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The forecast for Tuesday’s Red Sox vs. Royals matchup calls for cloudy skies and temperatures in the upper 80s. The game will get started at 8:10 PM ET from Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, MO. Boston is on a two-game winning streak and is 60-51, while the Royals are 63-51 overall and 3rd in the AL Central.
Kansas City is currently favored on the money line, with the odds sitting at -134 compared to the Red Sox at +113. The over/under line is at 9 runs, and the game can be seen on BSKC.
Boston vs. Kansas City Key Information
- Teams: Red Sox at Royals
- Where: Kauffman Stadium Kansas City
- Date: Tuesday, August 6th
- Betting Odds KC -134 | BOS +113 O/U 9
The Red Sox Can Win If…
Brayan Bello is getting the start for the Red Sox today as he faces the Royals on the road. So far this season, he has made 20 starts and has a record of 10-5 with an ERA of 5.13. Bello’s WHIP for the season is currently 1.44. Out of his 20 starts, he has turned in seven quality starts and is averaging 8.66 strikeouts per nine innings. In his last outing, Bello finished with a no-decision, giving up two earned runs in 6 1/3 innings of work. He has not taken a loss in his last three outings.
So far this season, the Red Sox are the league’s top hitting team, with a team batting average of .264. They are also the top-scoring team in the league, averaging 5 runs per game. Boston has been even better on the road, averaging 5.3 runs per contest. Overall, they are 6th in home runs and have the league’s best OPS at .776.
Rafael Devers has been on a tear of late, going 13/31 in his last seven games with two homers and six RBIs. Devers is also on a 12-game hitting streak. For the season, he is batting .307 with 25 homers and 70 RBIs. Jarren Duran is batting .295 for the season and has gone deep 14 times. He is also on a seven-game hitting streak.
- The Red Sox are 6-4 in their last ten games.
- Over their last five games, the Red Sox are 4-1 vs. the run line.
- Boston has an over/under record of 9-1 in their last ten games.
- The Red Sox have an average of 6.8 runs per game over their last five games.
- Across their last ten road games, the Red Sox are 4-6
- Looking back across the Red Sox last five games as the favorite, they are 3-2
- Boston has gone 3-0 in their last three games as the underdog
- In their ten most recent road games, the Red Sox have averaged 6.5 runs per game on offense
The Royals Can Win If…
Seth Lugo has been pitching well for the Royals, coming into the game with a record of 13-5 and an ERA of 2.57. In his 23 starts, Lugo has pitched one complete game and has 17 quality starts. Lugo’s WHIP for the season is currently 1.02. Looking back at his last outing, Lugo picked up the win vs. the Tigers, going eight innings and giving up just one earned run. He only gave up one homer in that outing. Before that, he had given up a homer in three straight starts. Lugo’s ERA at home is 2.88, compared to 2.63 on the road.
Heading into today’s game, the Royals are averaging 4.7 runs per game, which is 9th in the league. They have been even better at home, putting up 5.2 runs per contest. Overall, they are batting .253 as a team, which is the 6th best mark in the league. The Royals have been one of the toughest teams to strike out this season, but they are just 25th in walks.
Bobby Witt Jr. and Salvador Perez are both in the top 11 in the league in home runs, with 20 apiece. Witt Jr. has been the team’s top hitter this season, batting .343, and he is also 5th in the league with 80 RBIs. Vinnie Pasquantino has been hot of late, going 10/31 with five homers in his last seven games and is currently on a nine-game hitting streak.
- The Royals are 6-4 in their last ten games.
- Over their last five games, the Royals are 2-3 vs. the run line.
- Kansas City has an over/under record of 7-3 in their last ten games.
- The Royals have an average of 5.8 runs per game over their last five games.
- Across their last ten home games, the Royals are 7-3
- Looking back across the Royals last five games as the favorite, they are 3-2
- 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 5.6 runs per game on offense
Red Sox Bullpen Boost: Chris Martin and Justin Slaten’s Return
As the Boston Red Sox gear up for the second game in a pivotal series against the Kansas City Royals, they’re looking forward to a significant bullpen boost. Right-handers Chris Martin and Justin Slaten are expected to return soon from the injured list, where they’ve been since early July.
“He’s on his way here,” Boston manager Alex Cora said about Martin on Monday. “He’s staying at home one more night. We’ll know more Tuesday night. If he’s ready, he’ll be activated Wednesday.”
Slaten, who’s been dealing with right elbow inflammation, is also making good progress. “He was playing catch on Monday, up to 120 feet,” Cora noted. “So, that’s a good sign. When you get up to that distance, the bullpen is right around the corner.”
Trevor Story’s Unexpected Progress
In a surprising twist, shortstop Trevor Story, who has missed most of the season due to a left shoulder dislocation, might return this year.
“I never thought we were going to get to this point,” Cora admitted. “I’m excited. Obviously, it’s not 100% certain, but the fact that he is doing everything possible to make it happen is great.”
Story is traveling with the team and actively participating in batting practice. “He’s hitting underhand tosses and front tosses this past weekend,” Cora said. “That’s close to BP. He’s moving well, and his swing looks great.”
Key Pitching Matchup: Bello vs. Lugo
After a 9-5 win in the series opener on Monday, the Red Sox are sending right-hander Brayan Bello (10-5, 5.13 ERA) to the mound on Tuesday, aiming for their third straight series victory. Bello has a solid track record against the Royals, boasting a 1-0 record with a 2.77 ERA in two career starts. He earned a win on July 14 against Kansas City, despite allowing homers to Salvador Perez and Adam Frazier. Bello has maintained consistency in his last three starts, throwing at least five innings while allowing three or fewer runs each time.
The Royals will counter with right-hander Seth Lugo (13-5, 2.57 ERA), who has struggled against the Red Sox in the past. In four career appearances (one start) against Boston, Lugo is 0-2 with a 7.56 ERA. His lone start, a loss on July 13, saw him allow five runs on 10 hits, including a home run by Rafael Devers, in five innings. However, Lugo is coming off a strong performance against the Detroit Tigers, where he allowed just one run on four hits over eight innings.
“A lot of soft contact, a lot of pitch efficiency,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said of Lugo’s recent outing. “It looked like he had everything working. He got soft contact on changeups, some swing-and-miss on the breaking ball, had the two-seamer going. All in all, he was in command the whole night.”
Royals’ Offensive Highlights
While Bobby Witt Jr. has been the headline act for the Royals, teammate Vinnie Pasquantino has also been a key contributor. The Royals have homered in 11 straight games, tying for the fourth-longest streak in club history. In Monday’s loss, Pasquantino extended his hitting streak to nine games with his 16th homer. He has five long balls in his past six games.
“Vinnie’s a run producer,” Quatraro said. “He’s had some good games for us, especially lately.”
Since June 24, Pasquantino is hitting .329 with nine homers and 34 RBIs in 35 games. His 51 home-game RBIs lead the majors.
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The Lean
There should be no shortage of offense in today’s Red Sox and Royals matchup, and not only are we leaning towards the Red Sox picking up the win, but we like the value on the over. The Royals are our 10th ranked team in terms of runs scored, but we have Seth Lugo as today’s 2nd worst starting pitcher in terms of strikeouts.
