Last Updated on June 24, 2016 11:41 am by Brad Burns
Astros aim to disrupt Royals’ home dominance
For the Royals, there’s clearly no place like home. Will fans at Kaufmann Stadium witness another beatdown as their heroes open a three-game set vs. the Astros?
According to oddsmakers, that seems like a dicey proposition. Online sports book Bovada.lv lists the defending World Series champs as +105 underdogs tonight. Houston, conversely, symbolizes a 1.5-run favorite. The over/under run figure sits at 8.5.
Ned Yost’s crew has lost just one of its last 13 contests at the K. The right man seems to be taking the mound at 8:15 p.m. ET, too. Edinson Volquez carries a 5-2 mark with a 2.62 ERA in the City of Fountains. He’s never lost to the Stros either, going 6-0 with a 2.70 ERA in nine meetings.
For the visitors, Dallas Keuchel seizes this evening’s assignment. Last year’s AL Cy Young winner is slowly rounding into form following an arduous two-month stretch. In his most recent outing, the lefty twirled seven innings of two-run ball vs. Cincinnati.
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Despite Volquez’s seeming invincibility in Kansas City, we can’t envision a scenario in which Jose Altuve fails to inflict at least a little damage. Houston’s All-Star second baseman leads a group that’s adamant about improving to two games above .500 for the first time in 2016. Go against the grain here by gravitating toward the surging Astros.
FRIDAY MLB FREE PICK: ASTROS -1.5
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