Royals regaining groove in time for Twins?
Kansas City’s still searching for its World Series-winning form of a season ago. As for the Twins, they’re merely fighting for respect in the American League.
Two organizations seemingly trending in opposite directions collide in this evening’s series opener, with an 8:10 p.m. ET first pitch at Target Field. Oddsmakers at online sports book Bovada.lv give Ned Yost’s club odds of -126 to jump on top in the three-game set. The hosts, conversely, represent +116 underdogs.
The Royals (22-21) had lost 12 of 15 away from Kauffman Stadium before visiting Chicago. While they couldn’t sweep the South Siders, Friday and Saturday did feature authoritative wins. Kansas City also owns six consecutive triumphs over Minnesota (11-32).
Needless to say, Ricky Nolasco (1-2, 4.74 ERA) faces a tall order in several hours. The veteran righty actually allowed just a solitary run and three hits in seven frames vs. the Royals on April 10. Since then, however, we’re talking about one arduous journey. Nolasco holds a 0-2 record with a 6.21 ERA in his last five turns.
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On the other side, Ian Kennedy (4-3, 3.24) continues to bring stability to a rotation littered with question marks. Surprisingly, the contact specialist fanned nine Red Sox several nights ago. He’ll want to keep the ball down against Miguel Sano and company, though, early and often. Offensively, look for Lorenzo Cain (.329 average in May) to put Kansas City back on the righteous path here.
MONDAY MLB FREE PICK: ROYALS -1.5
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