Pittsburgh Pirates vs Kansas City Royals Prediction, 8/28/2023 MLB Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Pittsburgh Pirates vs Kansas City Royals

Date: Monday, August 28, 2023

Location: Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, MO

TV: Bally Sports Kansas City

The Kansas City Royals (41-90) will take on the Pittsburgh Pirates (58-72) at Kauffman Stadium on Monday. The expected starting pitchers are Johan Oviedo and Zack Greinke.

As a team, the Pittsburgh Pirates are compiling 4.2 runs per contest, which is 24th in baseball. They have notched a total of 546 runs scored while having a team OBP of .314. The Pirates have hit 228 two-baggers as a unit and have hit 127 balls out of the park. They have earned 523 RBI's as well as 1,013 hits for the year, and their average at the plate comes in at .235. Pittsburgh owns a slugging percentage of .387 and have been called out on strikes 1,156 times, while being walked on 460 occasions.

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They have accrued a K/BB ratio of 2.33 and their pitching staff has a collective WHIP of 1.40. Pirates pitchers have allowed 141 home runs and also 633 runs in total (22nd in baseball). Pittsburgh has relinquished 1,125 base knocks (8.8 per 9 innings) and also 581 earned runs. The Pirates have compiled a team earned run average of 4.56 this year (21st in the league), and the staff has rung up 1,110 batters. They have walked 476 opposing batters and their FIP is 4.35 as a unit for the year.

The Pirates relievers have earned a save percentage of 70.0% and has entered the game in 116 save situations. The bullpen pitchers have inherited 194 base runners on the season with 32.5% of those players crossed home plate. Pirates bullpen pitchers have entered the contest with opponents on base 131 times in addition to having 131 appearances in high leverage situations. The Pirates have dispatched 416 relievers to the hill on the season. The relievers have a total of 63 holds so far this season (22nd in baseball). They have accumulated 35 saves so far this season and have not converted 15 of 50 save opportunities.

The Pittsburgh Pirates have earned a total of 3,440 putouts at this point in the season, as well as 1,087 assists and 76 errors. Their fielding percentage is currently at .983 which ranks 25th in baseball, and have a total of 109 double plays. The Pirates have transformed 68.0% of baseballs in play into outs out of 10,320 innings, ranking them 25th in pro baseball.

Oviedo (11-24 career record) has earned a FIP of 4.54 while facing 1,275 opposing batters during his time in the major leagues. He has conceded 265 base hits (8.3 hits per nine innings) and has had 132 walks. His earned run average is 4.40 (141 earned runs allowed) and he has a WHIP of 1.377. Oviedo has pitched in 288 innings and has totaled 250 K's in his MLB career.

The Kansas City Royals have earned an on-base percentage of .299 as well as a team batting average of .242 so far this year. They have been rung up on 1,119 occasions (16th in baseball) and have earned a total of 1,066 base knocks. Kansas City has recorded 126 home runs for the year to go along with 504 runs batted in. The Royals have a slugging percentage of .393 and they have an average of 4.00 runs per contest (28th in baseball). They have recorded 215 doubles, while walking 317 times as well as scoring 524 runs.

The Royals have a team WHIP of 1.419 in addition to having a FIP of 4.74 as a team for the season. They currently have a K/BB ratio of 8.20 (1,033 strikeouts against 451 bases on balls). They have a ranking of 26th in baseball as a pitching staff in total hits given up with 1,164. They have conceded 169 long balls and they concede 5.57 runs per 9 innings (28th in the league). The Kansas City pitching staff have given up 704 runs so far this season and come in with a team ERA of 5.24 (662 earned runs given up).

Kansas City has called on relievers to step onto the hill in 38 save opportunities and they have recorded 19 saves. They are ranked 27th in the league with a save rate of 50.0%, and they have dispatched 426 bullpen pitchers to the hill on the campaign. Their relief pitchers have stepped onto the mound 109 times in high leverage situations and on 89 occasions with runners on. Kansas City bullpen pitchers hold an inherited score percentage of 37.5% out of 144 inherited runners. Sitting with 88 save situations, the Royals have amassed 50 holds and also 19 blown saves.

The Kansas City Royals have gotten 95 double plays and have a fielding percentage of .986 (11th in baseball). The Royals have accrued 1,112 assists, 63 errors and have earned 3,414 putouts on the campaign. In 10,242 innings on the field, the Royals hold a defensive efficiency of 68.3% (23rd in baseball).

In his MLB career, Greinke has given up 3,177 hits while he has tallied 2,960 K's in 3,361 innings. Greinke (224-153 win-loss record in his career) holds a 3.49 ERA and has conceded 8.5 hits per nine innings. He has given up a total of 1,303 ER's while holding a WHIP of 1.169 and having a FIP of 3.5. His K/BB ratio is 3.93 and he has gone up against 13,760 batters so far in his career.

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

Tony Sink's Pick: Take Kansas City

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