Zack Greinke will get the start for the Royals (41-91, 23-40 home) as they host the Pirates (58-73, 26-37 away) at Kauffman Stadium. The Pirates will give the starting nod to Johan Oviedo. Check out my prediction for game one of this interleague matchup between the Pittsburgh Pirates and Kansas City Royals.

PITTSBURGH PIRATES VS KANSAS CITY ROYALS BETTING PICK

The Pick: Kansas City Royals +1.5 Runs

This game will be played at Kauffman Stadium at 8:10 ET on Monday, August 28th.

WHY BET THE KANSAS CITY ROYALS:

  • The Pirates have gone just 2-3 in their last five games vs. the runline.
  • In their five most recent games as the favorite, the Pirates have gone just 2-3 against the runline.
  • Johan Oviedo has struggled of late, coming in with an ERA of 7.20 over his last three starts.

PITTSBURGH PIRATES SEEK TO IMPROVE THEIR ROAD RECORD

This season, the Pirates have an overall series record of 13-23-5 and are currently 4th in the NL Central. Pittsburgh’s overall record is 58-73, which includes their current two game losing streak. On the road, the Pirates are 26-37 and 32-36 at home.

Pittsburgh’s Johan Oviedo has gone 7-13 with an ERA of 4.46 in 2023. On the road, he has posted a 6.11 ERA, while his home ERA is 4.75. Oviedo’s WHIP for the season is 1.33 and opponents are batting .234 against him, with a slugging percentage of .399.

The Pirates are looking to Johan Oviedo to lead them to victory once again, following their 6-3 triumph when he last took the mound. Oviedo completed the game with one earned run on four hits over five innings.

This season, the Pirates are 21st in the league at 4.2 runs per game. Over their last ten games, they have a combined batting average of .224 (18th) leading to 4.2 runs per contest. Overall, they are generating 3.5 walks per game compared to 8 strikeouts. Pittsburgh’s on-base percentage of .313 has them 16th in the MLB.

Ke’Bryan Hayes has been a major contributor to the Pirates’ offense this season, leading the team in home runs over their last five games with two. His total for the season stands at 10, and his batting average is .261.

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

Heading into today’s game, the Royals are 5th in the AL Central with an overall record of 41-91. When looking at their performance in their 42 series, Kansas City is 6-33-3. Against below .500 teams, the Royals are 22-22 while going 18-51 on the road and 23-40 at home.

Zack Greinke has made 23 appearances this season, with a .475 slugging percentage allowed and a WHIP of 1.25. His overall record is 1-12, ERA 5.34, and he has 78 strikeouts, averaging 6.12 per nine innings. When playing away from home, Greinke’s record is 0-8 with an ERA of 7.42; when playing at home his record is 1-4 with an ERA of 3.58.

Zack Greinke’s most recent start against the Athletics saw him pitch four scoreless innings, giving up only two hits. Despite his strong performance, the Royals fell to the A’s 5-4.

Over their last five games, the Royals are ranked 18th in the league in scoring at 2.6 runs per game. Their season-long scoring average of 4 per contest puts them 24th in baseball. In terms of on-base percentage, Kansas City is 21st, with an OBP currently sitting at .299. The team’s collective batting average is .242 (14th).

The Royals have had Drew Waters leading the team in home runs over their last five games, with one. For the season, he has hit eight long balls and holds a batting average of .230.