Kansas City Royals vs Cleveland Guardians Picks and Predictions September 3rd 2024

At 7:40 PM ET, the Guardians and Royals face off in an AL Central matchup. This one is being played at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, MO. Cleveland is currently on a two-game winning streak and is 79-59, while the Royals have lost six straight and are 3rd in the AL Central at 75-64.

The over/under line for Tuesday’s game is at 8 runs, and the Guardians are favored on the money line, with their odds sitting at -120 compared to the Royals at +101. Brady Singer is starting for the Royals, and the Guardians are going with Tanner Bibee.

Cleveland vs. Kansas City Key Information

Cleveland is sending right-hander Tanner Bibee to the mound today as he faces the Royals on the road. Bibee has made 26 starts this year and has a record of 10-6 with a 3.65 ERA. Looking at his overall numbers, Bibee has a WHIP of 1.13 and opponents are batting .229 this year. In his last outing, Bibee finished with a no-decision, giving up five earned runs in five innings of work. Before that, he had taken the loss in two straight outings. One positive note is that Bibee has allowed just one earned run in three of his last four outings. So far, he has made eight quality starts.

For the season, the Guardians are averaging 4.6 runs per game, which is 14th in the league. At home, they are averaging 4.9 runs per game, which is the 6th best mark in the MLB. As a team, they are batting just .239, which is 14th in the league. However, they do have the 12th most home runs in the league and have the fewest strikeouts in the league.

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Josh Naylor has been swinging a hot bat for the Guardians, going 11/27 in his last seven games with a home run and eight RBIs. This has helped him move into 3rd on the team in RBIs and 2nd in home runs. Naylor also comes into the game on a five-game hitting streak. José Ramírez is the team’s top power threat, as his 34 homers are 5th in the MLB and his 105 RBIs are the 2nd most in the league.

Through 27 starts, Brady Singer has a record of 9-9 and an ERA of 3.36. He has made 12 quality starts this year and is averaging 8.67 strikeouts per nine innings. Singer’s most recent outing came against the Astros, where he finished with a no-decision. In that start, he went six innings and gave up two earned runs on five hits. Before that, he had given up at least five earned runs in three straight starts. The right-hander will be looking to build off the outing vs. the Astros today. Singer’s ERA at home is 3.09 compared to 4.47 on the road.

So far this season, the Royals are averaging 4.8 runs per game, which is 8th in the league. At home, they have been even better, averaging 5.1 runs per game. As a team, they have the 7th best batting average in the league at .254. Kansas City has been very good at putting the ball in play, as they have the league’s 2nd fewest strikeouts.

Over his last nine games, Bobby Witt Jr. has gone just 7/34 (.206), but he has hit four home runs over that stretch. For the season, he is batting .338 with 30 homers, which is 7th in the league. Vinnie Pasquantino and Bobby Witt Jr. are tied for the team lead with 97 RBIs, which is 6th in the league.

Look for the Guardians to come out on top in this one as they take on the Royals, and we are leaning towards taking them on the money line. We have this as the 2nd highest-scoring game of the day, and our lean would be towards the over. Brady Singer has the 2nd best innings pitched projection among today’s starters, but Tanner Bibee has the 7th best strikeout projection.

Guardians Look to Extend Royals’ Losing Streak

The Cleveland Guardians are reaping the rewards of their midseason acquisition of outfielder Lane Thomas, who is starting to show the form that made him a coveted trade target. As the Guardians continue their three-game series against the struggling Kansas City Royals on Tuesday, Thomas has become a key contributor to the team’s recent success.

Thomas and Josh Naylor both homered in Monday’s series opener, while Gavin Williams delivered seven strong innings on the mound to lead Cleveland to a 4-2 victory. The win extended the Royals’ losing streak to a season-high six games.

Kansas City (75-64) struggled offensively, managing just two hits as they fell 4 1/2 games behind the AL Central-leading Guardians (79-59). The Royals have been in a scoring slump, posting just two runs in each of their last four games.

Thomas, who had a slow start after being acquired from the Washington Nationals on July 29, has been heating up recently. He’s hitting .385 (10-for-26) over his last 10 games after breaking out of a slump that saw him collect just four hits in his previous 55 at-bats.

“Lane got off to a slow start with us, but he’s a great player,” Cleveland manager Stephen Vogt said. “He’s going to be a big part of us moving forward. He’s been swinging the bat really well the last few games. He’s getting more aggressive, which is great.”

Royals Struggling to Find Answers

The Royals are mired in their longest losing streak of the season, and things didn’t get any easier with the absence of manager Matt Quatraro, who missed Monday’s game due to a personal matter. Bench coach Paul Hoover, who stepped in for the series opener, remains hopeful despite the team’s recent struggles.

“It’s been the same all year,” Hoover said. “They’re a resilient bunch in there, and they’re going to continue to fight. It stinks that we’ve lost a couple of games, but they’ll be ready to go tomorrow.”

Kansas City will need to turn things around quickly if they hope to remain in contention in the AL Central, and that starts with finding some consistency at the plate. The Royals’ offense has been stagnant, and they’ll face another tough test on Tuesday against Cleveland’s Tanner Bibee.

Pitching Matchup: Bibee vs. Singer

Tuesday’s game will feature a matchup of right-handers as Cleveland’s Tanner Bibee (10-6, 3.65 ERA) takes the mound against Kansas City’s Brady Singer (9-9, 3.36 ERA). Both pitchers will be looking to finish the season strong after experiencing some ups and downs in recent outings.

The 25-year-old Bibee is coming off a challenging August, where he posted a 4.64 ERA over four starts, including a rough outing against the Royals last week. In that game, Bibee allowed five runs on eight hits over five innings, including three home runs.

Bobby Witt Jr. has been one of the few Royals to have success against Bibee, going 3-for-11 with a home run against the young right-hander. Despite his struggles, Bibee remains confident as he looks to secure his 11th win of the season.

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On the other side, Brady Singer will be looking to build on a solid outing against the Houston Astros last Thursday, where he allowed just two runs over six innings. Singer has had mixed results against Cleveland, holding a 2-2 record with a 4.98 ERA in 13 career appearances (12 starts) against the Guardians.

Jose Ramirez, a key figure in the Guardians’ lineup, has had Singer’s number throughout their matchups. Ramirez is hitting .480 (12-for-25) with three home runs and 10 RBIs against the Kansas City right-hander, making him a player to watch in Tuesday’s game.

Guardians Offense Poised for More Success

The Guardians’ lineup has been producing consistently, with five extra-base hits in Monday’s series opener. Manager Stephen Vogt believes in the depth of his lineup and the ability of all his players to contribute.

“I’ll put our lineup up there with anybody,” Vogt said. “For us, it’s about 1 through 9 contributing, and we did that today … all of our guys are capable of adding to this offense and helping drive it. We believe in all of them, and that’s why we play everybody.”

With Lane Thomas finding his stride and the rest of the Guardians’ lineup producing, Cleveland will look to capitalize on the Royals’ struggles and extend their losing streak to seven games on Tuesday. The Royals, meanwhile, will be desperate to get back on track and avoid falling further behind in the AL Central race.