The Tampa Bay Rays and Kansas City Royals are set to play the second game of their three-game series at Kauffman Stadium on Saturday night.
The Rays took the series opener on Friday, but the odds for Saturday’s game are tight, with Tampa’s moneyline at -120 and Kansas City’s moneyline set at +100. The over/under is also set at an ambitious 10.5 runs.
With Friday’s win, the Rays continued their hot streak from before the all-star break. They have now won six of their last seven games, bringing them 11 games over .500. While they are a distant second place in the AL East, the Rays currently sit at the top of the crowded Wild Card standings in the American League.
On the other hand, Friday’s loss was the fourth in a row for Kansas City. To be fair, the Royals had won seven of 10 games before that losing streak. Nevertheless, their recent losing streak has taken them back into last place in the AL Central with the second-worst record in the American League.
Sing a Song
Brady Singer will make his first start of the second half for Kansas City on Saturday. The 25-year-old is 4-3 with a 4.02 ERA over 11 starts and three relief appearances this year, putting together a rather underrated campaign.
Singer has kicked things into high gear in July, pitching to a 3.06 ERA in his three starts this month, with the Royals winning all three of those games.
The Royals have managed to score just 11 runs during their four-game losing streak, now scoring three runs or less in six of their last 11 games. For the moment, all-star Andrew Benintendi is still anchoring the Kansas City lineup with a little help from rookie Bobby Witt Jr., who has come on wrong lately.
The Royals have started to get a little more production from the likes of Edward Olivares and Nicky Lopez, but lineup depth remains an issue.
Luis, Luis
Luis Patino will try to tame Kansas City’s lineup in his third start of the season. Patino lasted just 3.1 innings in his last start before the all-star break, so he’s still not stretched out very much. However, he’s pitched to a 3.57 ERA over his six starts in the minors this season while coming back from an oblique injury.
The good news for the Rays is they’ve heated up offensively during the second part of July. With seven runs on Friday, the Rays are averaging 5.6 runs over their last eight games.
Of course, Tampa’s lineup is hurting with Wander Franco, Harold Ramirez, and Manuel Margot all on the IL, but Randy Arozarena provides a constant threat while catcher Francisco Mejia has heated up in July.
Trust the Hot Streak
On paper, both teams have a reason to be concerned in this game, as the Rays don’t have their best starter on the mound and are still nursing some injuries. Meanwhile, the Royals have a host of issues holding them back this season.
But because the betting odds in this game are tight, there’s no value in the underdog, so put your faith in the Rays to find a way to win on Saturday night.
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