Detroit Tigers vs Kansas City Royals Picks and Predictions August 2nd 2024

From Comerica Park in Detroit, we have the Royals and Tigers facing off in an AL Central matchup. The Royals have won four straight and are 61-49 overall, while the Tigers are 52-58 and have Tarik Skubal on the mound Friday. The money line odds have the Tigers at -118 compared to the Royals at -101.

Friday’s over/under line is at 7 runs, and APLTV will be televising this one. First pitch is set for 6:40 PM ET. Cole Ragans is starting for the Royals, and he will be facing a Tigers club that has lost four straight.

Watch yesterdays series match highlighs facing the Royals vs The Tigers!

Kansas City vs. Detroit Key Information

• Teams: Royals at Tigers
• Where: Comerica Park Detroit
• Date: Friday, August 2nd
• Betting Odds DET -118 | KC -101 O/U 7

The Royals Can Win If…

Kansas City is sending left-hander Cole Ragans to the mound today vs. the Tigers. He has made 22 starts this season and has a record of 7-7. Ragans’ ERA is 3.37, and he has a WHIP of 1.17. Opposing batters are hitting .218 off Ragans this season. In his 22 appearances, he has turned in 15 quality starts and is averaging 10.73 strikeouts per nine innings. Ragans’ last outing came vs. the Cubs, where he took the loss, giving up four earned runs in 5 2/3 innings of work. Before that, he had won two straight starts.

So far this season, the Royals are averaging 4.7 runs per game, which is 9th in the league. At home, they have been even better, averaging 5.2 runs per contest. As a team, they are batting .252, which is 7th in the league, and have the fewest strikeouts per game in the league. Kansas City’s offense has been led by Bobby Witt Jr. and Salvador Perez, who have 20 and 19 homers, respectively.

Witt Jr. and Vinnie Pasquantino have been two of the hottest hitters in the league of late, with Witt Jr. going 15/31 in his last eight games, and Pasquantino has gone 13/34 with three homers in this stretch. Witt Jr. also comes into the game on a 14-game hitting streak.

• The Royals are 6-4 in their last ten games.
• Over their last five games, the Royals are 3-2 vs. the run line.
• Kansas City has an over/under record of 6-4 in their last ten games.
• The Royals have an average of 6.4 runs per game over their last five games.
• Across their last ten road games, the Royals are 8-2
• Looking back across the Royals last five games as the favorite, they are 4-1
• Kansas City has gone 0-3 in their last three games as the underdog
• In their ten most recent road games, the Royals have averaged 6.3 runs per game on offense

The Tigers Can Win If…

Tarik Skubal has been pitching great for the Tigers, coming into the game with a record of 12-3 and an ERA of 2.35. He has made 21 starts this year and has turned in 16 quality starts. Skubal’s ERA at home is 1.96, compared to 3.04 on the road. The left-hander has a WHIP of .92 and is coming off a start in which he went seven innings, giving up two earned runs, and picking up the win. In that outing, he gave up one homer. Skubal has won each of his last three starts.

Heading into today’s game, the Tigers are averaging 4.2 runs per game, which is 21st in the league. Detroit has been a bad offensive team at home and on the road, as they are 20th and 23rd in the league in scoring, respectively. As a team, the Tigers are batting just .230, and their on-base percentage of .295 is also near the bottom of the league rankings.

Over his last five games, Javier Báez has three home runs but is just 3/17 at the plate. Riley Greene is the Tigers’ top home run hitter this season, with 17, and is batting .264 overall. His 51 RBIs are also the best mark on the team. Matt Vierling is batting .250 for the season and is 2nd on the team with 13 homers.

• The Tigers are 3-7 in their last ten games.
• Over their last five games, the Tigers are 1-4 vs. the run line.
• Detroit has an over/under record of 5-5 in their last ten games.
• The Tigers have an average of 2.4 runs per game over their last five games.
• Across their last ten home games, the Tigers are 7-3
• Looking back across the Tigers last five games as the favorite, they are 4-1
• Detroit has gone 0-3 in their last three games as the underdog
• In their ten most recent road games, the Tigers have averaged 4.7 runs per game on offense

Tarik Skubal, Still with Tigers Post-Deadline, Faces Royals

Tarik Skubal can finally pitch without the worry of being traded hanging over his head. The Detroit Tigers kept their ace through the trade deadline, allowing Skubal, a top contender for the American League Cy Young Award, to focus on his game. He’s set to take the mound against the Kansas City Royals on Friday night.

Trade Deadline Context

Despite swirling trade rumors, the Tigers chose to hold onto Skubal. Scott Harris, the Tigers’ president of baseball operations, clarified, “There were a lot of rumors that floated out there. There were a lot of unconfirmed reports that are just totally inaccurate. We never came close to trading Skubal.”

Tarik Skubal’s Performance

Skubal’s season has been nothing short of impressive:

• Season Stats: Skubal boasts a stellar 12-3 record with a 2.35 ERA.
• Recent Performance: Over his last six starts, Skubal has maintained a 2.03 ERA, allowing only nine runs in 40 innings with 49 strikeouts. His latest start was a gem, holding the Minnesota Twins to two runs and five hits with eight strikeouts over seven innings.

Team and Manager’s Perspective

Both the team and manager are full of praise for Skubal:

• Manager A.J. Hinch: “What we’re witnessing with Tarik, we’re just scratching the surface on what he can do,” said Hinch. “He’s getting a ton of attention. He’s been an All-Star now. I think when his turn comes around, you notice, I notice, the fans notice, the other team notices—it’s Tarik Skubal on the mound.”
• Fan and Team Reaction: Skubal’s starts have become notable events, highlighting his importance to the Tigers.

Matchup Against the Royals

Details of Skubal’s upcoming matchup against the Royals:

• Previous Encounters: Skubal has faced the Royals twice this season. He excelled on April 28, allowing one run in seven innings, but had a tougher time on May 22, giving up four runs in five innings.
• Career Stats Against Royals: In 13 career outings against the Royals, Skubal has a 2-8 record with a 4.85 ERA.

Royals’ Pitching Counterpart: Cole Ragans

The Royals will counter with their own talented left-hander:

• Cole Ragans’ Performance: Ragans (7-7, 3.37 ERA) was dominant against the Tigers on May 22, allowing one hit and striking out 12 in six shutout innings. However, his latest outing against the Chicago Cubs was more challenging, as he allowed four runs and eight hits in 5 2/3 innings.
• Manager Matt Quatraro: Quatraro remains optimistic, saying, “He gave us a good chance. We were into the sixth inning and he gives us a chance. They put some good swings on him.”

Royals’ Recent Success

The Royals have been on a hot streak recently:

• Winning Streak: The Royals have won four straight games, including a sweep of the Chicago White Sox and a win in the series opener against the Tigers.
• Key Player: Vinnie Pasquantino has been a standout, hitting two home runs and driving in four runs in the latest game, continuing his strong performance from the previous series. “Vinnie’s a run producer,” said Quatraro. “He’s had some good games for us, especially lately.”

Tigers’ Struggles

The Tigers are facing some challenges:

• Losing Streak: The Tigers are looking to end a four-game losing streak.

Our pick in this one is to take the Royals to win straight-up over the Tigers. And despite our projections pointing to this being the 3rd lowest-scoring game of the day, we are leaning towards taking the over. The Royals offense has the 2nd fewest projected strikeouts in the league today, and Cole Ragans is 5th in chances to pick up a win. On the other side, Tarik Skubal has the best chance to pick up a win among today’s starters.