Cincinnati Reds vs Kansas City Royals Picks and Predictions August 16th 2024

At 6:40 PM ET, the Reds and Royals will square off in an interleague matchup. This one is being played at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati, and the Reds are favored on the money line (-141). The money line odds for a Reds win are sitting at -141, while the odds for a Royals win are at +120. Michael Lorenzen is starting for the Royals, and they are 3rd in the AL Central, while the Reds have Nick Martinez on the mound. Cincinnati is 3rd in the NL Central and has won four straight.

The over/under line for Friday’s game is at 9.5 runs, and the forecast in Cincinnati calls for temperatures in the low 90s and cloudy skies. BSKC is carrying the game on TV, and tonight’s pitching matchup is Lorenzen vs. Martinez.

Kansas City vs. Cincinnati Key Information

Michael Lorenzen gets the start for the Royals today as he faces the Reds on the road. He has made 20 starts this season and has a record of 5-6 with an ERA of 3.79. Lorenzen’s WHIP for the season is currently 1.30. Looking back at his last outing, Lorenzen finished with a no-decision after giving up three earned runs in 4 1/3 innings of work. He has finished with a no-decision in each of his last three outings. The right-hander has allowed at least one homer in each of his last three outings.

As a team, the Royals are averaging 4.8 runs per game, which is 11th in the league. They have been even better at home, putting up 5.3 runs per contest. Overall, they are the 7th best hitting team in the league, with a team batting average of .254. The Royals have two of the league’s top home run hitters in Bobby Witt Jr. and Salvador Perez, who have 24 and 22 homers, respectively.

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Over his last nine games, Bobby Witt Jr. has gone 14/36 with four homers and 10 RBIs. This has helped him take over the team lead in batting average and RBIs. Witt Jr. also comes into the game on a four-game hitting streak.

Through 33 appearances and seven starts, Nick Martinez has a record of 6-5 and an ERA of 3.17. He has made just one quality start this year and is averaging 7.42 strikeouts per nine innings. In his last outing, Martinez went seven innings, giving up no earned runs on one hit. He finished with a no-decision in that outing. Before that, he had won two straight games. Martinez has been used out of the bullpen in his last two appearances. He has been much better on the road, with an ERA of 2.31 compared to 3.65 at home.

Spencer Steer has been swinging a hot bat for the Reds, hitting .409 with three homers over his last seven games. During this stretch, he has scored six runs and driven in nine. This has helped him move into the team lead in RBIs for the season, with 75. Steer is also 3rd on the team with 18 homers.

Elly De La Cruz has been a consistent hitter for the Reds this season, batting .263 overall and is 4th on the team with an OBP of .346. He has also gone deep 21 times, which is the best mark on the team and 15th in the league. TJ Friedl, Nick Martini, and Spencer Steer are all on three-game hitting streaks.

Our lean for this Royals vs. Reds matchup is to take the Royals to win straight-up. We also have this as the 6th highest-scoring game of the day and are leaning towards taking the over. Looking at today’s starters, Nick Martinez has the 2nd best innings pitched projection on the slate, while Michael Lorenzen has the 2nd worst strikeout projection among today’s starters.

Reds Aim to Extend Win Streak in Postseason Push Against Royals

The Cincinnati Reds are amidst a basic stretch as they proceed with their push toward the postseason. After an all over season that has seen them float around the .500 imprint, the Reds are at last finding their sweet spot with flawless timing. As they get ready to have the Kansas City Royals in a three-game interleague series beginning Friday, Cincinnati is riding a four-game series of wins that has brought them back into the season finisher discussion.

Reds Warming Up with perfect timing

The Reds have long accepted that a hot streak was inescapable, and it appears to be that second has shown up. In the wake of expenditure a large part of the time underneath .500, Cincinnati is presently inside striking distance of the National League’s last wild-card spot. The group’s ongoing four-game dominate streak, their longest since early June, has pulled them to inside four games of the season finisher position. A success on Friday would take them back to an even .500 record interestingly since early May, a critical achievement as they head into the last stretch of the time.

