The Twins and Royals are set to square off in an AL Central matchup at 2:10 PM ET on Sunday. This one is being played at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, and the forecast calls for clear skies and temperatures in the mid 60s. Simeon Woods Richardson is starting for the Twins, and the Royals are going with Michael Wacha. Minnesota is 76-66, while the Royals are 78-65.
Kansas City is currently on a three-game winning streak and is the slight money line favorite for Sunday's game, with the odds sitting at -121 compared to the Twins at +102. The over/under line is at 8.5 runs, and the game can be seen on BSN.
Minnesota vs. Kansas City Matchup At A Glance
- Teams: Twins at Royals
- Where: Kauffman Stadium Kansas City
- Date: Sunday, September 8th
- Betting Odds KC -121 | MIN +102 O/U 8.5
Twins vs Royals Last Game Recap
It was a low-scoring game in the most recent game of this Twins vs Royals series. Minnesota went into the matchup as the slight favorites at -133 but could only muster two runs against the Royals. As for Kansas City, they scored four runs and picked up a 4-2 win.
Edouard Julien was the only player in the game to have more than one hit, as he went 2/3 with a run scored for the Twins. Alec Marsh pitched well for the Royals in this one, going five innings and giving up just two earned runs.
Kansas City got to Twins starter Bailey Ober, who gave up seven runs in just one inning of work and took the loss. As for the Royals, they got a good outing from Daniel Lynch IV, who gave up just two earned runs across five innings of work.
Twins Preview
Minnesota has been the favorite in 98 games this season and have a 60-38 record in those matchups. As the underdog, they have struggled, going 9-21, including four straight losses. The Twins are 37-36 on the road against the run line and have an overall series record of 24-16-4.
The Twins are currently 3rd in the AL Central, five games behind the Guardians. They have an overall record of 76-66 and have lost two straight games. This season, their games have averaged 9.1 runs, resulting in a 71-66 over/under record.
Simeon Woods Richardson gets the start for the Twins today as he faces the Royals on the road. So far this season, he has made 24 starts and has a record of 5-3 with an ERA of 3.95. Looking back at his last outing, Woods Richardson finished with a no-decision, going 3 2/3 innings and giving up three earned runs on two homers. He has made seven quality starts this year and is averaging 7.76 strikeouts per nine innings. Opponents are batting .228 off the right-hander this season.
Carlos Santana and Ryan Jeffers are tied for the team lead in home runs with 20 apiece, but both are hitting just .235 for the season. Byron Buxton is batting .275 and has 16 homers, which is 2nd on the team. Willi Castro is batting .248 and has 11 homers. Castro has driven in 52 runs, which is 3rd on the team.
Minnesota's offense is averaging 4.7 runs per game and is 7th in the league in home runs. As a team, they are batting .250, which is 7th in the MLB right now. Over the team's last six games, Carlos Santana has gone just 4/20.
Royals Preview
So far this season, the Royals have gone 79-64 against the run line, including a 42-32 record at home. They have an average run margin of +0.7 runs per game and have covered the run line in three straight games at home. As the underdog, they are 42-30 on the run line, and as the favorite, they are 37-34.
The Royals are 3.5 games behind the Guardians in the AL Central, with a 78-65 record heading into today's game. They have won three straight games, all against AL Central opponents, and have an overall series record of 20-22-2, coming off two straight series losses.
Michael Wacha gets the start for the Royals today and will be looking to bounce back from his last outing, where he took the loss. Against the Guardians, he went five innings and gave up two earned runs, three walks, and a homer. Looking back over his last four outings, Wacha has finished with a decision in each one. He has made 25 starts this season and has a record of 11-7 with a 3.50 ERA. Wacha has a total of 13 quality starts this year and is averaging 7.69 strikeouts per nine innings. For the season, he has allowed 16 homers and is averaging 2.44 walks per nine innings.
For the season, the Royals are averaging 4.7 runs per game, which is 9th in the league. They have been even better at home, putting up 5 runs per contest. As a team, they are batting .254, which is the 5th best mark in the league. Kansas City is also near the top of the league in terms of fewest strikeouts per game, averaging just 6 per contest.
Over his last eight games, Bobby Witt Jr. is just 6/30, but he does have two home runs in that stretch. For the season, he is batting .336 with 30 homers and 98 RBIs. Salvador Perez is also a big power threat in the lineup, as he has 25 homers and 94 RBIs while batting .270.
Twins vs. Royals Prediction: Royals ML -121
Our prediction for this Twins vs. Royals matchup is to take the Royals on the money line at -121. We have the Royals winning this one by a final score of 6-5. With the over/under sitting at 8.5 runs, we do like the over, but with our predicted score being a one-run win for the Royals, we would stick with them on the money line.
Looking at the starting pitchers, we have Michael Wacha finishing with five strikeouts compared to Simeon Woods Richardson with five. However, Woods Richardson is projected to go eight innings, while Wacha is projected to go five.
