The Kansas City Royals (18-50), one of the lightest-hitting offenses in MLB, are set to host the Los Angeles Angels (39-32) at Ewing M. Kauffman Stadium on Friday for the opener of a three-game series.
The Angels are in the midst of a seven-game road trip. They won three out of four in their last series against the Rangers, taking the finale 5-3 on Thursday at Globe Life Field. Mickey Moniak was 3 for 4 with a home run and two RBIs.
Shohei Ohtani added a home run and two RBIs, walking twice. The Royals are in the midst of a six-game homestand. They were just swept in three games against the Reds, dropping the finale 7-4 on Wednesday at Ewing M. Kauffman Stadium for their ninth straight loss. Edward Olivares went 4 for 5 with one run. Maikel Garcia added a triple and one run.
HEAD-TO-HEAD
The Angels have won two of three in the season series between the teams, including a 4-3 victory in their most recent meeting on April 23 at Angel Stadium of Anaheim. Reliever Austin Warren was credited with the win after throwing 1.1 innings, and Carlos Estevez earned his third save with a scoreless ninth.
ON THE MOUND
Patrick Sandoval (3-6, 4.52 ERA) is in line to take the mound for Los Angeles. The left-hander allowed five runs over five innings in his last start, a 6-2 road defeat against the Mariners on Saturday. He was charged with the loss, yielding 10 hits while striking out eight.
Righty Brady Singer (4-5, 6.58 ERA) will toe the rubber for Kansas City. It’s his first appearance of the season against the Angels. In his last start on Saturday, Singer took the loss on the road against the Orioles. He threw 4.1 innings and gave up four runs on six hits, striking out four and walking three in the 6-1 defeat.
AT THE PLATE
The Los Angeles offense is averaging 4.9 runs per game for the season, with a slash line of .255/.329/.433. Ohtani leads the team in OPS at 1.002. He is slashing .301/.382/.620 with 22 home runs, 54 RBIs, and 46 runs over 69 games.
Over the last five games, though, Los Angeles has averaged 6.6 runs a game due in part to improved slugging (.514). Against right-handed pitchers like Singer this season, the Halos have a .756 OPS. Ohtani also is the team’s best hitter against right-handers with a 1.029 OPS in 196 at-bats.
Kansas City is slashing .233/.295/.381 for the season and averaging 3.8 runs per game, the third lowest in MLB. Salvador Perez leads the team with a .816 OPS.
The catcher has 14 home runs, 37 RBIs, and 32 runs scored with a slash line of .274/.310/.506. The Royals have a .705 OPS against lefties in 2023. With a .885 OPS over 69 at-bats, Bobby Witt Jr. has been their best hitter against left-handers.
HOME AND AWAY
Los Angeles is 19-18 in road games in 2023, scoring 4.9 runs per game while allowing 4.5 runs. Kansas City has lost three in a row at Ewing M. Kauffman Stadium.
The Royals are 9-26 at home this season, averaging 4.2 runs per game while surrendering 5.7. In the last 10 games at Ewing M. Kauffman Stadium between the teams, each club has won five, though Los Angeles has the scoring advantage with an average final margin of 3.9-3.4.
STANDINGS UPDATE
The Angels are third in the AL West, four games behind the division-leading Rangers. The Royals are fifth in the AL Central, 16 games behind the Twins.
SportsTips’ MLB Pick:
LA Angels (-155)
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.
