Kansas City Royals vs San Francisco Giants Picks and Predictions September 22nd 2024

From Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, we have the Giants and Royals facing off in an interleague matchup. Sunday’s forecasted temperature is 68 degrees with light rain. Blake Snell will go for the Giants, and the Royals are starting Seth Lugo. San Francisco is favored on the money line, and the odds have them at -113 compared to the Royals at -105. The over/under line is currently at 7 runs.

First pitch is set for 2:10 PM ET, and BSKC will be televising this one. The Giants are on a two-game winning streak, and their overall record is 76-79. The Royals are 2nd in the AL Central, but they have lost six straight games.

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San Francisco vs. Kansas City Key Information

• Teams: Giants at Royals
• Where: Kauffman Stadium Kansas City
• Date: Sunday, September 22nd
• Betting Odds SF -113 | KC -105 O/U 7

The Giants Can Win If…

Blake Snell gets the start for the Giants today as he faces the Royals on the road. He has made 19 starts this year and has a record of 4-3 with a 3.31 ERA. Snell’s WHIP for the season is currently 1.08. In his 19 appearances, he has one complete game shutout and nine quality starts. Looking back at his last outing, Snell didn’t allow a run in six innings of work, picking up the win and 12 strikeouts. He has won each of his last two outings. Before that, he had a no-decision and gave up at least one earned run in four straight starts.

San Francisco’s offense has been pretty average this season, as they are 17th in the league at 4.3 runs per game. They have been slightly better on the road, averaging 4.4 runs per contest. Overall, the Giants are batting .238, which is 15th in the league, and they are also 15th in on-base percentage. San Francisco’s team slugging percentage of .394 is 16th in the league.

Matt Chapman and Heliot Ramos have been the Giants’ top power hitters this season, with Chapman leading the team with 26 homers and Ramos right behind him at 21. Chapman also leads the team with 75 RBIs, while Ramos has driven in 70 runs. Chapman is batting .249 for the season, while Ramos is hitting .267. Over his last eight games, Mike Yastrzemski has three homers but is just 5/30.

• The Giants are 5-5 in their last ten games.
• Over their last five games, the Giants are 4-1 vs. the run line.
• San Francisco has an over/under record of 6-4 in their last ten games.
• The Giants have an average of 5.8 runs per game over their last five games.
• Across their last ten road games, the Giants are 6-4
• Looking back across the Giants last five games as the favorite, they are 3-2
• San Francisco has gone 2-1 in their last three games as the underdog
• In their ten most recent road games, the Giants have averaged 4.6 runs per game on offense

The Royals Can Win If…

Seth Lugo gets the start for the Royals today and comes in with a record of 16-8 and an ERA of 3.05. Looking at his overall numbers, Lugo has made 31 starts, and opponents are batting .230 this season. Lugo has turned in 21 quality starts this year and is coming off an outing where he finished with a no-decision. In that start against the Tigers, he went 4 2/3 innings, giving up four earned runs, and two homers. Before that outing, he had won two straight starts. So far, he has been much better on the road, coming in with a record of 9-3 and an ERA of 3.24 compared to 7-5 with a 3.65 ERA at home.

As a team, the Royals are averaging 4.6 runs per game, which is 11th in the league. They have been even better at home, putting up 4.8 runs per game. Overall, they are 7th in team batting average at .251 and have the 11th best slugging percentage in the league. The Royals have been tough to strike out, as they have the 2nd fewest strikeouts in the league.

Salvador Perez and Bobby Witt Jr. have been two of the Royals’ top hitters this season. Witt Jr. is batting .334 with 32 homers, and Perez is batting .273 with 27 home runs. Witt Jr. has been especially hot of late, going 10/28 in his last 8 games with two homers.

