Red Sox vs Royals Prediction - MLB Picks 9/3/23

Kansas City Royals (42-95) vs Boston Red Sox (70-66)

Game Info: Sunday, September 3, 2023 at 2:10 pm (Ewing M. Kauffman Stadium)

Taylor Clarke (2-2) (5.44) vs Chris Sale (5-3) (4.75)

Betting Odds: Kansas City Royals +164 / Boston Red Sox -196 --- Over/Under: 9.5 Click Here for the Latest Odds

The Kansas City Royals will host the Boston Red Sox for their series this Sunday from Kauffman Stadium. Boston responded with a 9-5 victory in game two.

Red Sox Preview & Projected Starter

Boston moved to 70-66 after falling to Kansas City. The Red Sox struck back with a win in game two, and they’ll look to close with a series win here Sunday. The Boston offense is 4.18 scoring runs per game, while batting .264, with a .331 on-base percentage. The pitching staff carries a 4.89 ERA, with a 1.34 WHIP.

Chris Sale (5-3, 4.75 ERA, 96 Ks) will get the ball for Boston. The longtime Sox pitcher has been sharp this month, and he earned his fourth victory of the season in San Diego on Sunday, striking out eight over seven innings of work, while allowing just two runs. Sale has pitched four straight quality starts, and it looks like he’s put the slow start to 2023 behind him. Sale has cleared eight or more strikeouts in each of his last three outings.

Red Sox Player Trends & Props

Rafael Devers plated a run in the game three loss to Houston, and he’s first on the team in HR (29) and RBI (89).

Justin Turner has produced a run in seven of the previous ten games, and he’s posting strong splits of .287/22/87, with 133 hits.

Masataka Yoshida had three hits in the game one defeat, and he leads the Sox in hits (134), with splits of .295/13/62.

Royals Preview & Projected Starter

Kansas City comes in at 42-95 after losing to Boston. The Royals couldn’t keep up with the Red Sox last night, and they’ll look to take the rubber match here Sunday. 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.

Zack Grienke (1-13, 5.28 ERA, 80 Ks) will take the mound for Kansas City. The veteran pitcher found himself in trouble in Tampa last week, giving up a season-worst seven runs in 4.1 innings pitched. Grienke has dropped three of four starts this month, and his swan song has quickly turned into batting practice for opposing hitters. Now, Grienke has managed to put up more of a fight at Kauffman, as he’s allowed three runs or less in seven of eight home spots, this season.

Royals Player Trends & Props

Bobby Witt Jr. homered in the game three loss, and he leads KC in hits (148), home runs (27) and RBI (82).

Maikel Garcia has collected a hit in six of the previous nine games, and he leads the Royals in batting (.277), with 44 RBI.

Salvador Perez is second on the team with 19 homers and 57 RBI.

MJ Melendez has tallied a hit in seven of the last ten games, and he’s posting splits of .231/12/44.

Corey’s Free Pick

Boston bounced back Sunday, and with them set to face an aging Zack Greinke, I believe they’ll leave KC with a series victory. This season is going to look unappealing on Greinke’s hall of fame resume, but it’s been that kind of season for the veteran. The Over has a good chance to clear for third straight game, so let’s sway that way, versus betting on the Sox to cover here.