Looking to build off an impressive end to the first half of their season, the White Sox have an opportunity against the division-leading Royals when the teams collide in the second game of a day-night doubleheader.
ODDS ANALYSIS
The Royals are the only American League to crack the 50-win mark at the All-Star break and remain a profitable bet up 16.85 units on the moneyline for the season. KC has been dominant at home but not so much on the road. The Royals lost their last three away games, getting swept in Houston at the beginning of the month and are just 22-18 away from Kauffman Stadium. KC lost the final two of a three-game set in Chicago back in April, failing to score more than three runs in any of the games. The under was 2-0-1 in that series.
The teams played just six times during the first half with 13 more games coming over the final two and a half months. If the Sox hope to continue on their first half-ending 9-3 run they’ll need to be more productive offensively. The Sox are last in the AL in runs with 3.4 per game and that number goes down slightly at U.S. Cellular Field where the Sox average an absurdly low 3.2 runs per game. Starter John Danks owns a 4.94 ERA in eight home starts and the under is 5-2-1 in those games.
PITCHING MATCHUP
Chris Young (7-5, 3.00 ERA) was pinned with a loss last Saturday mainly because of one pitch, which was smacked for a two-run homer. Otherwise he looked sharp through six-plus innings against the Blue Jays. Originally brought in as a bullpen arm, young has been valuable in the rotation with the injuries the team has sustained. He last pitched on the road June 27 giving up an earned run in six innings to Oakland and is 3-1 with a 1.62 ERA in nine road games this season.
Young tossed 1.2 scoreless innings in relief on Apr. 24 in his only career appearance at U.S. Cellular Field.
John Danks (4-8, 5.30 ERA) will likely get the nod in Game 2 of the twinbill, though nothing has been finalized. Danks was tagged for eight hits and six runs by the Blue Jays on July 8 but snuck away with a no-decision. That disaster came one outing after seven shutout innings against the Orioles in a 1-0 win on July 3.
Danks suffered his first career loss to KC on Apr. 9 when he gave up four runs on seven hits in 5.2 innings then went six innings on Apr. 26 to pick up a win. He’s 8-1 in 18 career starts against the Royals with a 2.73 ERA across 115.1 innings.
QUOTE TO NOTE
“I still feel like our rotation has a chance to be much stronger in the second half. I still don’t believe this team has hit its stride. We have holes like everybody else, but every player, in my mind, is capable of having a better second half. We’re going to continue to believe in our group. Offensively every one of our players is capable of getting better.” – Royals GM Dayton Moore
LIVE BETTING or SITUATIONAL BETTING
Many of the so-called experts wrote Kansas City’s dramatic run to the World Series in 2014 off as a fluke. There was no way the team could repeat its magic after losing ace James Shields and taking Billy Butler and Nori Aoki out of the lineup. Yet the Royals have been in first place in the Central for most of the season and it would be surprising if they didn’t make the playoffs and win their first division title since 1985. While the rotation is filled with question marks and the lineup lacks a big bopper, they win with the best defense and bullpen in the Majors. If the Royals have a lead late, the bullpen with closer Greg Holland and All-Star setup men Kelvin Herrera and Wade Davis, likely put it in the ‘W’ column. The group has the lowest ERA in the majors at 2.18 and limits opponents to a .200 batting average.
PROP TALK
Salvador Perez is the best catcher in the big leagues and he’s an All-Star to prove it. Perez leads the Royals with 15 home runs at the break while hitting .262 and when he’s not providing offense he can beat teams with heads up defense. A few sparkling plays Sunday helped the Royals fend off Toronto for an 11-10 win. But Perez has pop in the middle of the lineup and will be asked to provide more with Alex Gordon out of action for a while. Perez enters the series batting .304 with a homer against the Sox in six games this season and two of his four career hits off John Danks left the yard.
ANALYSIS AND PREDICTION
White Sox starter John Danks has been the weak link in an otherwise sterling rotation. His numbers are horrendous this season giving up three or more earned runs 12 times in 16 starts, including both starts with the Royals. Although he’s 8-1 in his career against KC, it’s difficult to imagine him holding this group down. The Royals have the best bullpen in the Majors and Chris Young only needs to give them five or six solid innings to lock this one down. Young has been a savior to a rotation ravaged by injuries and continues his strong season.
Kansas City 7, Chicago 2
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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 Kansas City Royals and Chicago White Sox is scheduled for Friday, July 17, at 8:10 p.m. ET at U.S. Cellular Field. The game will be televised live on WGN and FSKC.
