Heading into game three of this American League matchup, the Royals (42-95, 24-44 home) will send Taylor Clarke to the mound against the Red Sox (70-66, 34-33 away) and Chris Sale. Check out my pick for today’s Boston Red Sox vs. Kansas City Royals game in Kansas City.

BOSTON RED SOX VS KANSAS CITY ROYALS BETTING PICK

The Pick: Kansas City Royals +1.5 Runs

This game will be played at Kauffman Stadium at 2:10 ET on Sunday, September 3rd.

WHY BET THE KANSAS CITY ROYALS:

  • The Red Sox have gone just 1-2 in their last three games vs. the runline.
  • In their ten most recent games as the favorite, the Red Sox have gone just 4-6 against the runline.
  • The Red Sox are just 1-2 in Chris Sale’s last three starts.

CAN THE BOSTON RED SOX PULL OUT A WIN AS ROAD FAVORITES?

For the season, the Red Sox have put together a record of 70-66 and are 4th in the AL East, putting them 14.5 games out of first place. Boston’s overall series record sits at 22-18-4. On the road, they have gone 34-33 and 36-33 at home.

Boston Red Sox starter Chris Sale is aiming to improve his performance in today’s game and keep the ball in the park after giving up a home-run in his last two appearances. His current season record stands at 5-3 with an ERA of 4.75, while he has struck out 96 batters and holds a K/9 rate of 11.12. Additionally, Sale has averaged 2.43 walks per 9 innings pitched.

Chris Sale was unable to secure a win in his last start against the Astros, with the Red Sox ultimately falling 13-5. The left-hander surrendered three runs on seven hits over 4 2/3 innings, resulting in a no-decision for the ace.

For the season, the Red Sox’s offense is averaging 5 runs per game. Over their last ten games they have swung the bats well, sitting 4th in the league in scoring, with a total of 62 runs. Overall, Boston’s team batting average is .264, putting them 3rd in the MLB.

The Red Sox’s offensive leader, Masataka Yoshida, has been a consistent force in the lineup this season. He currently holds a .294 batting average and has posted impressive stats with a .455 slugging percentage and an on-base percentage of .349.

WILL THE KANSAS CITY ROYALS TAKE CARE OF BUSINESS AT HOME?

The Royals enter today’s game with an overall record of 42-95 which includes going 20-56 against teams with above .500 records. As of today, they are 5th in the AL Central. Across their 43 series, Kansas City is 6-34-3 and have records of 18-51 and 24-44 on the road and at home, respectively.

Taylor Clarke will take the mound for Kansas City with a 2-4 record. Through 48 appearances, the right-hander has posted an ERA of 5.44 and allowed a batting average of .286. Clarke has struck out 53 batters while surrendering 22 walks, resulting in a WHIP of 1.61 and SLG allowed of .448.

Taylor Clarke was unable to record a decision in his most recent start, as he pitched one scoreless inning against the Pirates. Unfortunately, Kansas City was unable to capitalize on his strong performance, ultimately falling 4-1.

As a team, Kansas City has scuffled at the plate over their last ten games, with a combined batting average of just .210. Compared to other teams, this is just 24th in that span. When looking at the team’s power numbers, they have a season-long slugging percentage of .393% while going deep a total of 133 times (25th). Overall, the Royals are 25th in the MLB at 4 runs per contest.

Bobby Witt Jr. has been one of the Kansas City Royals’ most productive hitters in 2023. His .276 batting average and 84 RBIs are both impressive, and he has also gone yard 28 times this season.