The Kansas City Royals ( 18-10, $790 ) and the Detroit Tigers ( 18-11, $588 ) continue to be two of the best teams in all of baseball as they kick off a three game weekend set that includes the middle game on Saturday.
Evenly matched, this series is an early battle for the top spot in the AL Central.
ODDS ANALYSIS
This game figures to be a rematch of the fourth game of the team’s four game set to open up the month of May as Jeremy Guthrie and Anibal Sanchez meet once again.
In the May 3rd game, the Tigers got the 6-4 win as Guthrie struggled, allowing six runs in six innings while Sanchez pitched into the eighth allowing just three runs. The Tigers also showed their power in the win with Miguel Cabrera cranking a home run and Yoenis Cespedes and Nick Castellanos each delivering a double.
Despite that win, the teams ended up splitting the four game series.
Going back to last season, the Tigers had the Royals number, winning 13 of 19 against them even though it was Kansas City that eventually found their way to the World Series.
PITCHING MATCHUP
Given the results of May 3, the Tigers clearly have the edge on the mound with Sanchez over Guthrie.
On the year, Sanchez has been a bit up-and-down, however, with an inflated 5.11 ERA in 37 innings of work.
The 31-year old right-hander has settled in of late with three straight quality starts after a disastrous nine run outing over just three and a third against the White Sox in mid-April. The one outing has really skewed his ERA though his FIP is a very respectable 3.75 and his WHIP is 1.162.
For Kansas City, Guthrie serves as the team’s veteran presence in the rotation, but outside of age and experience he hasn’t offered much out of the rotation in the early going.
Through five starts, Guthrie is just 1-2 with a 6.52 ERA and 1.586 WHIP. While his last outing—the one against the Tigers—was his worst of the year, he has yet to have a quality start. He’s allowed three runs or more in each game with at least four in all but one.
QUOTE TO NOTE
After the Royals win over the Indians on Thursday, Hosmer was asked about his home runs and how he is seeing the ball, saying:
“I was just trying to put a good swing on it. I’m just in a good place right now.”
That is true of much of the Royals team, perhaps outside of the rotation.
LIVE/SITUATIONAL BETTING
Last season, it was all about speed and the bullpen for the Royals, the dangerous thing this year is they have added a dynamic offense to the mix.
Kansas City’s youngsters have really come into their own, leading to the team ranking third in all of baseball in runs scored with 143. While they have more power than a year ago, the team’s biggest offensive asset is the ability to put the bat on the ball. The Royals are hitting .290 as a team.
Eric Hosmer, Mike Moustakas and Lorenzo Cain each broke out during the team’s playoff run last year and each has kept it going. Hosmer leads the team in home runs (5) and OPS (.968) while Moustakas has found consistency in the second spot in the order, with a .327 average and .852 OPS. Cain, meanwhile, is still a sparkplug, bringing a ton of energy and a .882 OPS to the field.
Honestly, the production of those three is the biggest difference from last year to this year though Kendrys Morales and Alex Gordon have provided OPS+ number of 137 and 124 respectively.
While the Royals offense has scored more so far, the Tigers’ offense cannot be overlooked.
Even with Victory Martinez struggling (.635 OPS), the team is able to put runs on the board thanks to a healthy Miguel Cabrera (1.039 OPS), powerful Yoenis Cespedes (.821 OPS) and dependable Ian Kinsler (.367 OBP). Add in a slick fielding shortstop, Jose Iglesias, hitting .349 and runs are bound to come.
PROP TALK
Sanchez has owned the Royals in his career with a 6-2 record, 1.40 ERA and 0.954 WHIP in eight starts and 57 2/3 innings pitched. As such, it’s probably wise to stay away from Royals players in prop bets on Saturday as Cain is just 3 for 16 against Sanchez and Hosmer is just 6 for 25.
The Tigers, however, have found a great deal of success against Guthrie. Miguel Cabrera leads the team in homers (4) and RBI (14) against Guthrie and also has a .358 average, though another dangerous player against Guthrie is Alex Avila. The catcher is 10 for 32 with three bombs and 13 RBIs along with a team leading 1.093 OPS.
ANALYSIS AND PREDICTION
This series is likely to be much closer than this game. The Tigers and Royals both have an outstanding offense, but the pitching edge goes to Detroit on Saturday, provided Sanchez goes deep in the game.
The only concern for the Tigers will be bridging the gap from Sanchez to closer Joakim Soria (1.38 ERA and 11 saves) who has been dominant. Kansas City doesn’t have that issue, given perhaps the deepest bullpen in baseball now that Luke Hochevar is back. The issue on Saturday will be getting to that pen with the lead.
Detroit 7, Kansas City 4
The MLB odds for this game will be available first at BookMaker Sportsbook. 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!
Load your betting bankroll from your smartphone with BookMaker’s new cashier feature! Depositing and withdrawing funds from your account has never been easier. BookMaker's live betting platform means you always have access to odds and lines to every sporting event. Click here and start wagering today! First pitch for the game between the Kansas City Royals and Detroit Tigers is scheduled for Saturday, May 9, 2015, at 1:08 p.m. ET at Comerica Park. The contest will be televised nationally on FS1.
