MLB Predictions: White Sox vs Royals Lines
The Kansas City Royals host the Chicago White Sox in the opener of a three-game set at Kaufmann Stadium on Monday night. The Royals downed the Baltimore Orioles 8-6 on Sunday, while the White Sox fell to the Houston Astros by a score of 8-2.
Chicago White Sox (21-24) at Kansas City Royals (22-21)
Date: Monday, May 19, 2014
Time: 8:10 PM ET
Venue: Kauffmann Stadium
City: Kansas City, Missouri
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O/U Odds: 8.5
Money Line: Kansas City -164, Chicago +151
Pitching Matchup: RH Scott Carroll (1-3, 5.24 ERA) at LH Jason Vargas (4-1, 3.00 ERA)
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Kansas City’s win on Sunday put the team up over .500, and they will look to keep the good times rolling in this one. The Royals have won five of their last seven games, and eight of their last 12, a stretch which follows a streak of five consecutive losses. As for the White Sox, their loss on Sunday was their second in a row, and their sixth in their last eight games.
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The White Sox placed standout rookie Jose Abreu on the 15-day disabled list on Sunday, and that’s just going to make things easier on Monday’s starter for the Royals, Jason Vargas. The lefty is 4-1 on the year with an impressive 3.00 ERA and 1.12 WHIP in nine starts.
Vargas has been surprisingly consistent for the Royals, with the exception of a couple hiccups, coming in his final start of April and his first start of May. Since then, he’s allowed two runs on eight hits, striking out 14 in 13 2/3 innings in back-to-back wins.
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With the exception of those two starts, Vargas has lasted at least six innings while allowing two earned runs or fewer in each of his starts. The long ball has been the source of many of the runs he has allowed, giving up seven of them on the year, surrendering a home run in six of his nine starts.
Vargas faced the White Sox only once a year ago, and he was with the Angels at the time. Vargas threw seven shutout innings, allowing four hits and walking three while striking out six batters in a 6-2 win.
Scott Carroll counters for the White Sox. He got off to a strong start for the White Sox, but he’s allowed six runs on 11 hits in each of his last two starts. The White Sox have lost his last two outings by a combined score of 23-5.
The Royals are in far better form entering this game, and if that isn’t enough, they have a significant edge in the pitching matchup. Expect to see the Royals send the home crowd happy with a win in this one.
Additionally, Vargas should be able to find success against a depleted White Sox lineup, while the Royals haven’t been able to score with any consistency. Runs could be hard to come by in this one, and these teams have a tendency of playing to the under when they face off.
The Royals are 4-0 in Vargas’s last four starts as a favorite, and 4-1 in his last five home starts.
The under is 20-6 in the last 26 meetings between these teams, and 5-1 in the last six meetings between these teams in Kansas City.
The play: Kansas City -164, Under 8.5
