Kansas City Royals vs
Baltimore OriolesPredictions & Preview

Royals Look to Clinch Wild Card Series Against Orioles in Game 2

On Wednesday, the Kansas City Royals will face off against the Baltimore Orioles in Game 2 of their American League wild card best-of-three series. With a 1-0 lead in the series after a 1-0 victory on Tuesday, the Royals have the opportunity to clinch the series with a win in Game 2. Kansas City, winners of five of their last seven games, will be without seven pitchers. Baltimore, who had a three-game winning streak snapped on Tuesday, will be missing six pitchers and second baseman Jorge Mateo. The starting pitchers for the game will be Seth Lugo (ERA: 3.05) for the Royals and Zach Eflin (ERA: 3.59) for the Orioles. Despite being the underdogs, Baltimore is the betting favorite with odds opening at -150 and the line remaining unchanged.

Betting Odds

• Moneyline: Royals +133 | Orioles -150
• Spread: Royals +1.5 (-166) | Orioles -1.5 (+148)
• Total: Over/Under 7.5 (-110)
• Based on the moneyline, the implied probability that Baltimore will win straight-up is 60%.

Kansas City vs Baltimore Stats

Kansas City Royals

In Tuesday's game, Kansas City's pitchers performed well, allowing just five hits and stranding seven runners. However, the Royals need to improve their hitting as their pitching staff may not always hold opponents to no runs. Bobby Witt Jr. continues to lead the team offensively, driving in the game's only run with an RBI double. Seth Lugo will start the next game, boasting a strong record during the regular season. The bullpen has also been impressive, allowing no runs and one hit in three innings of work. Overall, Kansas City ranks 13th in offense, 6th in defense, with a power ranking of 18 and a record of 87-76 this season.

Baltimore Orioles Analysis

On Tuesday, the Baltimore Orioles struggled at the plate, managing just five hits in 32 at-bats. Cedric Mullins and Ramon Urias were the standouts with multiple hits each, while other key hitters like Gunner Henderson, Anthony Santander, and Ryan Mountcastle went hitless. The Orioles left seven runners stranded and struck out 10 times. Despite a strong pitching performance from Corbin Burnes, the Orioles lost with the bullpen closing the game effectively. The team will have Zach Eflin on the mound for the next game, with a record of 10-9 in the regular season. Overall, the Orioles have been performing well offensively, ranking 4th in the league, but their defense ranks 16th. In their recent matchups, Kansas City has won two out of three games against Baltimore.

Bobby Witt Jr shines, Seth Lugo leads Kansas City pitching in dominant win over Baltimore

Bobby Witt Jr of Kansas City showcased his exceptional performance by securing the only RBI of the game with a double in the sixth inning. Leading the pitching lineup for Kansas City on Wednesday is Seth Lugo, boasting an impressive record of 16 victories and a 3.00 ERA. Lugo's ERA ranks tenth in baseball, with a WHIP of 1.09 which places him fourteenth in this category. In his most recent five appearances, Lugo allowed only seven runs in the last 27 innings. While Lugo previously faced a loss against Baltimore earlier this season, his overall performance remains strong. On the other hand, Baltimore's starter Zach Eflin has had mixed results in his recent outings, allowing a total of 23 hits and nine runs in 23 innings in three of his last four starts. Eflin's prior encounter with Kansas City resulted in giving up five earned runs in five innings, showcasing his vulnerability against them. Notably, top hitters of Baltimore, Gunnar Henderson, Anthony Santander, and Ryan Mountcastle collectively failed to make any hits in this game, each going 0-for-10.

Sources: [ 1 ] [ 2 ]