At 7:40 PM ET, the Guardians and Royals will face off in an AL Central matchup. This one is taking place at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, and the Guardians are on a three-game winning streak, putting them first in the AL Central, with an overall record of 80-59. The Royals are 7-7 in their last 14 games and are third in the AL Central at 75-65.
Kansas City is the slight favorite on the money line, with their odds sitting at -138 compared to the Guardians at +117. The over/under line is currently 8.5 runs, and the forecast for Wednesday's game in Kansas City calls for clear skies and temperatures in the upper 80s. Ben Lively starts for the Guardians, while the Royals are going with Seth Lugo.
Cleveland vs. Kansas City Matchup At A Glance
- Teams: Guardians at Royals
- Where: Kauffman Stadium Kansas City
- Date: Wednesday, September 4th
- Betting Odds KC -138 | CLE +117 O/U 8.5
Guardians vs Royals Last Game Recap
Cleveland cruised to a 7-1 win over the Royals in the most recent game of this series. The Guardians had a huge 2nd inning, scoring seven of their eight runs. As for the Royals, they scored their only run in the 5th. Heading into the game, the Guardians were favored at -133 on the money line.
Tanner Bibee only went six innings for the Guardians but gave up just one run and two hits. He finished the game with six strikeouts but issued three walks. On the other side, Brady Singer was tagged for two homers and five runs in 5 2/3 innings of work.
At the plate, the Guardians were led by Brayan Rocchio and Kyle Manzardo, who each had three hits and combined for six RBIs. Rocchio, Will Brennan, and Steven Kwan each scored two runs for Cleveland's offense.
Guardians Preview
With a 80-59 record, Cleveland is leading the AL Central by 4.5 games over the Twins. They have won their last three games and have a series record of 25-13-5. Against the run line, they are 37-34 on the road and 31-22 as underdogs.
This season, the over/under record for games with 8.5 run lines is 20-17, and the average run total for their games is 8.6 runs. The over/under record for the season stands at 65-64, and 54% of their games have had lower lines than today's 8.5 runs.
Right-hander Ben Lively gets the start for the Guardians today as he faces the Royals on the road. This year, he has made 24 starts and has a record of 11-8 with a 3.92 ERA. Lively's WHIP for the season is currently 1.23. In his 24 appearances, he has turned in nine quality starts. Lively's last outing came on August 30th, where he finished with a no-decision. In that start, he gave up six earned runs in 4 1/3 innings of work. Before that outing, he had won two straight starts. So far, he has been much better at home, coming in with a 4.29 ERA compared to 4.03 on the road.
Jose Ramirez and Josh Naylor have been the Guardians' top power threats this season, as Ramirez's 34 homers are the 5th most in the league, and Naylor is 9th with 29 homers. Ramirez's 105 RBIs are the 2nd most in the league, while Naylor's 100 RBIs are the 3rd most in the MLB. Over his last seven games, Naylor has gone 12/28 (.429) with one homer and eight RBIs.
As a team, the Guardians are averaging 4.6 runs per game, and they have been a better offensive team at home, averaging 4.9 runs per contest. Overall, they are batting .239 and have the league's 11th ranked home run total. Currently, both Andrés Giménez and Josh Naylor are on hitting streaks, with Giménez's streak sitting at three games and Naylor's at six.
Royals Preview
Today, the Royals are looking to end a seven-game losing streak and close the 5.5-game gap between them and the Guardians, who lead the AL Central. Kansas City's overall record is 75-65, placing them 3rd in the division.
Against the run line, the Royals have a 39-32 record at home, with an average run margin of +0.6 runs per game. Their games have averaged 8.9 runs this season, resulting in a 64-71 over/under record. For games with an 8.5 run line, their O/U record is 15-23, with 35% of their games having total lines of 8.5 or higher.
Seth Lugo gets the start for the Royals today and comes in with a record of 14-8 and an ERA of 3.12. So far, he has made 28 starts and has one complete game. Lugo has turned in 19 quality starts and is averaging 7.79 strikeouts per nine innings. In his last outing, Lugo finished with a no-decision, going seven innings and giving up one earned run on six hits. Before that, he had given up at least five earned runs in three straight starts. The right-hander has allowed a total of six earned runs in his last two outings.
Heading into today's game, the Royals are averaging 4.8 runs per game, which is 10th in the league. They have been even better at home, averaging 5.1 runs per game. Overall, they are the 7th best hitting team in the league, with a team batting average of .253. Kansas City is also one of the league's best home run-hitting teams, with a total of 156 homers.
Bobby Witt Jr. is one of the league's top home run hitters, as his 30 homers are 8th in the league. He also leads the team with 97 RBIs. Witt Jr. comes into the game with four homers in his last nine games, but he is batting just .235 over that stretch. Vinnie Pasquantino is also near the top of the league in RBIs, as his 97 is also 6th in the league.
Guardians vs. Royals Prediction: Royals ML -138
Our predictions for this game have the Royals picking up a 7-6 win at home, and with them sitting at -138 on the money line, we see this as a great payout. Looking at the starting pitchers, Seth Lugo is projected to finish with five strikeouts, and his chances of picking up a win are right around the middle of the league.
As for Ben Lively, he is projected to finish with five strikeouts, and he is one of the worst pitchers in terms of giving up runs, as he is projected to finish with four earned runs. Offensively, we have the Guardians finishing with 11 hits compared to the Royals with 10.
