Which offense rises in Yanks-Royals opener?
In a matchup that could be painfully low on scoring, will the Royals or Yankees step up in this evening’s series opener in the Bronx?
Oddsmakers prefer the host team to eke out at least a little more offense. Online sports book BetDSI lists New York as a 1.5-run favorite, while Kansas City represents a +109 underdog. The over/under total currently sits at eight runs.
Ned Yost’s crew had hoped that some time away from Kauffman Stadium would ignite a floundering lineup. Yet the same ineffectiveness carried over to a weekend set with Cleveland, with ended with a 5-4 loss. The Royals (18-18) have dropped nine of 12, with the defending World Series champions averaging 2.7 runs and batting .240 during that stretch.
The Yanks (15-15) can’t exactly brag about themselves at the moment. Sunday’s 5-1 defeat to Boston sullied New York’s series win, its first since taking two of three from Tampa Bay later in April. Over the past four contests, Joe Girardi’s bats are producing at a .202 clip. Mark Teixeira is in a 4-for-33 drought, while Carlos Beltran’s all the way down to .236 on the campaign.
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Girardi will also be paying attention to how Ivan Nova (1-1, 5.14) fares starting at 7:05 p.m. ET. The righty, replacing the injured C.C. Sabathia in the rotation, draws his first start of 2016. He’s 2-1 with a 6.61 ERA in three career outings vs. Kansas City.
The Royals respond with veteran Chris Young (1-4, 5.76), who’s been particularly putrid away from the Show-Me State. Young totes a 0-3 record with an 8.36 ERA in three road assignments, so if ever the Yankees had a chance to bust out, this is it. We trust that will happen, setting the stage for Aroldis Chapman’s first save of the year.
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