Royals vs. Red Sox Pick
Will the Boston Red Sox avoid another upset loss at home to the Kansas City Royals when these two continue their weekend series tonight at 7:10PM ET?
According to oddsmakers at Bovada.lv, Boston is the favorite at home today, as the Red Sox are getting odds of -140 to win, while the Royals are listed with odds of +125 to win. The over/under total for the contest has been set at 9 runs.
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The pitching matchup today has Trevor Cahill on the mound for the Royals to face Eduardo Rodriguez (4-3, 3.89 ERA) of the Red Sox. Cahill is making his first start from the Royals after being acquired from San Diego. He has pitched 61 innings this season, allowing 25 earned runs with 72 strikeouts and 24 walks. He has a 3.69 ERA and 1.34 WHIP. Rodriguez has struggled in recent starts, allowing 14 earned runs over his last three outings. He has 79 strikeouts with 27 walks this season and a 1.23 WHIP.
The Royals held off Boston for a 4-2 win on Friday to open this series. Kansas City is now 54-47 overall and 24-24 on the road while Boston comes into today’s game 56-48 overall and 29-19 at home.
After David Price was pulled to go on the DL, Rick Porcello got the start for Boston on Friday and he allowed four earned runs in seven innings to take his 14th loss of 2017. Jason Vargas pitched six innings for KC and allowed just one run to earn his 13th win of the season. Mike Moustakas hit his 30th home run of the season in the win while driving in three runs. Salvador Perez also had his 21st home run of the year on Friday. Eduardo Nunez was the lone Boston hitter with multiple hits.
KC managed an upset on Friday behind some strong pitching, but I am not sure what they will get today with Cahill. Making the jump to the American League can be challenging, especially against a team like Boston. The Royals are inconsistent at the plate, so I don’t see them necessarily adding to Rodriguez’ recent struggles. I expect Boston’s bats to wake up today and carry them to a win.
MLB DAILY PREDICTION: BOSTON RED SOX +125