Boston Red Sox vs Kansas City Royals Picks and Predictions July 13th 2024

Royals Look to Crown First Half with Series Win at Red Sox

The Kansas City Royals expect to proceed with their winning streak and secure their fifth back to back triumph on Saturday as they visit the Boston Red Sox for the second game of a three-game series. The Royals’ new structure has set them in a solid position, binds with the Red Sox for the third wild card spot in the American League.

Royals’ Winning Streak

Kansas City stretched out their winning streak to four games with a 6-1 triumph over Boston on Friday night. This success was vital as it moved the Royals into a bind with the Red Sox in the cutthroat wild card race.

“Each success is immense, whether it’s April or July, however when you’re soundly right behind a group and you beat them, that is a decent step in the right direction for us,” Kansas City supervisor Matt Quatraro said. “We’ll be all set tomorrow.”

Key Performers: Bobby Witt Jr. furthermore, MJ Melendez

Bobby Witt Jr. furthermore, MJ Melendez were crucial in Friday’s success, each hitting a performance home run. Melendez has been especially viable against the Red Sox, with eight home runs in 14 profession games against them.

“Clearly, winning is the reason we play this game,” Melendez said. “Since we were young children all we needed was to be awesome and to win. That is something we’re hoping to do — attempt and construct that culture. … We’re simply playing great collectively. I simply feel like we’re really solidifying on and off the field and that’s helping us.”

Red Sox’s Recent Form

Despite the loss, the Red Sox have been in good form, winning eight of their last 11 games. They are focused on securing their fourth straight series win and will look to bounce back from Friday’s defeat.

“That’s a team over there we want to beat,” Red Sox outfielder Tyler O’Neill said. “They’ve been playing good baseball, as we have. It’s a big series. We want to show up tomorrow and get better results. Just try to be better. Stick with the routine, show up tomorrow and try to compete.”

Pitching Matchup: Seth Lugo vs. Kutter Crawford

The Royals will send right-hander Seth Lugo (11-3, 2.21 ERA) to the mound on Saturday. Lugo, who signed a three-year deal worth $45 million in the offseason, has been exceptional this season. He leads all major league pitchers in ERA and ranks third in innings pitched (122). Lugo’s impressive performance has earned him a spot on the American League All-Star roster, and he is a contender to start in the All-Star Game.

Lugo has had a long career, mostly pitching out of the bullpen for six of the first seven seasons of his nine-year major league career. However, he has struggled against the Red Sox, with a 0-1 record and a 5.40 ERA in three career appearances (3 1/3 innings).

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On the opposite side, right-hander Kutter Crawford (5-7, 3.24 ERA) will start for Boston. Crawford delivered one of the most outstanding starts of his profession last Sunday, tossing 68 pitches (54 strikes) north of seven scoreless innings to lead the Red Sox to a 3-0 triumph against the New York Yankees.

“That is likely the most productive I’ve at any point been,” Crawford said. “I think a little while prior, I presumably would have tossed 30 or 40 contributes one inning. In any case, it feels better to toss a great deal of strikes and get a ton of early outs like that.”

Game Viewpoint

The Royals are riding a flood of momentum as they hope to secure the series and proceed with their rising in the standings. With Seth Lugo on the hill, they have a solid pitcher who has been prevailing this season. The Red Sox, in any case, are anxious to bounce back and exploit Kutter Crawford’s new structure to keep their own season finisher trusts alive.

The two groups have a ton in question in this significant series, making Saturday’s game a profoundly expected matchup. The Royals’ capacity to keep up with their winning ways and the Red Sox’s assurance to recapture their balance will be key variables in the result of this challenge.