PREMIUM
Rogers' ESPN Sunday Night Feature - 133-101-2 Run!
(MLB) Kansas City vs. Boston,
08/28/2016 4:08 PM, Score: 10 - 4
Money Line: -144.00 Boston (Home)
Result: Loss
Money Line: -144.00 Boston (Home)
Result: Loss
The set-up: The Boston Red Sox own the best offense in the majors, leading all teams in runs scored (5.43 per), BA (.284) and OPS (.815). However, Boston had totaled just seven runs in losing three consecutive games, before Saturday's 8-3 win over KC. The three-game skid dropped Boston out of a first-place tie with the Blue Jays but Sunday night on ESPN the Red Sox will look to keep pace with Toronto (Jays enter Sunday one game up on the Red Sox) when they host the surging Kansas City Royals in the rubber match of this three-game series. Kansas City's Danny Duffy endured a rare rough outing on Saturday (5 IP / 9 hits / 7 ERs) but the Royals have played their way back into playoff contention with wins in 14 of their last 17 games!
The pitching matchup: Yordano Ventura (9-9, 4.27 ERA) takes the mound for KC and Eduardo Rodriguez (2-5, 5.11 ERA) for Boston. Ventura entered August after going 0-4 with a 4.55 ERA in five July starts (Royals were 0-5) but is 3-0 with a 2.03 ERA in five August starts (Royals are 5-0). That's quite a turnaround with his rise coinciding KC streaking up the standings. Rodriguez is making his first start since leaving a no-hitter after four innings at Baltimore back on August 16 with a left hamstring injury. Rodriguez pitched a simulated game without incident at Tampa Bay earlier in the week and looks to continue a run in which he has allowed three or fewer ERs in seven straight starts since returning from the minors back on July 16.
The pick: Boston is one game behind Toronto in the AL East and leads the AL wild card race, two games ahead of second-place Baltimore and three clear of the Detroit Tigers. The Royals are three games behind the Orioles for the second wild card spot, as they have not lost and a series this month. However, Ventura has a poor history vs. Boston (5.48 ERA in four starts), while Rodriguez faced Kansas City twice in his 2015 rookie campaign, allowing a total of three ERs in 12 1/3 innings (2.19 ERA). Boston broke of of its "mini-slump" Saturday and MLB's top offense wins the day (night) in Fenway. Boston is an 8* play.
The pitching matchup: Yordano Ventura (9-9, 4.27 ERA) takes the mound for KC and Eduardo Rodriguez (2-5, 5.11 ERA) for Boston. Ventura entered August after going 0-4 with a 4.55 ERA in five July starts (Royals were 0-5) but is 3-0 with a 2.03 ERA in five August starts (Royals are 5-0). That's quite a turnaround with his rise coinciding KC streaking up the standings. Rodriguez is making his first start since leaving a no-hitter after four innings at Baltimore back on August 16 with a left hamstring injury. Rodriguez pitched a simulated game without incident at Tampa Bay earlier in the week and looks to continue a run in which he has allowed three or fewer ERs in seven straight starts since returning from the minors back on July 16.
The pick: Boston is one game behind Toronto in the AL East and leads the AL wild card race, two games ahead of second-place Baltimore and three clear of the Detroit Tigers. The Royals are three games behind the Orioles for the second wild card spot, as they have not lost and a series this month. However, Ventura has a poor history vs. Boston (5.48 ERA in four starts), while Rodriguez faced Kansas City twice in his 2015 rookie campaign, allowing a total of three ERs in 12 1/3 innings (2.19 ERA). Boston broke of of its "mini-slump" Saturday and MLB's top offense wins the day (night) in Fenway. Boston is an 8* play.
