Do Rays, Smyly recover against Royals?
An injury spree supposedly tests a team’s resolve. It’s specifically designed to push buttons, to threaten everything – unless you’re Kansas City.
Despite key absences all over the diamond, the Royals keep rolling entering tonight’s contest against the Rays. Oddsmakers at online sports book Bovada.lv predict that the reigning World Series champions will claim their fifth straight W, too. Tampa Bay, conversely, represents a -123 underdog.
Ned Yost’s crew mashed its foe in the series opener, 6-2, behind Eric Hosmer’s three-run bomb and strong pitching from Ian Kennedy. Dillon Gee (1-2, 3.86 ERA) hopes to net the same sorts of results beginning at 8:15 p.m. ET. Last week’s outing at Minnesota, though, didn’t go so well. The veteran righty surrendered 10 hits and six runs in four innings of a 7-5 loss.
The highly regarded Drew Smyly (2-6, 3.92), meanwhile, toes the rubber for Kevin Cash. Smyly is 3-1 with a 2.20 ERA and 1.04 WHIP in five career starts vs. the Royals. One wonders, however, if the Rays’ bats can muster enough support for the 26-year-old hurler. Among regulars, only Logan Forsythe (.308), Steve Pearce (.303) and Brandon Guyer (.299) are able to claim a .260-or-higher average.
MLB Quick Links: Free Matchup Reports | Injuries | Odds Comparison | Scoreboard | Betting Trends
Kansas City’s finally performing as expected at Kauffman Stadium, so we’ll pick the AL East pacesetter without much hesitation. But beware of Smyly’s scintillating stuff, which could make Yost clamor for sidelined sluggers such as Salvador Perez, Alex Gordon and Mike Moustakas.
TUESDAY MLB FREE PICK: RAYS/ROYALS UNDER 8 RUNS
Want More Picks, Predictions & Odds From The Spread.com? Follow on Twitter and Facebook or Subscribe to Our News Feeds!