From Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, we have the Phillies and Royals facing off in an interleague matchup. This one gets started at 2:10 PM ET, and NSPPH will be televising it.
The forecast looks good in Kansas City on Sunday, with temperatures in the mid to upper 80s and clear skies. The Phillies are 75-54 and 1st in the NL East, while the Royals are 72-57 and 2nd in the AL Central. Seth Lugo is starting for the Royals, and the Phillies are going with Kolby Allard.
Philadelphia vs. Kansas City Matchup At A Glance
- Teams: Phillies at Royals
- Where: Kauffman Stadium Kansas City
- Date: Sunday, August 25th
- Betting Odds KC -136 | PHI +116 O/U 9.5
Phillies vs Royals Last Game Recap
Philadelphia cruised to an easy 11-2 win over the Royals in the most recent game of this series. The Phillies had a huge 8th inning, scoring five of their eleven runs. As for the Royals, they scored their only two runs in the 7th. Heading into the game, the Phillies were favored at -112.
Ranger Suarez only went five innings for the Phillies but gave up just one run and picked up the win. He finished the game with six strikeouts but issued one walk. On the other side, Brady Singer got the start for the Royals and took the loss, giving up five earned runs in five innings of work.
J.T. Realmuto and Bryson Stott each homered for the Phillies, while Trea Turner scored twice and drove in two runs while going 3/5. Nick Castellanos also had a two-hit game and scored twice.
Phillies Preview
Philadelphia is 75-54 overall this season and leads the NL East by 5.0 games over the Braves. At home, they have a 42-23 record, while on the road, they are 33-31. Against the run line, the Phillies are 63-66, with an average run margin of +0.8 per game.
This season, Phillies games have averaged 8.9 runs, and their over/under record is 60-63. When the O/U line is set at 9.5 runs, they have a 7-7 record. The Phillies are looking to take the series lead against the Royals after splitting the first two games of the series.
Kolby Allard is on the mound for the Phillies today, as they take on the Royals. Allard has started 2 games this season, and in his most recent outing, he picked up a win vs. the Diamondbacks. In that game, he went 5 innings, giving up 1 earned run and striking out 3.
So far this season, the Phillies are the 7th highest-scoring team in the league, averaging 4.9 runs per game. They have been even better at home, putting up 5.3 runs per game. As a team, they are batting .257, which is the 4th best mark in the MLB. The Phillies also have a good team on-base percentage and slugging percentage.
Over his last five games, J.T. Realmuto has gone 7/17 with two homers and nine RBIs. This has helped him move into the team lead in RBIs. Realmuto and Bryce Harper are both on three-game hitting streaks. Harper comes into the game with the 10th most homers in the league (26) and is batting .274 for the season.
Royals Preview
As favorites, the Royals have a 42-24 record and are 73-56 against the run line overall. Their average run margin in wins is +4.1, while in losses, it is -3.3. Kansas City is 72-57 overall and two games behind the Guardians in the AL Central. They have won two straight games and series, heading into today's game against the Phillies.
This season, 84.5% of Royals games have had over/under lines lower than 9.5 runs, with the over going 59-66 overall. The over has hit in their last two games, and the O/U record for games with a 9.5-run line is 8-6.
Seth Lugo will be looking to build off his last outing, where he gave up just two earned runs in seven innings of work. In that outing, he picked up the win and had eight strikeouts. Looking back over his last four outings, Lugo has alternated between wins and losses. His record for the season is 14-7, and he has an ERA of 3.02. Lugo has made 26 starts, and opponents are batting .221 this season. Lugo has one complete game and 18 quality starts this year. Per nine innings, he is averaging 7.72 strikeouts and just 2.27 walks.
As a team, the Royals are 7th in the league in runs scored at 4.9 runs per game. They have been even better at home, averaging 5.2 runs per game. Overall, they are one of the league's best hitting teams, coming in with a batting average of .257, which is 4th in the MLB. The Royals don't strike out much and are near the top of the league in slugging percentage.
Bobby Witt Jr. has been one of the league's top hitters this season, batting .346 with 25 homers and 92 RBIs. Salvador Perez and Vinnie Pasquantino have also been big run producers, with 88 and 96 RBIs, respectively. Dairon Blanco has been hot of late, going 7/14 in his last seven games with three homers.
Phillies vs. Royals Prediction: Royals ML -136
We see the Royals taking this one at home over the Phillies with a predicted score of 6-5. Given that they are at -136 on the money line, that is the bet we recommend making.
Looking at the starting pitchers, Seth Lugo is projected to finish with four strikeouts, while Kolby Allard is predicted to end the game with five. Offensively, the Royals are predicted to finish with nine hits compared to the Phillies, who are projected to finish with eight.
