Bally Sports Kansas City

Odds/Point Spread: Houston (-167) Kansas City (+130)

Kauffman Stadium is the site where Mike Minor and the Kansas City Royals (51-67, 5th in AL Central) will take on the Houston Astros (70-49, 1st in AL West) on Thursday. The line on this contest has the Astros coming in at -167 and the Royals are at +130. The total is set at 8.5. The pitchers taking the mound will be Luis Garcia and Mike Minor.

The Astros have accounted for 222 two-baggers as a squad and have smacked 157 balls out of the park. Houston has a slugging rate of .439 and have struck out 906 times, while drawing a walk on 419 occasions. As a unit, the Houston Astros are putting up 5.3 runs per contest, which is 1st in MLB. They have accrued 609 RBI's in addition to 1,082 base knocks on the season, while their average at the plate is .266. They are sitting with 634 runs scored while having a team OBP of .338.

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The Astros have a team earned run average of 3.65 on the year (5th in MLB), and they have rung up 1,087 batters. Their strikeout to walk ratio is 2.75 and the pitching staff has a collective WHIP of 1.22. Astros pitchers have yielded 139 long balls and 472 total runs (5th in baseball). They have walked 395 opposing batters and their FIP sits at 4.09 as a team so far this year.

Astros bullpen pitchers have entered the contest with runners on 99 times in addition to having 107 appearances in high leverage situations. The bullpen have a total of 52 holds on the season (21st in the league). The Astros bullpen have earned a save rate of 61.0% and has entered the game in 94 save situations. They have 25 saves over the course of the season and have missed out on 16 of their 41 save opportunities. The bullpen pitchers have inherited 151 runners for the season with 35.8% of those players crossed home plate. The Astros have dispatched 361 relievers to the mound so far this year.

The Houston Astros have amassed 3,174 putouts thus far, in addition to 1,010 assists and 48 errors. Their fielding percentage is currently at .989 which ranks 1st in pro baseball, and they have twisted 874 double plays. The Astros have converted 71.6% of baseballs in play into outs out of their 9,522 innings on the diamond, ranking them 3rd in pro baseball.

Garcia (9-7 career mark) has earned a FIP of 3.51 and he has gone up against 505 opposing batters in the major leagues. He has surrendered 97 base hits (7.0 hits per 9 innings) and has 40 free passes. His earned run average is 3.27 (45 ER's allowed) and he has a career WHIP of 1.105. Garcia has taken the ball for 124 innings and has tallied 143 strikeouts thus far in his career.

Kansas City has hit 117 HRs on the campaign and 457 RBIs. They have 168 doubles, while taking a walk 309 times and scoring 483 runs. The Kansas City Royals have recorded an OBP of .302 and a team batting average of .243 for the year. The Royals have a slugging percentage of .387 and they average 4.09 runs per contest (24th in the league). They have been rung up on 942 instances (28th in the league) and have earned a total of 949 base hits.

The Kansas City pitching staff have allowed 590 runs so far this year and come in with a team ERA of 4.92 (560 earned runs surrendered). They have yielded 147 long balls and they give up 5.18 runs per 9 innings (26th in MLB). The Royals have a WHIP of 1.421 in addition to having a FIP of 4.53 as a team on the year. Their K/BB ratio sits at 2.24 (1,007 strikeouts against 450 free passes). They come in at 21st in the league as a staff in total hits given up with 1,007.

Kansas City relievers hold an inherited score percentage of 29.7% out of 175 inherited runners. Their relief pitchers have come in 102 times in high leverage situations and also on 110 occasions with base runners. With 102 save situations, the Royals have 58 holds in addition to 18 blown saves. They are ranked 19th in the league holding a save rate of 59.1%, and they have sent 402 bullpen pitchers to the hill on the campaign. Kansas City has called on bullpen pitchers to enter the game in 44 save chances and they have tallied 26 saves.

Out of their 9,225 innings on the diamond, the Royals have accumulated a efficiency on defense of 67.9% (28th in pro baseball). The Kansas City Royals have turned 117 double plays and own a fielding percentage of .984 (17th in the majors). The Royals have recorded 1,028 assists, 65 errors and have notched a total of 3,075 putouts so far this year.

Minor (79-77 career record) has a 4.13 ERA while conceding 8.4 hits per nine innings. He has a K/BB ratio of 3.15 and he has faced 5,355 batters in his pro baseball career. He has given up a total of 591 earned runs while earning a WHIP of 1.228 and a FIP of 4.0. During his MLB career, Minor has allowed 1,207 base hits while earning 1,183 K's in 1,288 innings pitched.

Who will win tonight's MLB game ATS?

Josh Schonwald's Pick: Take Houston (-167)

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