In two crucial American League games, the New York Yankees make their way to Kansas City on the heels of a four-game win streak. Meanwhile, the Tampa Bay Rays hope to extend their dominance on the road with a visit to the division-leading Baltimore Orioles in an AL East matchup.
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[sc:MultiSportArticles ]New York Yankees vs. Kansas City Royals (7:00 PM ET)
Line: New York Yankees (+130) at Kansas City Royals (-140); total 7.5 – view these lines
[sc:MLB240banner ]The New York Yankees swept the Chicago White Sox in a crucial three-game series to keep them alive in the AL wild card race. The win came courtesy of Brian McCann’s clutch three-run homer in the 10th inning of the third game. Now the Yankees look for a quality start from Michael Pineda (2-2, 2.05 ERA) as they chase a fifth-straight win. The New York starter has pitched well, surrendering two runs or less in six starts this year.
Meanwhile, the Kansas City Royals start ace James Shields (12-6, 3.28), who has won back-to-back starts against the Yankees with a 0.69 ERA. The Royals have been solid at the plate scoring at least six runs in its last seven wins. The Royals are a majors-best 24-7 since the All-Star break.
Writer’s Prediction
The Kansas City Royals (-140) take this one from the Yankees.
Tampa Bay Rays vs. Baltimore Orioles (7:05 PM ET)
Line: Tampa Bay Rays (+122) at Baltimore Orioles (-132); total 8.0 – view these lines
The Baltimore Orioles’ offense should be concerned when they face the Tampa Bay Rays to start off an 11-game home stand. Chris Davis’s average has fallen down to .189 while Nick Markakis is 0-for-20 in his last five games. Meanwhile, Nelson Cruz is just 3-for-26 in his last five games, but all three have been homers. Nevertheless, Baltimore is 6-1 in its last seven games at Camden Yards.
On the other hand, the Tampa Bay Rays have a trusty batter heading into the series opener. Evan Longoria has driven in 12 runs in his last 10 games. He is also 13-for-30 with five homers against Baltimore starter Chris Tillman (10-5, 3.55 ERA). The Rays are starting an excellent road pitcher, Jake Odorizzi, who is 4-0 with a 2.59 ERA while striking out 28 in his last four road starts. The Rays are a majors best 21-6 on the road since June 28.
You can view the full preview of this game here.
Writer’s Prediction
Baltimore’s (-132) batters wake up to lead the series 1-0.
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