PREMIUM
Rogers' ROUND TRIPPER >> BLOWOUT LIKELY! Top Friday Side!
(MLB) Kansas City vs. Texas,
Money Line: -140.00 Texas (Home)
Result: Win
Money Line: -140.00 Texas (Home)
Result: Win
The set-up: The Kansas City Royals and the Texas Rangers opened a four-game series in Arlington last night, with the Royals rolling to an 8-2 victory. KC now looks to extend its season-high winning streak to four games on Friday with the second contest of its four-game series. Kansas City has outscored its opponents 18-5 during its season-best stretch and now owns a 17-33 record. Texas was limited to five hits in the opener, after it slugged seven HRs and scored 23 runs while taking two of three from the New York Yankees. The Rangers own just a slightly better record than KC (at 20-32), due mostly to the team's home woes (Rangers own a 9-18 home record!).
The pitching matchup: Lefty Eric Skoglund (1-4, 6.15 ERA) will get the start for the Royals, while Texas counters with a lefty of its own in Mike Minor (3-3, 5.59 ERA). Skoglund takes the mound win-less in his last four starts (team is 1-3), losing each of his last two starts. He was torched for six runs and eight hits in five innings of a loss to New York in his last outing. Skoglund has struggled on the road in six major-league appearances (five starts), going 0-2 with a 9.82 ERA and 2.05 WHIP while allowing opponents to bat .548. As for Minor, his numbers are hardly 'pretty!' He is 0-2 with an 8.22 ERA over his last three starts (team is 0-3), serving up five HRs in 15 1/3 innings during that stretch. He had won three straight decisions before falling into his current rut plus allowed just three HRs over his first six starts of 2018. Minor is 0-1 with a 3.00 ERA in two career starts against Kansas City, a team for which he made 65 relief appearances last season, while posting a career-best 2.55 ERA.
The pick: Yes, the Rangers are among MLB's worst home teams (9-18) but the struggling Texas lineup is way better than its performance, so far. KC's Skoglund looks to be the perfect foil, as his 6.15 ERA attests. What's more, his six major-league appearances on the road (five starts) reveal a 9.82 ERA and 2.05 WHIP with opponents batting an unheard of .548. against him! As for Minor, he spent last year as a reliever with Kansas City, leading the staff in relief wins (6), ranking second in appearances (65) and saves (6), plus placing third in holds (17) and games finished (13). Maybe most importantly, he posted a career-best 2.55 ERA. Minor has struggled on the road (8.38 ERA and 1.60 WHIP) but while his teammates have struggled in Arlington, he owns a more than respectable 3.72 home ERA (five starts), plus a good 1.14 WHIP. Make Texas an 8* play.
The pitching matchup: Lefty Eric Skoglund (1-4, 6.15 ERA) will get the start for the Royals, while Texas counters with a lefty of its own in Mike Minor (3-3, 5.59 ERA). Skoglund takes the mound win-less in his last four starts (team is 1-3), losing each of his last two starts. He was torched for six runs and eight hits in five innings of a loss to New York in his last outing. Skoglund has struggled on the road in six major-league appearances (five starts), going 0-2 with a 9.82 ERA and 2.05 WHIP while allowing opponents to bat .548. As for Minor, his numbers are hardly 'pretty!' He is 0-2 with an 8.22 ERA over his last three starts (team is 0-3), serving up five HRs in 15 1/3 innings during that stretch. He had won three straight decisions before falling into his current rut plus allowed just three HRs over his first six starts of 2018. Minor is 0-1 with a 3.00 ERA in two career starts against Kansas City, a team for which he made 65 relief appearances last season, while posting a career-best 2.55 ERA.
The pick: Yes, the Rangers are among MLB's worst home teams (9-18) but the struggling Texas lineup is way better than its performance, so far. KC's Skoglund looks to be the perfect foil, as his 6.15 ERA attests. What's more, his six major-league appearances on the road (five starts) reveal a 9.82 ERA and 2.05 WHIP with opponents batting an unheard of .548. against him! As for Minor, he spent last year as a reliever with Kansas City, leading the staff in relief wins (6), ranking second in appearances (65) and saves (6), plus placing third in holds (17) and games finished (13). Maybe most importantly, he posted a career-best 2.55 ERA. Minor has struggled on the road (8.38 ERA and 1.60 WHIP) but while his teammates have struggled in Arlington, he owns a more than respectable 3.72 home ERA (five starts), plus a good 1.14 WHIP. Make Texas an 8* play.
