Leading up to game three of this American League battle, the Red Sox (58-55, 31-27 home) will send Nick Pivetta to the mound to take on the Royals (37-78, 16-42 away) and Jordan Lyles. Find out who I like to come out on top in this Kansas City Royals vs. Boston Red Sox matchup in Boston.

KANSAS CITY ROYALS VS BOSTON RED SOX BETTING PICK

The Pick: Kansas City Royals +1.5 Runs

This game will be played at Fenway Park at 7:10 ET on Wednesday, August 9th.

WHY BET THE KANSAS CITY ROYALS:

  • The Royals will be taking on a Red Sox club that is just 1-2 vs. the runline in their last three games.
  • In their last ten games as the underdog, the Royals have put together a runline record of 7-3.
  • Nick Pivetta has struggled of late, coming in with an ERA of 8.73 over his last five starts.

KANSAS CITY ROYALS LOOKING FOR UPSET AS ROAD UNDERDOGS

Through 115 games, the Royals have a record of 37-78. This mark includes going 6-28-2 across their 36 series. Currently, Kansas City is 5th in the AL Central and have a 21-36 record at home while going 16-42 on the road. So far, the Royals have gone 16-46 against teams with above .500 records.

The Royals will turn to starter Jordan Lyles, who has a 3-12 record in 21 appearances this season. His ERA stands at 6.24, and his K/9 is 6.24. Lyles has compiled a FIP of 5.35 and an OBP of .302 so far in 2021.

The Kansas City Royals are hoping that Jordan Lyles can lead them to another victory, as they emerged victorious the last time he took the mound. Lyles allowed five earned runs on eight hits over 5 2/3 innings in his last outing against the Philadelphia Phillies, which ended in a 7-5 win for KC.

This season, the Royals are 26th in the league at 3.9 runs per game. Over their last ten games, they have a combined batting average of .247 (11th) leading to 5 runs per contest. Overall, they are generating 2.4 walks per game compared to 8 strikeouts. Kansas City’s on-base percentage of .298 has them 23rd in the MLB.

MJ Melendez has been a force for the Royals over their last five games, leading the team in hits and batting .317. The outfielder has put up a total of 39 RBIs on the season, with an average of .220.

WILL THE BOSTON RED SOX TAKE CARE OF BUSINESS AT HOME?

113 games into the season, the Red Sox have a record of 58-55, putting them 5th in the AL East. This mark includes an overall series 19-15-3. At home, they are 31-27 compared to 27-28 on the road.

Nick Pivetta is making his 28th start of the season, boasting a 7-6 record and an ERA of 4.19. He has held opposing hitters to a .205 batting average, while on the road he is 2-2 with a 3.03 ERA and 5-4 at home with an ERA of 4.20. Teams have mustered up a collective .389 slugging percentage against Pivetta this season.

Nick Pivetta was unable to secure a victory in his last outing, as the Red Sox fell 5-4 to the Blue Jays. The right-hander tossed four innings and registered a no-decision, surrendering three runs on six hits.

The Red Sox have been one of the top power lineups in the league of late, having hit 11 home runs over their last ten games. Compared to other clubs, this is 9th best in that span. For the season, they are ranked 16th in home runs and 7th in slugging percentage. Overall, Boston is averaging 4.9 runs per game (8th).

Justin Turner has entered the 2023 season with a batting average of 0.474 and a slugging percentage of 0.474. However, his status for tonight’s game remains uncertain, so it is essential to monitor the lineups closely.