St. Louis Cardinals vs Kansas City Royals Prediction, 8/14/2021 MLB Pick, Tips and Odds

Game: St. Louis Cardinals vs Kansas City Royals

Date: Saturday, August 14, 2021

Location: Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, MO

TV: Bally Sports Kansas City

Odds/Point Spread: St. Louis (-125) Kansas City (+100)

Brad Keller and the Kansas City Royals (49-64, 5th in AL Central) host the St. Louis Cardinals (58-56, 3rd in NL Central) at Kauffman Stadium on Saturday. The Royals open this matchup at +100 while the Cardinals are priced at -125. The O/U is set at 9. The starting pitchers will be Jon Lester and Brad Keller.

The Cardinals have tallied 178 two-baggers as a squad and have knocked 125 baseballs out of the stadium. St. Louis has a slugging percentage of .390 and have been called out on strikes 931 times, while taking a walk on 344 occasions. As a team, the St. Louis Cardinals are earning 4.0 runs per game, which has them at 26th in MLB. They have tallied 439 RBI's as well as 885 hits over the course of the season, while their average at the plate sits at .236. They have accounted for 460 runs scored and hold an on-base percentage of .308.

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The Cardinals have compiled a team earned run average of 4.18 on the year (14th in the league), and the staff has rung up 876 hitters. They have accrued a K/BB ratio of 1.88 and the pitching staff has recorded a WHIP of 1.33. Cardinals pitchers have given up 103 home runs and also 497 runs in total (14th in MLB). They have walked 467 opposing hitters and their FIP is 4.40 as a squad on the campaign.

The Cardinals have sent 392 relief pitchers to the hill so far this season. The relief pitchers have inherited 210 base runners for the season and 38.1% of them crossed the plate. They have earned 33 saves on the year and have not converted 12 of 45 chances to get a save. The Cardinals relief pitchers have earned a save rate of 73.3% and has come into the game in 111 save situations. The relief pitchers have racked up 64 holds this year (7th in the league). Cardinals pitchers have gone to the mound with runners on 124 times and also have had 105 appearances in high leverage situations.

The St. Louis Cardinals have accounted for 2,986 putouts this year, as well as 1,035 assists and 63 errors. Their fielding rate is holding steady at .985 which puts them in 13th in pro baseball, and have a total of 802 double plays. The Cardinals have converted 71.4% of balls hit into play into outs out of their 8,958 innings on the field, ranking them 4th in professional baseball.

Lester has taken the hill for 2,684 innings and has 2,454 strikeouts thus far in his career. Lester (196-117 career win-loss mark) has a FIP of 3.75 while he has gone up against 11,251 hitters during his time in the major leagues. His earned run average is 3.66 (1,093 ER's allowed) and he has a WHIP of 1.277. He has allowed 2,557 base knocks (8.6 hits per 9 innings) and has 870 walks.

Kansas City has hit 115 home runs on the campaign as well as 441 RBIs. They have tallied 160 two-baggers, while walking 299 times and putting up 467 runs. The Kansas City Royals are sitting with an OBP of .301 and a team batting average of .241 on the season. The Royals have a team SLG% of .388 and they have an average of 4.13 runs per contest (25th in the league). They have struck out on 911 occasions (28th in the league) and have accounted for 902 base hits.

The Royals have a team WHIP of 1.423 in addition to having a FIP of 4.51 as a pitching staff over the course of the season. Their strikeout to walk ratio comes in at 2.22 (968 strikeouts against 437 bases on balls). They are currently ranked 21st in the league as a staff in total hits given up with 958. They have given up 138 homers and they surrender 5.15 runs per 9 innings (26th in the league). The Kansas City pitching staff have given up 561 runs on the year while holding a team ERA of 4.89 (533 earned runs surrendered).

Sitting with 99 save situations, the Royals have 57 holds and also 17 blown saves. Kansas City has called on relief pitchers to take the mound in 42 save chances and they have walked away with 25 saves. Their relief pitchers have stepped onto the hill 97 times in high leverage situations and also on 106 occasions with runners on base. Kansas City relief pitchers hold an inherited score rate of 28.8% out of their 170 inherited base runners. They are ranked 17th in baseball with a save percentage of 59.5%, and they have sent 387 relievers to the mound this year.

In their 8,820 innings on the diamond, the Royals have earned a efficiency on defense of 67.9% (27th in professional baseball). The Kansas City Royals have twisted 112 double plays and have accounted for a fielding rate of .984 (18th in baseball). The Royals have 982 assists, 63 errors and have a tally of 2,940 putouts for the season.

Thus far in his career, Keller has surrendered 469 hits while accumulating 354 K's in 477 frames. He has surrendered 215 ER's while earning a WHIP of 1.390 and a FIP of 4.1. He has a strikeout to walk ratio of 1.82 and he has faced 2,048 opposing hitters so far in his MLB career. Keller (28-34 career record) is the owner of a 4.06 ERA and has given up 8.8 hits per nine innings.

Who will win tonight's MLB game ATS?

Josh Schonwald's Pick: Take St. Louis (-125)

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