• The Royals are 3-7 in their last ten games.
• Over their last five games, the Royals are 0-5 vs. the run line.
• Kansas City has an over/under record of 3-7 in their last ten games.
• The Royals have an average of 2.0 runs per game over their last five games.
• Across their last ten home games, the Royals are 3-7
• Looking back across the Royals last five games as the favorite, they are 0-5
• Kansas City has gone 1-2 in their last three games as the underdog
• In their ten most recent road games, the Royals have averaged 3.7 runs per game on offense

The Kansas City Royals, desperately trying to maintain their hold on a playoff spot, will face the San Francisco Giants in a critical series finale on Sunday afternoon. The Royals (82-73) are in the midst of a six-game losing streak, including a 9-0 blowout loss on Saturday. This rough patch has put Kansas City in a precarious position, holding onto the second American League wild-card spot by just half a game over the Minnesota Twins (81-73) and one game ahead of the Detroit Tigers (81-74).

Royals Reeling as Playoff Pressure Mounts

The Royals’ struggles have been glaring during this slump, as they’ve lost 15 of their past 22 games, creating concerns as the regular season winds down. On Saturday, Kansas City managed just five hits and gave up five home runs, continuing a troubling trend of poor offense and inconsistent pitching.

Manager Matt Quatraro voiced his frustration after Saturday’s defeat: “Both sides of the ball, we got our butts beat,” he said. “These guys feel it. They’re hurting… They don’t want to be playing baseball like that.” With just a week left in the regular season, Quatraro emphasized the urgency for the team to turn things around, adding, “We have our best opportunity to start that tomorrow.”

Seth Lugo on the Mound

On Sunday, Kansas City will turn to Seth Lugo (16-8, 3.05 ERA) in hopes of breaking their losing streak. Lugo, who is having a career-best season, has struggled recently, allowing four runs over 4 2/3 innings in his last start against the Detroit Tigers. Despite the setback, Lugo has been solid against the Giants throughout his career, boasting a 4-2 record with a 2.03 ERA in 16 appearances, including five starts.

Lugo’s ability to regain form will be critical for the Royals as they look to end their slump and keep their playoff hopes alive. With the Twins and Tigers hot on their heels, Kansas City cannot afford another loss.

Giants Embrace Spoiler Role

While the Giants (76-79) are out of the playoff picture, they have embraced their role as spoilers, adding to Kansas City’s woes with a dominating 9-0 win on Saturday. San Francisco hit five home runs in the game, with Mike Yastrzemski leading the charge with a three-run shot. LaMonte Wade Jr. and Matt Chapman each contributed two solo home runs, with Chapman making a big impact after returning from the paternity list. “I’ve seen guys hit a lot of homers on their first day back from having a baby. I’m glad I got to join that club,” Chapman joked after the game.

Blake Snell’s Dominant Form

The Giants will counter with left-hander Blake Snell (4-3, 3.31 ERA), who has been dominant recently. Snell has not lost in his last 13 starts, posting a stellar 1.33 ERA and striking out 105 batters over 74 1/3 innings during that stretch. In his last start on Tuesday, Snell delivered a brilliant performance, allowing just one hit over six scoreless innings with 12 strikeouts in a 10-0 win against the Baltimore Orioles.

However, despite Snell’s recent dominance, he has struggled in his career against Kansas City, holding a 1-3 record with a 7.27 ERA in four starts. He will look to change that narrative and continue his impressive run of form in Sunday’s finale.

High Stakes for the Royals

For Kansas City, this game is crucial as they aim to snap their six-game losing streak and hold onto their wild-card spot. With just a handful of games left in the season, each win is vital. Seth Lugo will need to deliver a strong outing, while the offense must find a way to reignite against a tough opponent in Snell.

Key Players to Watch

• Royals: Seth Lugo, Bobby Witt Jr., Salvador Perez
• Giants: Blake Snell, Mike Yastrzemski, Matt Chapman

As the Royals fight to save their playoff chances and the Giants look to play spoiler once again, Sunday’s game could prove pivotal in shaping the AL wild-card race.

Probable Starters:

• Royals: Seth Lugo (16-8, 3.05 ERA)
• Giants: Blake Snell (4-3, 3.31 ERA)

The Lean

Our lean for an over/under pick would be to take the over, as we have this as the 10th highest-scoring game of the day. As for who is going to take this one straight up, we have our lean on the Giants to pick up the win. San Francisco starter Blake Snell is our 7th ranked starting pitcher in terms of strikeouts, while Seth Lugo is 7th in our projections in earned runs allowed.