Game two of this AL Central series sees the Royals (49-102, 29-47 home) and Guardians (72-79, 33-43 away) facing off at Kauffman Stadium. The starting pitcher for the Royals will be Steven Cruz, while the Guardians are turning to Logan Allen. Find out who I like to win in this Kansas City Royals and Cleveland Guardians showdown.

CLEVELAND GUARDIANS VS KANSAS CITY ROYALS BETTING PICK

The Pick: Kansas City Royals +140

This game will be played at Kauffman Stadium at 7:40 ET on Tuesday, September 19th.

WHY BET THE KANSAS CITY ROYALS:

  • The Guardians are just 4-6 in their last ten road games.
  • In their ten most recent games as the favorite, the Guardians have gone just 4-6 straight-up.
  • Across Steven Cruz’s one starts, the Royals have put together a record of 1-0.

CAN THE CLEVELAND GUARDIANS PULL OUT A WIN AS ROAD FAVORITES?

So far this season, the Guardians have a series record of 19-24-4 and overall record of 72-79. This mark has Cleveland placed 2nd in the AL Central. On the road, they have a below .500 record of 33-43.

Logan Allen will take the mound for the Guardians with a 7-7 record this season. Across his 23 appearances, the ERA is 3.60, K/9 is 8.68, FIP is 4.08 and OBP is .317.

Logan Allen’s most recent outing ended in a no-decision, as he pitched five innings in the Guardians’ 6-5 loss to the Giants. The right-hander allowed one run on five hits during his time on the mound.

The Guardians have been one of the top power lineups in the league of late, having hit 6 home runs over their last five games. Compared to other clubs, this is 5th best in that span. For the season, they are ranked 23rd in home runs and 23rd in slugging percentage. Overall, Cleveland is averaging 4.1 runs per game (26th).

The Guardians’ Steven Kwan is the team’s leader in hits this season, boasting a batting average of .273. He has a slugging percentage of .373 and an on-base percentage of .343 entering the game.

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

151 games into their season, the Royals are 5th in the AL Central on an overall record of 49-102. Against other teams in the AL Central, Kansas City is 18-29 while their overall series win percent sits at 20%. At home, the Royals are 29-47 and 20-55 on the road.

Steven Cruz has taken the mound six times in 2023, with an even 0-0 record. His ERA stands at 5.14, and opposing batters are hitting .207 against him. He has given up one home run and his OPS is .751.

Steven Cruz is aiming for a better performance in his next game after he pitched two scoreless innings against the White Sox, giving up only two hits. The right-hander did not receive a decision in the team’s 7-1 victory.

This season, the Royals are 25th in the league at 4.1 runs per game. Over their last ten games, they have a combined batting average of .235 (19th) leading to 4.8 runs per contest. Overall, they are generating 2.5 walks per game compared to 8 strikeouts. Kansas City’s on-base percentage of .301 has them 20th in the MLB.

The Royals have seen Bobby Witt Jr. lead the team in hits over their last five games, with the young phenom batting .396. This season, Witt Jr. has been a consistent presence in the lineup, hitting .278 and driving in 90 runs.