Kansas City Royals vs Los Angeles Angels Prediction, 5/9/2024 MLB Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Kansas City Royals vs Los Angeles Angels

Date: Thursday, May 9, 2024

Location: Angel Stadium in Anaheim, CA

TV: Bally Sports Kansas City

Angel Stadium is the location where the Los Angeles Angels (13-23) will take on the Kansas City Royals (21-16) on Thursday. The starting pitchers are Michael Wacha and Reid Detmers.

As a unit, the Kansas City Royals are earning 4.6 runs per contest, which is 13th in the league. They have racked up 169 runs scored while holding a team OBP of .305. The Royals have accounted for 58 two-baggers as a team and have hit 36 baseballs out of the park. They have accrued 161 runs batted in and 292 hits on the year, and their team batting average is at .239. Kansas City has a slugging percentage of .389 and have been called out on strikes 249 times, while taking a walk on 107 occasions.

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The Royals have compiled a team ERA of 3.39 for the season (8th in MLB), and their staff has rung up 283 batters. Royals pitchers have relinquished 28 home runs and 125 runs in total (3rd in baseball). They have walked 114 players from the other team and their FIP is 3.71 as a team on the season. Kansas City has relinquished 294 base hits (8.2 per 9 innings) and 122 earned runs. Their K/BB ratio is 2.48 and the pitching staff has a team WHIP of 1.26.

Royals relief pitchers have gone to the mound with opponents on base 19 times as well as having 42 appearances in high leverage situations. The bullpen have tallied 22 holds this season (11th in MLB). The Royals relief pitchers have a save rate of 66.7% and has entered the game in 38 save situations. They have recorded 10 saves this year and have not converted 5 of 15 chances to get a save. The relief pitchers have inherited 36 runners so far this year and 19.4% of those runners crossed the plate. The Royals have dispatched 113 relievers to the hill over the course of the season.

The Royals have turned 70.4% of baseballs in play into outs out of their 2,916 innings on the diamond, which has them sitting at 13th in pro baseball. The Kansas City Royals have earned 972 putouts for the season, as well as 342 assists and 13 errors. Their fielding percentage is at .990 which has them ranked 2nd in MLB, and have accumulated 25 double plays.

Wacha has pitched in 1,325 innings and is sitting with 1,176 strikeouts thus far in his career. Wacha (89-58 win-loss mark in his career) has a FIP of 4.05 while he has faced 5,609 batters during his time in the major leagues. His earned run average is 4.01 (590 ER's allowed) and he has a career WHIP of 1.297. He has given up 1,296 base knocks (8.8 hits per nine innings) with 423 free passes.

The Angels hold a slugging % of .387 and they average 4.14 runs per outing (18th in MLB). They have tallied 52 two-baggers, while taking a walk 102 times and putting up 149 runs. Los Angeles has recorded 39 long balls this year as well as 136 RBIs. They have been rung up on 318 occasions (12th in the league) and have totaled 297 base hits. The Los Angeles Angels hold an on-base percentage of .306 as well as a team batting average of .243 this season.

The Angels have a team WHIP of 1.322 and are the owners of a FIP of 4.42 as a squad for the season. They come in at 12th in baseball as a pitching staff in total hits allowed with 282. The Los Angeles pitching staff have given up 184 runs on the campaign while holding a team ERA of 4.75 (167 earned runs conceded). Their K/BB ratio sits at 8.60 (303 strikeouts vs 136 free passes). They have surrendered 42 long balls and they allow 5.24 runs per 9 innings (26th in baseball).

Sitting with 25 save situations, the Angels have recorded 14 holds and also 4 blown saves. Los Angeles has had relief pitchers step onto the mound in 11 save opportunities and they have walked away with 7 saves. Their relievers have stepped onto the mound 18 times in high leverage situations and also on 29 occasions with runners on. Los Angeles bullpen pitchers have an inherited score rate of 33.3% of 45 inherited runners. They rank 18th in MLB with a save percentage of 63.6%, and they have sent 108 relievers to the mound for the year.

In 2,850 innings on the diamond, the Angels have accumulated a defensive efficiency of 70.5% (11th in baseball). The Los Angeles Angels have turned 31 double plays and hold a fielding percentage of .985 (14th in baseball). The Angels have racked up 301 assists, 19 errors and have a tally of 950 putouts on the campaign.

Detmers (15-22 career record) has earned a 4.36 ERA and has surrendered 8.3 hits per 9 innings. He has a strikeout to walk ratio of 2.69 and he has gone up against 1,449 batters in his pro baseball career. He has given up 164 ER's while earning a WHIP of 1.308 and having a FIP of 4.1. So far in his pro baseball career, Detmers has allowed 312 hits while earning 353 strikeouts in 338 frames.

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

Tony Sink's Pick: Take Kansas City

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