Will Royals keep ripping apart Twins?
Not long ago, Kansas City baseball fans were practically in a state of mourning. Now, the party rarely relents in the Power & Light District.
The expectation is that the Royals’ recent tear will continue in tonight’s middle contest vs. the Twins, with an 8:10 p.m. ET first pitch at Target Field. Oddsmakers at online sports book BetDSI list the visitors as 1.5-run favorites. Scuffling Minnesota, on the other hand, represents a +106 underdog. The over/under run total sits at 8.5.
Having taken six of eight, Ned Yost couldn’t feel much sunnier at present. The Kansas City skipper’s also receiving some impressive individual efforts to accompany his club’s overall success. Center fielder Lorenzo Cain carries a .403 average with four dingers and 11 RBIs during a 15-game road hitting streak after reaching base twice in yesterday’s 10-4 triumph. Then there’s catcher Salvador Perez, who notched a career-high five hits in the same affair.
Basically, Ervin Santana (1-2, 3.13 ERA) better prepare himself. Paul Molitor’s starter was impressive in a 6-3 win at Cleveland on May 14 before yielding two runs across eight innings in a loss to Toronto last week. He boasts a 2.57 ERA over his past three turns against the Royals.
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Yost counters with Edinson Volquez (4-4, 3.79). The veteran righty’s suffering through an excruciatingly tough month, going 1-4 with a 6.00 mark in his last five. Volquez must pay special attention to Joe Mauer, too, as the unofficial Twin Cities ambassador rakes Kansas City pitching at a .500 clip in 2016.
We fully trust the Royals to snag a franchise-record eighth consecutive W over the worst squad in the majors, but it won’t be an outright rout as in the opener. Santana’s a craftsman, and he’ll largely avoid Cain and Perez in favor of attacking the depleted lower half of Yost’s lineup.
TUESDAY MLB FREE PICK: ROYALS/TWINS UNDER 8.5 RUNS
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