Kansas City Royals vs La Angels Picks and Predictions August 20th 2024

The forecast from Kansas City on Tuesday calls for broken clouds and temperatures in the mid to upper 70s. First pitch from Kauffman Stadium is set for 8:10 PM ET. Cole Ragans will be starting for the Royals, and the Angels are going with Tyler Anderson. Los Angeles is +170 on the money line, and the Royals are the heavy favorite at -203. The over/under line is currently 8.5 runs.

Kansas City comes into the game with a record of 70-55 and has won five straight, which has them second in the AL Central. The Angels are 53-72 and have lost three in a row, putting them fifth in the AL West. BSW is carrying this game on TV.

Left-hander Tyler Anderson gets the start for the Angels today as he faces the Royals on the road. He has made 24 starts this season and has a record of 9-11 with a 3.30 ERA. Anderson’s WHIP for the season is currently 1.17. In his last outing, he gave up seven earned runs in 5 2/3 innings of work, taking the loss. Before that, he had won two straight starts. Anderson has been much better on the road this year, coming in with a record of 6-3 and a 2.04 ERA compared to 3-8 with a 4.71 ERA at home.

So far this season, the Angels offense has been near the bottom of the league in most major offensive categories. This includes being 26th in runs per game (4.0) and 22nd in home runs. As a team, they are batting just .234 and have a collective on-base percentage of only .305. Their team isolated power of .141 is also one of the worst marks in the league.

Currently, Zach Neto and Jo Adell are tied for the team lead in home runs, with both players having 18 homers. Neto comes into the game with a batting average of .261 and has gone 8/33 in his last eight games. Right fielder Jo Adell is batting just .204 for the season and is also on a three-game hitting streak. Catcher Logan O’Hoppe is 2nd on the team with 17 homers and has a batting average of .255.

Cole Ragans gets the start for the Royals today vs. the Angels and is coming off a strong outing vs. the Twins. In that start, he went seven innings, giving up just one earned run and picking up the win. Ragans has actually won his last three starts and has a record of 10-7 this season with a 3.18 ERA. Opposing batters are hitting .214 off Ragans this season, and he has turned in 17 quality starts. Ragans’ ERA at home is 5.53 compared to 2.73 on the road.

Heading into today’s game, the Royals are 7th in the league in runs scored, averaging 4.9 runs per game. They have been even better at home, putting up 5.3 runs per contest. Overall, they are batting .256 as a team, which is 6th in the league. Kansas City has been one of the toughest teams to strike out this season, but they are near the bottom of the league in walks.

Bobby Witt Jr. has been on fire of late, going 12/34 in his last nine games with three homers and seven RBIs. For the season, he is batting .349 with 25 homers and 91 RBIs. Witt Jr. is also on an eight-game hitting streak. Vinnie Pasquantino has also been a big run producer for the Royals, as his 92 RBIs are 4th best in the league.

Angels Look to Overcome Offensive Struggles Against Royals

As the Los Angeles Angels prepare for the second game of their three-game series against the Kansas City Royals on Tuesday, their ongoing struggle to generate offense is becoming a serious concern. After a 5-3 loss on Monday, the Angels have now scored fewer than four runs in seven straight games, losing six of them.

Angels’ Offensive Woes and Lineup Shuffles

Angels manager Ron Washington has been trying different lineup combinations to spark some much-needed production. Recently, Taylor Ward, who typically bats third or fourth, has been moved to the leadoff spot, while Nolan Schanuel, usually the leadoff man, has been hitting third. Despite these changes, the results have been mixed. Ward went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts on Monday, while Schanuel managed a 1-for-4 performance.

Pitching Matchup: Anderson vs. Ragans

The Angels will send left-hander Tyler Anderson (9-11, 3.30 ERA) to the mound on Tuesday. Anderson has had a tough stretch, losing three of his last four starts, including a rough outing against the Toronto Blue Jays, where he allowed seven runs over 5 2/3 innings. In six career starts against the Royals, Anderson is 2-2 with a 4.25 ERA.

Opposing him will be Royals left-hander Cole Ragans (10-7, 3.18 ERA), who has been in strong form recently, winning each of his last three starts and five of his last six. Ragans struggled in his earlier matchup against the Angels this season, allowing seven runs over 6 1/3 innings, but he has since bounced back, ranking fifth in the majors with 174 strikeouts and tied for seventh with 17 quality starts.

Royals’ Offensive Standouts

The Royals are counting on continued offensive support from third baseman Paul DeJong, who has been a bright spot since joining the team on July 30. DeJong is hitting .316 with eight RBIs and five extra-base hits, including four in the past four games. His experience with the St. Louis Cardinals in pennant races brings a veteran presence to the Royals as they look to build on their recent successes.

Game Outlook

As the Angels continue their series against the Royals, the pressure is on to find a spark in their lineup and reverse their recent losing trend. With Tyler Anderson on the mound, the Angels will need a strong performance to keep the Royals at bay and hope for some offensive breakthroughs. Meanwhile, the Royals will look to capitalize on Cole Ragans’ strong form and DeJong’s contributions to secure another win.

Tuesday’s matchup promises to be a crucial contest for both teams, with the Angels desperate to rediscover their offensive rhythm and the Royals aiming to maintain their momentum. Fans can expect an intriguing battle as both teams strive for a much-needed victory.

As the Royals host the Angels today, we are leaning towards the Royals picking up a win at home. We are also leaning towards these two teams surpassing the over/under line of 8.5 runs. This game is projected to have the 10th most combined runs in today’s slate and the 6th most hits. However, there doesn’t figure to be a ton of home runs, as this game has the 3rd lowest home run projection. Cole Ragans is our 7th ranked starting pitcher in terms of strikeouts, while Tyler Anderson is 7th worst.