The Kansas City Royals (36-25) travel to face off against the Cleveland Guardians (39-20) on Tuesday, June 4th. This game will be played at Progressive Field in Cleveland and televised on BSKC. The Royals are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Guardians are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Nationals. First pitch is set for 5:40 CT.
Royals vs Guardians
Led by a big game by Nelson Velazquez at the plate, the Royals are coming off a 4-3 win over the Padres to close out their series. Velazquez went 1/1 with two RBIs and a run scored. The Royals really broke things open with a three-run 4th inning but didnjson’t score again after that. Kansas City’s offense was the -127 favorite at home going into the game.
Cole Ragans started for the Athletics, going six innings and giving up just one run on five hits. He only had six strikeouts in the outing and got the win.
Kansas City is 36-25 overall and 2nd in the AL Central, trailing the Guardians by four games. The Royals will be on the road today vs. the Guardians, and they lost two of three in their most recent series vs. the Padres. So far, they have gone 12-8 in AL Central games.
At home, the Royals have been strong, going 22-10 this year. They are just below .500 on the road, coming in with a record of 14-15. As the favorite, the Royals are 19-8 this year, and they are an even 17-17 as the underdog. Kansas City’s overall series record is 10-9, and they have dropped two straight series.
When the Royals are on the road, they have been a good bet to cover the run line, going 18-11. Their average run differential on the road is +0.7, and they have covered the run line in two straight games. As the underdog, they are 23-11 against the run line, and their average run differential in wins is +4.0.
The Royals have played in 13 games this season with an over/under line of 8.5 runs, and the over has hit in seven of those contests. Overall, Kansas City’s games have averaged 8.5 runs per game, and their over/under record for the season is 26-33.
Seth Lugo Gets The Start For The Royals
Seth Lugo gets the start for the Royals today as he faces off against the Guardians on the road. So far this season, he has made 12 starts and has a record of 9-1. Lugo’s ERA for the season is an impressive 1.72, along with a WHIP of 1.01. In his 12 starts, he has turned in 10 quality starts and is coming off an outing in which he allowed just one earned run in six innings of work. Lugo has been especially tough on the road, coming in with a record of 6-0 and an ERA of 0.87.
Royals Offense Breakdown
Salvador Perez and Bobby Witt Jr. have been the Royals’ top power threats this season, as Perez’s 10 homers is 10th in the league, and Witt Jr. is just behind him with nine. Perez is batting .315, and Witt Jr. is hitting .313. Witt Jr. has been hot of late, going 11/31 in his last seven games.
As a team, the Royals are 6th in scoring at 4.9 runs per game. They have been even better at home, averaging 5.5 runs per contest. Overall, they are one of the league’s top home run hitting teams and are batting a collective .252. Kansas City comes into the game with four players on a hitting streak of at least three games.
The Guardians will be looking to get back on track after closing out their series vs. the Nationals with a 5-2 loss. This was especially tough, as it closed out their series vs. Washington. Cleveland was actually the slight favorite at -133 on the money line going into the game but fell behind early, as the Nationals scored four times in the 2nd.
Carlos Carrasco took the loss, going only four innings and giving up five earned runs on seven hits. The Guardians also issued three walks in the 4th inning. Will Brennan was hot at the plate, going 2/3 with a run scored. However, the Guardians only had six hits as a team and scored their only two runs in the 2nd.
Cleveland will host the Royals today with an overall record of 39-20, good for 1st place in the AL Central. They currently hold a four-game lead over the Royals and are 10-5 in divisional matchups this year. The Guardians have been really good at home, going 20-7, and they have gone 19-13 on the road.
So far, the Guardians have been playing well as the underdog, going 12-8, and they have won two straight as the underdog. Cleveland’s overall series record is 14-5, and they took two of three from the Nationals in their most recent series. The Guardians have been playing well lately, going 7-3 over their last 10 games.
When the Guardians win, they win big, with an average run margin of 3.6 runs per game. They are 33-26 on the run line this season, including 15-12 at home. As an underdog, they are 15-5 on the run line, and their current run line win streak as an underdog is at two games. They have an average run margin of 1.3 runs per game overall, and their run line record is 18-14 on the road.
The Cleveland Guardians are at home today against the Kansas City Royals, with the over/under line set at 8.5 runs. The Guardians’ games have averaged 8.8 runs per game this season, and their over/under record is 29-26. When the over/under line is set at 8.5 runs, their record is 5-10. This season, 52.5% of their games have had over/under lines set lower than 8.5 runs, and their current under streak is at 2 games.
Triston McKenzie Gets The Start For The Guardians
Triston McKenzie gets the start for the Guardians today and comes into the game with a record of 2-3 and ERA of 3.77. So far this season, he has made 11 starts and three of them have been quality starts. McKenzie’s most recent outing came against the Rockies, where he gave up four earned runs in five innings of work. He finished with a no-decision in that outing. Looking back over his last three starts, McKenzie has finished with a no-decision in each of them. Opponents are batting .209 off McKenzie this season, and his WHIP is currently 1.38.
Guardians Offense Breakdown
Jose Ramirez has been the league’s top RBI man so far this season, and he is also 4th in the league in home runs. Ramirez is batting .272 for the season and has gone 10/30 in his last eight games. Josh Naylor is 2nd on the team with 15 homers but has struggled of late, hitting just .121 in his last eight games.
As a team, the Guardians are 4th in the league in scoring at 5.1 runs per game. They have been even better on the road, averaging 5.2 runs per contest. Overall, they are one of the league’s top home run-hitting teams and have a collective batting average of .238.
Royals vs Guardians Prediction
Our predictions for this game have the Guardians picking up a 6-5 win over the Royals. We are also recommending taking the Guardians on the money line, with the payout being -115.
Looking at the starting pitchers, our projections have McKenzie finishing with six strikeouts, which is good for sixth among starters. As for Lugo, he is projected to finish with just four strikeouts, which is the second-lowest among all starters today.
All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!
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Last updated:June 4, 2024 Guardians, Royals