The Kansas City Royals still have a sizeable lead in the AL Central with a 65-44 record, but recent struggles have cost bettors. Nevertheless, KC is still sitting pretty overall with a total moneyline of $1,959 with their Tuesday opposition—the Detroit Tigers—sitting at -$359 thanks to playing two games under the breakeven point.
ODDS ANALYSIS
The Royals have dropped six of their last 10 games, including dropping a three game set in Detroit last week.
Kansas City returns home to take on the Tigers this time around and that should be a big boost for the Royals who are 36-18 in front of the hometown faithful.
On the other side, the Tigers have been inconsistent on the road with a 26-27 record and been dismal at night with just 27 wins in 66 overall games played.
While the Tigers won two of three in these rival’s last meeting, on the year, the teams have split their first 10 games.
PITCHING MATCHUP
The Tigers will send Anibal Sanchez to the mound. Despite an up and down season allowing way too many home runs, the veteran right-hander is arguably the team’s best remaining arm.
This has definitely not been his best season. In fact, his ERA is 4.82 and if he finishes with an ERA over four, it’ll be the first time since his age-24 season in 2008.
As noted, the homer has been his biggest issue. Last year, he allowed just four homers in 126 at bats and the year before he permitted just nine in 182 innings.
So far in 2015, Sanchez has given up 25 home runs in just 149 1/3 innings of work, leading to his career worse 80 runs allowed.
Overall, his ERA is inflated as is his FIP because of long balls, but his WHIP is a reasonable 1.266 as he still is right on his career average for hits per nine and a bit below it for walks per nine.
More recently, he’s allowed a home run in four straight games and given up 17 runs in 24 2/3 innings over that span.
Another spotty start is likely with the Royals Yordano Ventura getting the ball.
Ventura started as the team’s ace, but is having a bit of a sophomore slump with an ERA of 5.29 and WHIP of 1.343.
While he’s certainly not pitched as well as a year ago with an additional hit per nine innings, his FIP, which sits at 4.12, indicates he’s been a bit unlucky this season.
Recently, his issues have been more than just luck. He allowed just one run in seven innings after a short stint in the minors, but over his last two starts has pitched 12 innings and allowed 11 runs.
QUOTE TO NOTE
The season has been a struggle for the young Ventura, the Royals came up with a loss in the game and manager Ned Yost spoke about his talented, but inconsistent flamethrower, saying:
“He just started fighting his command in the third inning. He was really good the first two innings. Stuff was good. He came out and walked the first two hitters in the third inning and kinda battled command.”
LIVE/SITUATIONAL BETTING
On offense, the Tigers managed seven runs against the Red Sox on Saturday and plated eight in their series finale against the Royals on Thursday, but otherwise, he team has scored two runs or less in three of their last five games and four of their last seven.
Detroit is still near the top of the league in scoring, but without Miguel Cabrera or Yoenis Cespedes in the lineup, the team is obviously weakened.
The emergence of J.D. Martinez still gives the team a huge threat in the middle with Martinez hitting .291 with 30 homers, 73 RBIs and a .917 OPS. Other than him however, the heart of the order is built of Ian Kinsler and Victor Martinez. Both are strong players, but Kinsler is more suited for the top of the order and has just six home runs this year while Victor Martinez is hitting just .247 with eight home runs and hitting just .183 in the second half.
With two of their top performers out of the order, the team is way too dependent on J.D. Martinez, though the team can still score against poor pitching.
The Royals, meanwhile, have seen their offense take a step back in recent weeks as well, leading to their meager slump.
The team’s offense may be coming back around, however, having scored 16 runs in their last three games.
Most of the team’s individual numbers are down since the break, but on Saturday, Salvador Perez who had been ice cold got a pair of hits while five different players recorded RBIs.
PROP TALK
Keep an eye on Victor Martinez for the Tigers in this one. The veteran designated hitter is 4 for 8 in his career against Ventura with a pair of home runs and five RBIs. Meanwhile, Kinsler is 5 for 9 and J.D. Martinez 3 for 7.
While a number of Tigers have seen the ball well out of Ventura’s hand, few Royals have hit well against Sanchez. In fact, in his career, Sanchez is 6-3 against KC with a 2.33 ERA and 1.091 WHIP through 69 2/3 innings of work.
ANALYSIS AND PREDICTION
Struggles for the Royals have Kansas City fans concerned. Their offense isn’t clicking like it was earlier in the year and Ventura has not been good. These two pitchers met last week and while neither collected a win, the Tigers came out ahead in that one.
Sanchez isn’t very reliable on the mound himself, but his biggest issue is the home run and that hasn’t been a strength of the Royals who rely more on average and timely hitting.
Detroit’s shaky bullpen makes things uncertain, but look for the Tigers to take this one against the division leading Royals.
Detroit 6, Kansas City 4
BookMaker will be the first online sportsbook to send out the baseball odds for this marquee matchup. Since this game can be seen by anyone with a TV, BookMaker will have a multitude of wagering options available for it. Outside of the normal lines, you can gamble on real-time moneylines, player props and inning totals. Live betting is open during every commercial break!
Need to fund your account before the big game but don’t have your computer? No problem, BookMaker Sportsbook now offers a mobile betting cashier so you can deposit money directly from your smartphone. Don’t miss out on getting paid because you couldn’t bet, click here and deposit at BookMaker now! The ballgame between the Detroit Tigers and Kansas City Royals will take place Tuesday, August 11, 2015, at 8:10 p.m. ET at Kauffman Stadium. You can watch the contest live on the MLB Network.
