The New York Yankees (49-21) travel to face off against the Kansas City Royals (39-30) on Thursday, June 13th. This game will be played at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City and televised on YES. The Yankees are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Royals are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Yankees. First pitch is set for 1:10 CT.
Yankees vs Royals
Thanks to a six-run 1st inning for the Yankees’ offense, they cruised to an easy 11-5 win over the Royals in the most recent game of this series. Heading into the game, the Yankees were favored at -172 on the money line.
The starting pitching matchup for this game featured Cody Poteet for the Yankees, and he went just 5 1/3 innings while giving up two runs and striking out two. Poteet did not factor into the decision, as the Yankees’ bullpen took over and closed things out. Dan Altavilla only went one-third of an inning for the Royals, giving up five runs and took the loss.
New York got a huge performance from Jose Trevino, as he went 2/4 with a home run and three RBIs. Giancarlo Stanton also homered for the Yankees and drove in two runs. Gleyber Torres scored twice and drove in three runs while going 1/4.
The Yankees are 49-21 overall and lead the AL East by 2.5 games over the Orioles. New York has won four straight games, and they are 8-2 over their last 10. This season, they are just .500 in the AL East, going 8-8.
At home, the Yankees have gone 22-10 this season, and they have been even better on the road, putting together a record of 27-11. So far, they have been really good in day games, going 21-8 this season. As the favorite, the Yankees are 37-16 this season, and they are 12-5 as the underdog.
When the Yankees hit the road, they have been a solid bet on the run line, as they are 25-13 on the run line away from home. They have covered the run line in seven straight road games and are 14-3 on the run line as an underdog this season.
The Yankees are on the road facing the Royals in a game with an over/under line of 10.5 runs. The combined run average in their games this season is 8.3 runs, and their over/under record is 33-35. Their games have had an average over/under line of 8 runs, and in games with a line of 10.5 runs, the over is 1-0. The over has hit in their last two games.
Nestor Cortes Gets The Start For The Yankees
New York is sending left-hander Nestor Cortes to the mound today vs. the Royals. He has made 14 starts this season and has a record of 3-5 with a 3.68 ERA. Cortes’ WHIP for the season is currently 1.12. In his last outing, he took the loss vs. the Dodgers, giving up four earned runs in 5 1/3 innings of work. Before that, he had turned in three straight solid outings, where he didn’t give up more than two earned runs. Opponents are batting .233 vs. Cortes this season. Per nine innings, he is averaging 8.7 strikeouts and just 1.79 walks.
Yankees Offense Breakdown
So far this season, the Yankees have been one of the league’s top offenses, coming in 3rd in runs per game (5.1). They have been even better on the road, averaging 5.3 runs per contest. Overall, they are 2nd in home runs and have a collective batting average of .256, which is 4th in the MLB. The Yankees also have the league’s top home run hitter in Aaron Judge, who is also 2nd in RBIs and is batting .306 for the season.
Over his last five games, Judge has been on fire, going 10/20 with four homers and eight RBIs. Anthony Volpe and Juan Soto are also batting over .300 for the season, with Soto being 2nd on the team with 53 RBIs. Soto has 17 homers, which is 2nd on the team and 5th in the league, while Giancarlo Stanton also has 17 homers but is batting just .233 for the season.
With a record of 39-30, the Royals are 2nd in the AL Central, trailing the Guardians by 5.5 games. The Royals have dropped four straight games, and this losing streak has come after winning four in a row. So far, they have gone 13-9 in AL Central matchups.
Kansas City has really struggled at home lately, losing four straight, and they are 24-14 at home this season. On the road, the Royals are 15-16 this season. As the underdog, the Royals’ overall record is 20-21 this season, and they have dropped three straight as the underdog. When favored, the Royals are 19-9 this season. Currently, their overall series record is 11-9-1.
When the Royals are the favorite, they have a losing run line record at home, but they have a winning run line record overall. The average run margin in their wins is +3.8 runs per game, while the average run margin in their losses is -3.0 runs per game.
The Kansas City Royals will host the New York Yankees today, with the over/under line set at 10.5 runs. The Royals’ games have averaged 8.9 runs per game this season, and their over/under record is 32-35. Their games have had an average over/under line of 8 runs, and their games have gone over the 10.5-run line just once this season. The over has hit in their last two games.
Alec Marsh Gets The Start For The Royals
Through 11 starts, Alec Marsh has a record of 5-3 and an ERA of 4.05 for the Royals. His WHIP for the season is currently 1.17. Looking at his overall numbers, Marsh has turned in two quality starts and is coming off an outing in which he gave up four earned runs in five innings of work. In that start vs. the Mariners, he did come away with the win. Before that, he had taken the loss in two straight outings. At home, Marsh is 3-1 with a 4.41 ERA compared to 2-2 with a 3.68 ERA on the road.
Royals Offense Breakdown
So far this season, the Royals are averaging 4.9 runs per game, which is 6th in the MLB. At home, they have been even better, averaging 5.4 runs per contest. As a team, they are batting .253, which is the 6th best mark in the league. Kansas City has been led by Bobby Witt Jr. and Salvador Perez, who are batting .326 and .302, respectively. Witt Jr. also leads the team with 11 homers, while Perez is right behind him with 10.
Over his last eight games, Bobby Witt Jr. has been on fire, going 15/36 with two homers and eight RBIs. He is also on a 13-game hitting streak. Hunter Renfroe has also been swinging the bat well of late, hitting two homers over his last six games, while going 7/18. However, MJ Melendez has struggled recently, going just 2/21.
Yankees vs Royals Prediction
With the Royals sitting at +133 on the money line, that is the direction we recommend going for this one. We have the Royals taking this game by a score of 6-5. If you are looking for a parlay, you could also look to take the over, as the line is sitting at 10.5 runs.
Looking at the starting pitchers, Alec Marsh is projected to finish with six strikeouts compared to Nestor Cortes with five. However, we have Marsh finishing with a better chance of picking up a win, as he ranks fourth compared to Cortes at ninth.
All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!
* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.
Last updated:June 13, 2024 Royals, Yankees