The Kansas City Royals (66-55, 3rd AL Central) are set to face off against the Cincinnati Reds (60-61, T-2nd NL Central) in the second game of a three-game interleague series on Saturday. In their last outing, Kansas City secured a 4-1 victory against the Minnesota Twins on Wednesday. This win was crucial as it prevented a sweep after losing the prior two games. Currently, the Royals trail the Cleveland Guardians by six games in the American League Central. On the other hand, Cincinnati triumphed over the St. Louis Cardinals with a score of 9-2, completing a three-game sweep and extending their winning streak to four games. The Reds are now tied with St. Louis for second place in the National League Central, although they are nine games behind the Milwaukee Brewers. Both teams will be missing key players, with Kansas City sidelining five pitchers and Cincinnati missing six pitchers along with position players Peyton Burdick, Nick Martini, Matt McLain, Austin Wynns, and Christian Encarnacion-Strand.
Kansas City’s Balanced Offense and Steady Pitching
The Kansas City Royals are performing respectably in both batting and pitching categories. They rank ninth in batting average (.254) and eleventh in runs scored (577), alongside a slugging percentage of .416, placing them at 11th as well. Bobby Witt Jr. stands out as the team’s leading home run hitter with 23 and tops in RBIs with 89. Following closely is Salvador Perez, contributing 22 home runs, while Vinnie Pasquantino adds 85 RBIs to the tally. Notably, the Royals feature ten players with RBIs ranging from 27 to 89. They have accumulated impressive statistics with 200 doubles, 31 triples, and 132 home runs, totaling 363 extra-base hits across 121 games.
On the pitching front, Kansas City ranks third in Quality Starts with 60. They hold an ERA of 3.88, ranking 11th overall, and are 17th in WHIP at 1.27. The team allows a batting average of .245 against them, which puts them in 19th place. Seth Lugo leads the Royals with 13 wins and has the best ERA among starters at 3.04. Cole Ragans is the strikeout leader with 174. Veteran pitcher Michael Wacha is slated to start for Kansas City on Saturday, currently holding a record of 9-6 with an ERA of 3.50 and 99 strikeouts this season.
Cincinnati’s Pitching Shines, Batting Needs Improvement
The Cincinnati Reds face challenges at the plate but have shown strength in their pitching. They rank 14th in runs scored (543) and slugging percentage (.402), while struggling with a .303 on-base percentage, positioning them at 25th, and a batting average of .230, putting them at 28th in the league. Ely De La Cruz leads the Reds with 21 home runs, with Jeimer Candelario following with 19. Spencer Steer is the top in RBIs with 75, while Candelario adds 55. The team has a total of 11 players with RBIs between 22 and 75, achieving 199 doubles, 22 triples, and 146 home runs for 367 extra-base hits in 121 games.
Cincinnati excels in pitching, currently ranked 6th in batting average allowed (.234) and 9th in ERA (3.84). Their WHIP is 10th at 1.23, though they trail in Quality Starts at 42, ranking 17th. Andrew Abbott leads the team with 10 wins, while Hunter Greene stands out with 162 strikeouts and an impressive ERA of 2.83 among starting pitchers. Nick Lodolo is expected to take the mound on Saturday, boasting a record of 9-4 with an ERA of 3.99 and 111 strikeouts this season.
Best Bets for Kansas City Royals vs. Cincinnati Reds
In their recent matchups, Kansas City has struggled against Cincinnati, losing six of the last seven encounters. In contrast, the Reds have been on a strong run, winning four of their last five games. At home, Cincinnati has secured victories in nine of their last 13 games. The Reds’ pitching staff has shown improvement, currently holding the ninth-best ERA at 3.84 and limiting opponents to a .234 batting average, which ranks sixth lowest in the league. Kansas City’s starter Michael Wacha has faced difficulties, giving up nine runs and 23 hits over the last 24.2 innings. Conversely, Cincinnati’s Nick Lodolo has allowed just five runs and five hits in his last 11.1 innings, helping his team secure wins against Miami and Milwaukee. Cincinnati has triumphed in nine of Lodolo’s last 13 starts. With the Reds’ recent home success and their dominance over Kansas City, they are poised to be strong contenders in this matchup.
