Scorching lefties face off in BoSox-Royals tilt
With mere weeks remaining in the regular season, familiar names like Chris Sale and Cole Hamels continue to dominate the Cy Young conversation in the American League. Yet it’s probably time to add a certain Kansas City lefty to that discussion.
Danny Duffy looks to keep his remarkable run going in tonight’s matchup against Boston, with a 7:10 p.m. ET first pitch at Fenway Park. Nonetheless, oddsmakers at online sports book Bovada.lv are partial to the host squad. The Royals enter the proceedings as +142 underdogs, while the over/under run figure sits at eight.
Since moving into Ned Yost’s rotation on May 15, Duffy holds an 11-1 record with a sub-3.00 ERA. He, perhaps more than anyone else, is responsible for Kansas City’s surge back into the playoff picture. The team has gone 18-6 so far this month to pull within three games of the Orioles for the AL’s second wild-card spot.
Red Sox skipper John Farrell will send his own southpaw, David Price, to the hill. The perennial All-Star boasts a 3-1 mark with a 2.36 ERA over his last six assignments. He also paces the majors with nine starts of at least eight innings.
MLB Quick Links: Scores & Matchups | Injuries | Odds Comparison | Betting Trends | ATS Stats
We have a ton of confidence in both hurlers at the moment, but Duffy needs to pay special attention to Mookie Betts (.320/.360/.557). Beantown’s right fielder tallied five hits in the series opener. Even so, he’ll be hard-pressed to solve the Royals’ burgeoning ace. Count on a low-scoring affair in a few hours.
SATURDAY MLB FREE PICK: ROYALS/RED SOX UNDER 8 RUNS