Kansas City Royals vs Tampa Bay Rays Prediction, 8/18/2022 MLB Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Kansas City Royals vs Tampa Bay Rays

Date: Thursday, August 18, 2022

Location: Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, FL

TV: Bally Sports Sun

The Tampa Bay Rays (62-53) will try to defeat the Kansas City Royals (48-70) at Tropicana Field on Thursday. The expected starting pitchers are Brad Keller and Shane McClanahan.

The Royals have accrued 180 two-baggers as a unit and have smacked 100 balls out of the park. Kansas City has a slugging rate of .381 and have been called out on strikes 934 times, while drawing a walk on 339 occasions. As a unit, the Kansas City Royals are scoring 3.9 runs per contest, which has them at 24th in the league. They have tallied 440 RBI's and 975 hits on the year, and their batting average comes in at .246. They have earned 459 runs scored and hold an on-base percentage of .308.

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The Royals are sitting with a team ERA of 4.67 so far this season (27th in baseball), and their staff has rung up 873 batters. They have walked 447 hitters and their FIP sits at 4.48 as a team on the year. Their strikeout to walk ratio sits at 1.95 and the pitching staff has earned a collective WHIP of 1.47. Royals pitchers have surrendered 130 home runs in addition to 595 total runs (27th in MLB).

The Royals bullpen have recorded a save rate of 61.9% and has stepped onto the mound in 112 save situations. The bullpen pitchers have inherited 218 base runners this season and 29.8% of those runners ended up scoring. Royals bullpen pitchers have come into the game with runners on base 137 times in addition to having 133 appearances in high leverage situations. The Royals have sent 409 relievers to the mound for the season. The relievers have 66 holds on the season (10th in MLB). They have accumulated 26 saves for the season and have not converted 16 out of their 42 save chances.

The Kansas City Royals have a tally of 3,106 putouts on the year, as well as 1,095 assists and 66 errors. Their fielding rate is holding steady at .985 which has them sitting 17th in MLB, and they have twisted 107 double plays. The Royals have turned 68.0% of balls hit into play into outs in their 9,318 innings, which has them sitting 26th in professional baseball.

Keller has taken the mound for 616 innings and is sitting with 456 strikeouts in his pro baseball career. Keller (35-48 record in his career) sits with a FIP of 4.23 while he has gone up against 2,651 hitters during his time in the majors. His earned run average is 4.19 (287 earned runs allowed) and his WHIP is 1.395. He has given up 612 base hits (8.9 hits per 9 innings) and has had 248 free passes.

The Rays have a team slugging % of .375 and they earn 4.10 runs per outing (22nd in baseball). They have 197 two-baggers, while taking a walk 355 times and putting up 471 runs. Tampa Bay has a total of 103 home runs over the course of the season to go along with 448 runs batted in. They have been called out on strikes on 1,020 occasions (9th in baseball) and have earned 911 base hits. The Tampa Bay Rays have tallied a team OBP of .306 and a batting average of .237 on the campaign.

The Rays are sitting with a team WHIP of 1.147 in addition to having a FIP of 3.66 as a staff for the year. Their K/BB ratio comes in at 3.62 (988 strikeouts vs 273 bases on balls). They rank 5th in MLB as a staff in total hits given up with 899. They have allowed 120 dingers and they concede 3.91 runs per 9 innings (5th in baseball). The Tampa Bay pitching staff have surrendered 444 runs on the campaign while holding a team ERA of 3.40 (386 earned runs conceded).

Tampa Bay relievers have an inherited score rate of 25.0% of 132 inherited runners. Their relief pitchers have stepped onto the mound 142 times in high leverage situations and also on 98 occasions with runners on base. With 142 save situations, the Rays have earned 82 holds in addition to 26 blown saves. They rank 27th in baseball holding a save percentage of 55.9%, and they have dispatched 406 relievers onto the diamond over the course of the season. Tampa Bay has called on bullpen pitchers to take the mound in 59 save chances and they have come away with 33 saves.

In 9,204 innings played, the Rays are sitting with a defensive efficiency of 70.7% (5th in pro baseball). The Tampa Bay Rays have gotten 80 double plays and have notched a fielding percentage of .986 (13th in pro baseball). The Rays have racked up 990 assists, 59 errors and have earned a total of 3,068 putouts this season.

So far in his pro baseball career, McClanahan has surrendered 211 base knocks while he has earned 306 punch outs in 257 frames. He has surrendered a total of 81 earned runs while earning a WHIP of 1.063 and a FIP of 3.0. He has a K/BB ratio of 4.86 and he has faced 1,029 opposing hitters during his MLB career. McClanahan (21-11 mark in his career) is the owner of a 2.83 ERA and has allowed 7.4 hits per nine innings.

Who will win tonight's MLB game against the spread or moneyline?

Josh Schonwald's Pick: Take Kansas City

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