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Reds outfielder TJ Friedl highlighted the importance of the timing of this surge. “We’re clicking at the right time,” Friedl said. “Now is a great time to play your best baseball.” The Reds’ recent success has been fueled by a combination of power hitting and strong pitching. Over the last four games, Cincinnati has outslugged their opponents, hitting 11 home runs while allowing just seven runs.

In their latest excursion, a 9-2 triumph over the St. Louis Cardinals, both Friedl and Jonathan India homered two times, with India breaking out of a 0-for-23 downturn with three hits. The Reds’ hostile explosion and strong pitching have given them a genuinely necessary lift as they make their postseason push.

Reds right-hander Emilio Pagan emphasized the importance of staying resilient throughout the season. “We’ve kind of said it all year, and it can kind of get stale.

I’m sure it’s frustrating for fans to hear, ‘We’re going to go on our run, and other teams will start to struggle.’ It’s kind of the nature of the season,” Pagan said. “It does kind of feel like we’re starting to flip the script a little bit.”

Pitching Matchup: Martinez vs. Lorenzen

On the hill for the Reds on Friday will be Scratch Martinez, who is falling off his best beginning of the time. In his last trip, Martinez ruled the Milwaukee Brewers, tossing seven scoreless innings and striking out seven in a restricted 1-0 loss. The right-hander has been a solid presence in the Reds’ turn, posting a 6-5 record with a 3.16 Period. He has a strong history against the Royals, with a 2.08 Time in five appearances (two beginnings) against Kansas City.

The Royals will counter with right-hander Michael Lorenzen, who is recognizable to Reds fans subsequent to burning through seven seasons in Cincinnati. Lorenzen, presently with the Royals, has posted a 5-6 record with a 3.79 Time this season. Since being exchanged to Kansas City from the Texas Officers, Lorenzen has made two beginnings, permitting four runs more than 10 innings. In any case, his last trip saw him battle, surrendering three runs, including two homers, in only 4 1/3 innings in a loss to the Cardinals.

Lorenzen will be looking to bounce back against his former team, but his lone career start against the Reds earlier this season didn’t go well, as he allowed five runs in six innings in a loss while with Texas.

Royals Look to Stay in Wild-Card Hunt

The Kansas City Royals, while having a challenging season overall, have managed to stay in the wild-card race in the American League. They come into this series having split a two-game series with the St. Louis Cardinals before dropping two of three against the Minnesota Twins. The Royals are currently holding onto the final wild-card spot in the AL, and every game from here on out will be crucial in their bid to secure a postseason berth.

Paul DeJong, who has been a bright spot for the Royals since being acquired from the Chicago White Sox, continued his strong play with three hits, including a home run, in Kansas City’s 4-1 win over the Twins on Wednesday. DeJong is batting .320 with a 1.000 OPS in 10 games with the Royals, providing a much-needed boost to their lineup.

“It’s been a fun group. I’m happy to be here. It’s been fun playing with these guys, trying to get a win every day. I think that’s really what the process is about … trying to find a way each day,” DeJong said. “Each day, someone new is going to be the hero, so you just gotta go into the game with positive intentions and go and play your best.”

Key Matchup and What to Watch

This series opener between the Reds and Royals is significant for the two groups as they pursue postseason spots. For the Reds, the key will keep up with their hostile energy while getting one more solid excursion from Scratch Martinez. The Royals, then again, will require Michael Lorenzen to convey a strong presentation against his previous group and for their offense, drove by Paul DeJong, to keep creating in key minutes.

As the two groups fight for season finisher situating, this game could establish the vibe until the end of the series and possibly until the end of the time. With the Reds hoping to move back to .500 and the Royals battling to clutch their wild-card spot, anticipate a serious and extreme matchup.