Will Royals rediscover themselves vs. Braves?
The defending World Series champions are gunning for their first series win in three weeks, but will the Braves have something to say about it this afternoon?
Kansas City and Atlanta clash at 2:15 p.m. ET in the finale of a three-game set at Kauffman Stadium. Oddsmakers at online sports book BetDSI give the host squad odds of -220 to prevail, while Fredi Gonzalez’s crew enters as a +180 underdog. The over/under total sits at 7.5 runs.
Runs have been hard by which to come for the Royals (17-19) so far. Ned Yost’s team got blanked by the Braves yesterday, 5-0, losing for the 13th time in 18 contests. Danny Duffy (0-0, 3.00 ERA) hopes receive slightly more support in his first start since Sept. 16. The lefty moved to the bullpen as Kansas City motored toward a title last season, but injuries to Chris Young and Kris Medlen necessitated his return to the rotation now.
On the opposite side, Atlanta continues to carry the majors’ worst record at 9-26. Matt Wisler draws today’s assignment on the bump, and he has fashioned back-to-back quality outings. Rookie Mallex Smith represents another individual standout for the Braves, having recorded a trio of base knocks last night.
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The fact of the matter, though, is that Wisler can claim a mere seven runs of support over his past five starts. It’s no coincidence that Atlanta enters as the lowest-scoring team in the bigs. For one afternoon, the Royals will be able to overcome their foibles.
SUNDAY MLB FREE PICK: ROYALS -1.5
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