Will Royals make it two straight against Nats?
In need of a little late-inning magic, the Royals accessed the 2015 catalogue to score Tuesday’s 7-6 victory over the Nationals. Can the hosts keep that momentum going this afternoon?
Kansas City and Washington are set to bring their three-game interleague set to a close, with a 2:15 p.m. first pitch at Kauffman Stadium. Oddsmakers at online sports book Bovada.lv actually like Dusty Baker’s squad as a 1.5-run favorite. The finale’s over/under total sits at 7.5 runs.
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Having been shut out in three of the four contests, Ned Yost’s group entered last night’s ninth inning trailing by two. Clutch base knocks by Salvador Perez and Mike Moustakas, though, triggered a scintillating rally that Nats closer Jonathan Papelbon looked powerless to contain. It was a performance that echoed the trademark style of last year’s World Series-winning team.
Of course, the Royals would rather not have to rely on a dramatic comeback to handle their business in the rubber match. They’ll send Kris Medlen (1-2, 4.87 ERA) to the hill for the fifth time in 2016. The righty surrendered just one hit in Friday’s matchup at Seattle. Unfortunately, that ball left the yard. Medlen issued five free passes, too, and barely made it through five innings.
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Washington’s Stephen Strasburg has had no difficulty whatsoever venturing deep into tilts. He rebounded from a rocky start vs. St. Louis roughly a week ago to notch his fourth victory on the campaign. Opponents are batting a meager .220 off the fireballer through 36 frames of work.
We need to see more out of Kansas City’s lineup before believing in them to topple upper-echelon hurlers with any consistency. Our gut, though, tells us that Medlen will also do a decent job of neutralizing the Nationals’ main offensive threats. With Bryce Harper in the throes of a 1-for-20 slump, now’s the time to bank on a low-scoring matinee.
WEDNESDAY MLB FREE PICK: NATIONALS/ROYALS UNDER 7.5 RUNS
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