The Kansas City Royals (18-49) host the Cincinnati Reds (33-35) at Ewing M. Kauffman Stadium on Wednesday with the visitors eyeing a sweep of the three-game Interleague series.
The Reds lead the series 2-0 after winning 5-4 on Tuesday. Brandon Williamson got the win, giving up four runs (3 ER) on seven hits over five innings, and Alexis Diaz picked up his 16th save with a scoreless ninth.
TJ Friedl was 2 for 3 with one RBI in the win. Bobby Witt Jr. went 1 for 4 with a home run and two RBIs for the Royals. Matt Duffy added a double and one RBI.
ON THE MOUND
Ben Lively (3-4, 4.21 ERA) is slated to get the start for Cincinnati. The RHP allowed seven runs over 6.2 innings in his last start, a 7-4 road defeat against the Cardinals on Friday. He took the loss, yielding 10 hits while striking out eight and walking one.
For Kansas City, left-hander Daniel Lynch (0-2, 4.41 ERA) will toe the rubber. It’s his first appearance of the season against the Reds. In his last start on Friday, Lynch took the loss on the road against the Orioles. He threw six innings and gave up three runs on eight hits, striking out four and walking one in the 3-2 defeat.
AT THE PLATE
Over the last five games, Cincinnati has averaged 5.2 runs a game, a small gain compared to their season average of 4.6. Against Southpaws like Lynch this season, the Reds have a .739 OPS. Kevin Newman is the team’s best hitter against left-handers with a .951 OPS in 59 at-bats.
Kansas City is averaging only 2.8 runs per game in the last five, down slightly from 3.7 for the season. The Royals have a .658 OPS against righties in 2023, the third lowest in the league. With a .911 OPS over 172 at-bats, Salvador Perez has been their best hitter against right-handers.
HOME AND AWAY
Cincinnati is on a four-game winning streak on the road, bringing their record to 16-17 in 2023. The Reds have scored 4.6 runs per game away from home while allowing 4.7 runs.
Kansas City has gone 9-25 at their home park this season, averaging 4.2 runs per game while surrendering 5.6. Cincinnati is 7-3 in the last 10 games between the teams at Ewing M. Kauffman Stadium with an average scoreline of 4.5-3.1.
STANDINGS UPDATE
The Reds are third in the NL Central, two games behind the division-leading Pirates. The Royals are fifth in the AL Central, 16 games behind the Twins.
SportsTips’ MLB Pick:
Cincinnati Reds (-115)
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.
