The Red Sox put on a hitting and run scoring display rarely seen in baseball. It’s a good thing the Fenway Park scoreboard doesn’t have lights. If Boston cut the production from its four games of 11 or more runs in half, the Sox would still average over six runs and eight hits per outing. It’ll be difficult to keep that torrid pace when they visit Kansas City.
You can bet on MLB odds at BookMaker.eu every day of the season.
ODDS ANALYSIS
Kansas City manager Ned Yost keeps insisting that prolonged rough patches often lead right into big runs. Another loss and the Royals are still waiting. They lost for the 12th time in 16 games, beaten 7-3 by the Yankees on Thursday night. The World Champs dropped three of four at Yankee Stadium for their fifth straight series loss.
The Royals were the best road team in the majors the last three seasons, but Thursday’s loss left them at 7-13 away from Kauffman Stadium. Now, the Royals are hoping to start a run with a return home. They face the MLB-worst Atlanta Braves over the weekend before hosting the Red Sox for a three-game set that opens Monday.
PROBABLE PITCHERS
Rick Porcello (6-1, 3.11 ERA) tossed 6.2 solid innings Wednesday against Oakland, allowing three runs on six hits with five strikeouts. His Red Sox teammates supported him with 13 runs, which were plenty more than he needed as he put together his sixth consecutive quality start. He’s striking out a batter per inning, by far a career-best rate, and is limiting the free passes.
Porcello has pitched through six innings in 15 consecutive starts and finally looks like the hurler many thought he could be as a prized prospect in the Tigers organization. He’ll be making his 21st career start against the Royals and looking for his ninth victory.
Yordano Ventura (3-2, 4.62 ERA) tossed a quality start against the Yankees on Wednesday to pick up his third win of the season. He allowed three runs on six hits in six innings but was far from sharp. He walked three, gave up a home run, and only struck out one. The right-hander has walked more batters this season than he has struck out and his fastball velocity has declined by approximately 1.5 mph.
Ventura has won both of his career starts against the Yankees but looks far removed from the top-of-the-rotation starter the Royals dreamed about a few years ago when he made his debut.
LIVE BETTING
We haven’t seen an offensive barrage like this at the big league level in some time and it certainly won’t continue. But it sure is fun to watch. The Red Sox scored 40 runs in a three-game sweep of the A’s and became the first major league team to score double digits in four straight since 2007 by hammering 2015 AL Cy Young winner Dallas Keuchel and the Astros 11-1 on Thursday.
Xander Bogaerts hit a two-run homer in the first inning Thursday and since Apr. 11, Boston has outscored opponents 40-11 in the opening frame and has hit 28 home runs in 17 games. The blast also gave the Red Sox a home run in their 13th consecutive contest.
QUICK PICK
Thanks to an impressive run of offensive dominance the Red Sox are all the rage in baseball. They massacred Oakland pitching in a three-game sweep, scoring 40 runs, and continued the roll against Houston on Thursday scoring 11 times. The Sox put up numbers that haven’t been seen in some time. It won’t continue. Prior to the Sox five-game winning streak, they dropped a pair of games plating just two runs in each contest against the desperate Yankees rotation.
All the fun came at Fenway and now that the Sox are on the road facing the Royals, things will be different. KC needs to put a run together and Boston’s bats will be less explosive at Kauffman Stadium. Porcello has been sharp all season and is due for a letdown. He just hasn’t convinced us that’s he belongs near the top of the rotation.
MLB Odds: Kansas City 6, Boston 5
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 Boston Red Sox and Kansas City Royals will take place Monday, May 16, 2016, at 7:05 p.m. ET at Kauffman Stadium. The matchup can be seen live on ESPN.
