The Oakland Athletics (19-29) travel to face off against the Kansas City Royals (28-19) on Sunday, May 19th. This game will be played at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City and televised on NSPCA. The Royals are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Athletics are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Royals. First pitch is set for 2:10 ET.
Athletics vs Royals
Thanks to a two-run homer from Kyle Isbel and a good outing from Seth Lugo, the Royals picked up a 5-3 win over the Athletics in the most recent game of this series. Heading into the game, the Royals were favored at -199 on the money line.
Lugo went just 5 2/3 innings for the Royals but gave up just two hits and two earned runs. He finished the game with 10 strikeouts but issued one walk. As for the Athletics, Ross Stripling got the start and took the loss, giving up four earned runs in five innings of work.
Nelson Velazquez also had a two-hit game for the Royals, scoring one run and driving in one run. Salvador Perez drove in two runs while going 1/4. Michael Massey also had a two-hit game and scored a run for Kansas City’s offense.
The Athletics will be on the road for today’s game vs. the Royals, and they are looking to snap a seven-game losing streak, which includes losing the first two games of this series. Overall, the Athletics are 19-29, putting them seven games behind the Mariners for the AL West lead. So far, they have really struggled against other AL West teams, going 4-10.
At home, the Athletics are 10-13 this year compared to a 9-16 mark on the road. Oakland has dropped seven straight games as the underdog, and they are 15-28 as the underdog overall. As for their record as the favorite, the Athletics are 4-1 this year. Looking at their overall series record, the Athletics are 6-7-1 and have dropped three straight series.
When the Athletics are on the road, they are 12-13 against the run line, and they have failed to cover in four straight games. They are 2-3 against the run line as the favorite and 22-21 as the underdog. Their average run differential in all games is -1.2 runs per game, but in their losses, it drops to -4.2 runs per game.
The Athletics have gone under the total in their last two games, and their over/under record for the season is 22-24. Their games have averaged 8.5 runs per game, and the over/under line for today’s game is set at 9 runs. When the line has been set at 9 runs this season, their over/under record is 1-1-1. This season, only 4.2% of their games have had over/under lines set at 9 runs or higher.
JP Sears Gets The Start For The Athletics
Left-hander JP Sears gets the start for the Athletics today as he faces the Royals on the road. Through nine starts, Sears has a record of 3-2 and an ERA of 3.96. He has made three quality starts this year and is coming off a game in which he gave up just one earned run in five innings of work. In that outing, he finished with a no-decision. Sears’ ERA on the road is 3.62, compared to 5.11 at home. Opponents are batting .225 off Sears this season, and he is averaging 6.3 strikeouts per nine innings.
Athletics Offense Breakdown
One of the Athletics’ biggest strengths so far has been their home run production, as they are 4th in the league in homers. However, they are batting just .219 as a team and are also near the bottom of the league in both runs per game and team strikeouts. Overall, they are averaging 3.7 runs per contest.
Abraham Toro and Shea Langeliers are both on good stretches at the plate, with Toro hitting .292 over his last six games and Langeliers batting .294 in his last five. Toro is also on a three-game hitting streak. Brent Rooker and Shea Langeliers are tied for the team lead with 10 homers. Rooker is also 10th in the league with 29 RBIs.
Kansas City is 28-19 overall this season, putting them 2nd in the AL Central, 1.5 games behind the Guardians for the division lead. The Royals have gone 8-5 against other teams in the AL Central. They have won two straight games, and this came after taking two of three from the White Sox.
So far, the Royals have been really good at home, going 17-8, and they are an even 11-11 on the road. As the favorite, the Royals have gone 13-6 this year and 15-13 as the underdog. Kansas City’s overall series record is 7-7, and they have won two straight series.
When the Royals win, they do so by an average of 3.8 runs per game, and they have a 29-18 run line record on the season. They are 16-9 against the run line at home, and they are currently on a three-game run line win streak at home. As the underdog, they are 19-9 against the run line this season.
The Royals have gone under the total in four straight games, and the under has hit in 78.7% of their games this season. Their games have averaged just 8.0 runs per game, and their over/under record is 16-29. When the over/under line has been set at 9 runs, they have gone under the total in four of six games. The over/under line for today’s game is set at 9 runs.
Brady Singer Gets The Start For The Royals
Brady Singer will be looking to bounce back from a rough outing vs. the Mariners, as he gets the start for the Royals today. Against the Mariners, he gave up four earned runs in five innings of work, taking the loss. Before that outing, he had pitched well, giving up just one earned run in three straight starts. Singer’s ERA for the season is 2.84, along with a record of 3-2. Out of his nine starts, he has three quality starts and is averaging 9.24 strikeouts per nine innings. For the year, Singer has allowed five home runs. At home, his ERA is 2.32 compared to 4.2 on the road.
Royals Offense Breakdown
Salvador Perez has been one of the league’s top hitters this season, batting .333 with a team-high 36 RBIs. He also comes into the game on a nine-game hitting streak. Perez has gone 12/33 in his last nine games. Perez’s eight homers is also the best mark on the team and 7th best in the league. Bobby Witt Jr. has also been a solid run producer for the Royals, as his 23 RBIs are 4th on the team, and he has five homers.
As a team, the Royals are averaging 4.5 runs per game and have been even better at home, putting up 5 runs per contest. Overall, they are the 11th ranked scoring offense in the league. Kansas City is one of the toughest teams to strike out in the league and comes into the game with a collective batting average of .243.
Athletics vs Royals Prediction
Our prediction for this Athletics vs. Royals matchup is to take the over, with the line sitting at 9 runs. Offensively, we have the Royals finishing with 9 hits and the Athletics with nine, so there is some room for error in terms of the line.
Looking at a money line pick, we do have the Royals coming out on top, but with their money line sitting at -169, we would rather take the over. If you’re looking for a starting pitcher to pick up a win, we have Brady Singer as the better option, but we have him finishing with five strikeouts compared to JP Sears with four.
All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!
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Last updated:May 19, 2024 Athletics, Royals