Royals vs Athletics Prediction - MLB Picks 8/22/23

Oakland Athletics (34-90) vs Kansas City Royals (40-86)

Game Info: Tuesday, August 22, 2023 at 9:40 pm (Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum)

() () vs Angel Zerpa (1-0) (6.08)

Betting Odds: Oakland Athletics / Kansas City Royals --- Over/Under: Click Here for the Latest Odds

The Oakland Athletics will host the Kansas City Royals for game two of the three-game set this Tuesday from the Oakland Coliseum. Oakland took game one in walkoff fashion, 6-4.

Royals Preview & Projected Starter

Kansas City comes in at 40-86 after losing to Oakland. The Royals let game one slip away last night, and they’ll look to get back into the win column Tuesday. The Kansas City offense is scoring 3.62 runs per game, while batting .233, with a .293 on-base percentage. The pitching staff carries a 5.25 ERA, with a 1.43 WHIP.

Angel Zerpa (1-1, 6.08 ERA, 9 Ks) will get the ball for Kansas City. The third-year pitcher was solid against Seattle last week, tossing a season-high six strikeouts, while holding them to one run thru six innings. Zerpa possesses some potential as a left-handed specialist, but this will mark just his sixth appearance of the season.

Royals Player Trends & Props

• Bobby Witt Jr. went yard in the game one loss, and after totaling multiple bases in eight of the last ten games, he leads KC in hits (142), homers (25) and RBI (80).

• Maikel Garcia has collected a hit in eight of the last ten games, and he leads the Royals in batting (.286), with 42 RBI.

• Salvador Perez has multiple hits in five of his last nine games, and he’s second on the team with 19 homers and 55 RBI.

• MJ Melendez has tallied multiple bases in six of the previous seven games, and he’s posting splits of .235/12/44.

Athletics Preview & Projected Starter

Oakland moved to 35-90 after defeating Kansas City. The Athletics came through with the rare walk off victory to take game one, and they’ll attempt to double down here on Tuesday. The Oakland offense is scoring 2.81 runs per game, while batting .222, with a .303 on-base percentage. The pitching staff carries a 6.00 ERA, with a 1.62 WHIP.

Athletics Player Trends & Facts

• Brent Rooker has homered in back-to-back games. and he leads Oakland in home runs (21) and RBI (53).

• Zach Gelof homered in the game one win, and after recording a hit in nine of the last ten games, he’s now batting .304 thru 31 big league games.

• Seth Brown produced a run in Monday’s victory, and he’s posting splits of .219/11/42.

Corey’s Free Pick

Oakland came through in a thriller between the league’s two youngest teams, and I believe Kansas City strikes back quickly. The Royals have been hitting the ball very well between the trio of Bobby Witt Jr., Maikel Garcia, and MJ Melendez, and I like them taking the walkoff loss personally, and coming out strong here on Tuesday. Back Kansas City to win game two.