Boston Red Sox (57-54) vs Kansas City Royals (36-77)
Game Info: Monday, August 7, 2023 at 7:10 pm (Fenway Park)
Brayan Bello (8-6) (3.79) vs Cole Ragans (3-3) (4.33)
Betting Odds: Boston Red Sox -210 / Kansas City Royals +170 --- Over/Under: 10 Click Here for the Latest Odds
Where to Watch: MLB.tv Stream the MLB Game of the Day all season on ESPN+. Sign up now! 
The Kansas City Royals will play the Boston Red Sox in Game 1 of their series on Monday night at Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts. Kansas City lost their last series, but they have been one of the hottest teams in the MLB over the last 10 days. Boston was trying to make a push in the AL East, but they have lost seven of their last eight games and are currently in last.
Royals Preview
The Kansas City Royals are 36-77 this season and they have won seven of their last nine games. Kansas City is coming off of a series loss to the Phillies, where they lost two out of three games. The Royals pitching staff struggled in Philadelphia, allowing a total of 22 runs in three games. The Kansas City pitching staff has a 5.21 ERA, a 1.42 WHIP, and a .264 opponent batting average this year. The Royals offense has scored 440 runs with a .238 batting average and a .297 on base percentage. Bobby Witt is batting .268 with 20 home runs and 67 RBI’s for the Royals. The projected starting pitcher for Kansas City is Cole Ragans, who is 3-3 with a 4.33 ERA and a 1.36 WHIP over 35.1 innings pitched this season.
Red Sox Preview
The Boston Red Sox are 57-54 this season and they have lost four games in a row. Boston is coming off of a series loss to the Blue Jays, where they lost all three games and were out scored by a total of 25-8 in the series. The Red Sox are only 30-26 at home, but they will take on a Royals team that is 15-41 on the road this year. The Boston pitching staff has a 4.38 ERA, a 1.32 WHIP, and a .256 opponent batting average. The Red Sox offense has scored 543 runs with a .263 batting average and a .329 on base percentage this season. Rafael Devers is batting .267 with 26 home runs and 79 RBI’s for the Red Sox. The projected starting pitcher for Boston is Brayan Bello, who is 8-6 with a 3.79 ERA and a 1.24 WHIP over 102.0 innings pitched this year.
Boston Red Sox Team Facts
- The Red Sox have won each of their last seven games against AL Central opponents following a home loss.
- The Red Sox have failed to cover the run line in seven of their last eight games against American League opponents.
- The Red Sox have trailed after 3 innings in each of their last five games as favourites.
- The Red Sox have trailed after 5 innings in three of their last four games as home favourites against American League opponents.
- The 'Inning 1 OVER 0.5 runs' market has hit in each of the Red Sox's last three night games.
Kansas City Royals Team Facts
- The Royals have lost each of their last eight Monday night games against AL East opponents that held a winning record.
- The Royals have covered the run line in seven of their last eight night games against American League opponents.
- The Royals have trailed after 3 innings in each of their last five road games against AL East opponents that held a winning record.
- The Royals have led after 7 innings in four of their last six games as underdogs against American League opponents.
- The 'Inning 1 OVER 0.5 runs' market has hit in each of the Royals' last four road games.
Boston Red Sox Player Prop Facts
- Luis Urias has hit a home run in each of his last two appearances with his team as a home favourite against AL Central opponents.
- Masataka Yoshida has recorded at least one hit in each of his last 10 home appearances against AL opponents.
- Masataka Yoshida has recorded two or more total bases in each of his last 10 appearances against AL opponents at Fenway Park.
- Alex Verdugo has recorded at least one RBI in each of the Red Sox's last four home games against AL Central opponents.
- Rafael Devers has scored at least one run in each of his last five appearances in night games against teams that held a losing record.
- Rafael Devers ranks T9th in the league in Home Runs (26) this season.
Kansas City Royals Player Prop Facts
- Bobby Witt Jr. has recorded at least one RBI in seven of his last eight appearances.
- MJ Melendez has scored at least one run in each of the Royals' last five games as underdogs against the Red Sox.
- Bobby Witt Jr. has hit a home run in each of the Royals' last two night games against AL opponents that held a winning record.
- MJ Melendez has recorded at least one hit in each of the Royals' last seven games against AL East opponents.
- Kyle Isbel has recorded three or more total bases in four of his last five appearances against AL opponents that held a winning record.
Matchup/League Facts
- The Boston Red Sox ranks 4th in the league for batting average this season (.263).
- The Boston Red Sox ranks 5th in the league for hits this season (998).
- The Kansas City Royals ranks 29th in the league for walks this season (278).
- The Kansas City Royals ranks 28th in the league for RBI's this season (422).
Pick
The Red Sox have really struggled in recent games, but they come into this one as a pretty big favorite. The Royals did lose their last series and they are horrible on the road, but winning seven of their last nine games is a big deal for a team that has this bad of a record. Kansas City has hit the ball very well recently, scoring six runs or more in six of their last nine games. The Royals are starting Cole Ragans, who has allowed one earned run in two starts for Kansas City this year (11 IP). Boston is starting Brayan Bello, who has allowed 13 earned runs in his last three starts (16 IP). Bello has struggled in his recent outings and I think the Royals are worth a look as a big underdog. Take Kansas City here.
David’s Pick Royals ML
AUTHOR: David Racey
Mitch's Take...
