The Cardinals (51-66, 26-33 away) and Royals (38-80, 22-36 home) square off in two of this interleague series. Cole Ragans will take the mound for the Royals against Steven Matz for the Cardinals. See who I like to come out on top in this St. Louis Cardinals vs. Kansas City Royals showdown in Kansas City.

ST. LOUIS CARDINALS VS KANSAS CITY ROYALS BETTING PICK

The Pick: Kansas City Royals +123

This game will be played at Kauffman Stadium at 7:10 ET on Saturday, August 12th.

WHY BET THE KANSAS CITY ROYALS:

  • The Cardinals have gone just 2-3 in their last five games.
  • So far, the Royals are 2-1 against the Cardinals this season.
  • In Steven Matz’s 16 starts, the Cardinals have a record of just 7-9.

ST. LOUIS CARDINALS SEEK TO IMPROVE THEIR ROAD RECORD

On a record of 51-66, the Cardinals come into today’s game 5th in the NL Central. When playing at home, they are 25-33 and 26-33 on the road. St. Louis has played in 37 series thus far, and have gone 14-19-4.

Starter Steven Matz has had a challenging season thus far for the Cardinals, with an overall record of 3-7 in 24 appearances. His ERA stands at 3.91, and he has a K/9 of 8.45. Matz’s FIP is 3.76 and his OBP is .314.

The St. Louis Cardinals were victorious in their last matchup with the Colorado Rockies, thanks to a strong performance from Steven Matz. The left-hander tossed six innings of work, surrendering five hits and one earned run en route to his sixth win of the season. The final score was 6-2 in favor of the Redbirds.

The Cardinals have been one of the top power lineups in the league of late, having hit 7 home runs over their last five games. Compared to other clubs, this is 4th best in that span. For the season, they are ranked 6th in home runs and 6th in slugging percentage. Overall, St. Louis is averaging 4.7 runs per game (12th).

Nolan Gorman is the leader of the Cardinals’ long-ball brigade in 2023, having already belted 24 homers and driven in 67 runs. His slugging percentage for the season stands at an impressive .490.

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

The Royals’ overall record of 38-80 puts them 5th in the AL Central. Their straight-up record at home stands at 22-36 compared to a runline mark of 25-33 when playing at Kauffman Stadium. It is worth noting that the Royals have a series record of just 4-14 at home. Kansas City’s over/under record comes in at 56-60.

Cole Ragans takes the mound for Kansas City with a 3-3 record. The 20-year-old has made 20 appearances this season, boasting an ERA of 3.86 and a K/9 of 9.86. His FIP stands at 3.67, while his OBP is .297.

Cole Ragans was unable to secure a victory in his latest outing, as he logged 6 2/3 innings and allowed two runs. Despite the quality start, the Royals were defeated by the Red Sox 6-2.

For the season, the Royals’ offense is averaging 3.9 runs per game. Over their last five games they have swung the bats well, sitting 7th in the league in scoring, with a total of 24 runs. Overall, Kansas City’s team batting average is .240, putting them 16th in the MLB.

MJ Melendez has been a major contributor to the Royals’ offensive success this season, leading the team with 12 home runs over their last ten games. His overall batting average sits at .223, with four of those homers coming in that span.