The good news for the 66-44 Kansas City Royals is that their new ace, Johnny Cueto is going to be on the mound on Monday night. The bad news is that they might need him to go the distance to finish off the 54-57 Detroit Tigers.
PITCHING MATCHUP
Cueto hasn't been spectacular since coming to Kansas City, but he hasn't been terrible either. Allowing five runs and 12 hits over 13 innings of work in two road starts isn't miserable for a man transitioning into pitching in the American League.
However, there are some concerns here. Cueto only struck out two Tigers five days ago at Comerica Park when these two teams clashed, and that isn't a good sign for him going forward in this one with these hitters getting a second look at him.
Live bettors though, knowing that Cueto is going to battle. He'll easily go past 100 pitches in this game, and Ned Yost won't be afraid to let him toss 120 if need be, knowing that KC is going to likely lose him in free agency after this season is said and done with.
Matt Boyd made his Tigers debut in that game against Cueto last week and actually outpitched him. The lefty allowed one run over seven innings to get his first big league win.
Here's the difference, though. Boyd actually allowed 26 balls to get in play. If the Royals hit Boyd 26 times in this one, you can bet that they aren't going to bat just .269 as a club on balls put in play as they did last week. Live bettors should definitely be concerned.
ADVANCED STATS
Miguel Cabrera is still a ways from returning to the lineup, and Yoenis Cespedes isn't walking through those clubhouse doors anymore after being traded to New York, but finally, the Tigers have found some power again.
Victor Martinez has come alive in the last few days, blasting three homers and coming up with eight RBIs on a four-game hitting streak.
What's most impressive about Martinez is that he is finally showing some power in his bat. It's a small sample size, but over his last 16 at bats, he has an ISO of .411. Live bettors shouldn't fear playing him in this game.
TALKING BULLPENS
The Kansas City bullpen had its work cut out for it on Sunday. The team only got 3.1 innings out of Danny Duffy. Kris Medlen pitched 3.2 innings, making him unavailable for this game for sure, and Wade Davis is still out with a bad back.
Kelvin Herrera has now pitched in four of his last five days, while Ryan Madson has pitched on consecutive days and six times already in August.
What does all of this mean? It means that Cueto had better get deep into this one. Greg Holland could actually conceivably be called on for more than one inning after getting a day off on Sunday, but even that doesn't seem likely since he was given a day of rest after getting saves on consecutive days on Friday and Saturday against the White Sox.
The fact of the matter though, is that Yost doesn't have the same pen now that he is normally dealing with. This unit is cut thinner by Davis not pitching yet not taking up a DL slot, and if we do see Herrera or Madson in this game, we're going to be afraid. Neither guy is really designed to come out of the bullpen this often, which could give the Royals some problems in live betting late on.
The MLB odds for this game will be available first at BookMaker Sportsbook. Gamble on the game between every half inning with BookMaker's live betting feature. Along with an adjusted in-game moneyline, you can wager on what will happen in the next at-bat or how many runs will be scored in the next inning. Live betting is the most exciting way to play!
Load your betting bankroll from your smartphone with BookMaker's new cashier feature! Depositing and withdrawing funds from your account has never been easier. BookMaker's live betting platform means you always have access to odds and lines to every sporting event. Click here, and start wagering today! First pitch for the game between the Detroit Tigers and the Kansas City Royals is scheduled for Monday, August 10, 2015 at 8:10 p.m. ET at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, MO. The contest will be televised live on ESPN.
