The Cincinnati Reds (32-35) are on the road to face the Kansas City Royals (18-48) at Ewing M. Kauffman Stadium on Tuesday. The Reds took Monday’s series opener 5-4 in 10 innings.
Buck Farmer got the win with 1.2 innings out of the bullpen, and Ricky Karcher earned his first save of the season with a scoreless ninth. Luke Maile was 1 for 2 with a double and one run in the win. Salvador Perez went 2 for 5 with a solo home run for the Royals.
ON THE MOUND
Brandon Williamson (0-0, 5.40 ERA) is set to take the mound for Cincinnati. The lefty allowed six runs over 5.2 innings in his last start, an 8-6 road win over the Dodgers on Wednesday. He scattered eight hits while striking out three and walking two in the no-decision.
RHP Jordan Lyles (0-10, 6.84 ERA) will toe the rubber for Kansas City. It’s his first appearance of the season against the Reds. In his last start on Wednesday, Lyles took the loss on the road against the Marlins. He threw seven innings and gave up five runs on six hits, striking out two and walking one in the 6-1 defeat.
AT THE PLATE
Over the last five games, Cincinnati has averaged 4.2 runs a game, a small drop compared to their season average of 4.6. Against right-handed pitchers like Lyles this season, the Reds have a .721 OPS. Jake Fraley is the team’s most productive hitter against right-handers with a .866 OPS in 149 at-bats.
Kansas City is averaging only 2.2 runs per game in the last five, down from 3.7 for the season, with their slash line dropping across the board (.207/.266/.311). The Royals have a .694 OPS against lefties in 2023. With a .849 OPS over 66 at-bats, Bobby Witt Jr. has been their best hitter against left-handers.
HOME AND AWAY
Cincinnati is on a three-game winning streak away from Great American Ball Park, bringing their record to 15-17 in 2023. The Reds have scored 4.6 runs per game away from home while allowing 4.8 runs.
Kansas City has gone 9-24 at home this season, averaging 4.2 runs per game while surrendering 5.7. Cincinnati is 6-4 in the last 10 meetings at Ewing M. Kauffman Stadium with an average scoreline of 4.0-3.0.
STANDINGS UPDATE
The Reds are third in the NL Central, three games behind the division-leading Pirates. The Royals are fifth in the AL Central, 15 games behind the Twins.
SportsTips’ MLB Pick:
Cincinnati Reds (-110)
Want up to a $1K risk-free bet for this pick?
Claim with 
today!
If you need more news, information, and predictions, head over to our MLB hub page for all your baseball needs!
*Odds correct at time of publication, courtesy of BetMGM.
