Game Time:  7:10 pm ET, Friday, September 3rd, 2021

Venue:  Kauffman Stadium, Kansas City Missouri

Where to Watch:  NBCSH, Bally Sports Kansas City

 

DraftKings:  Moneyline odds: White Sox -150, Royals +130; Over/Under:  9 runs

 

White Sox: 78-56, 1st place AL Central (9.5 game lead over 2nd place Cleveland Indians)

Royals: 59-74,  4th place, AL Central.  (The Royals are 8.5 games behind the Cleveland Indians)

 

 

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The White Sox are 6-4 over their last ten games.  

The Royals are 4-6 over their last ten games.

    This is a “don’t think too deeply game”.  The White Sox have been winning at an elite level all season.  The Royals have been resting on the bottom with a handful of other catfish… daydreaming of how to improve the team without spending a lot of money.  The Royals always fall short of this goal ( in my lifetime).  This game offers you a strong lineup swinging against a green rookie pitcher… even if that Royals pitcher does well, he’ll eventually have to give it over to the Kansas City Bullpen.  Take the White Sox but don’t parlay the Over because Tim Anderson is missing this one and is the White Sox best batter. Be happy with the moneyline.

  

 

The White Sox are 5th in batting average .254, 5th in runs scored 674, and 7th in BB.  That’s right 7th in walks.  Getting on base has its rewards… mostly rewarding in the win column.  The batters for the White Sox deliver time and again.  If you can top five in multiple categories in major league baseball the win column will reflect that.  

 

The Royals are 9th in batting average .244, but only 24th in runs scored 546.  That is probably because they are LAST, 30th, in BB.  Only 342 walks in the season?  Did no one in Kansas City listen to Jonah Hill and his redundant explanation to Brad Pitt that WALKS are AS GOOD as HITS?!!… BECAUSE the ultimate goal is runs scored and we don’t care where they come from!!! Lay off the fastball gentlemen… let the pitches come to you.

Yes I realize I’ve made this observation before… but you have to ask yourself?  Why are the bottom few teams in offense also the bottom at taking walks?... It’s because they don’t have enough base runners on the few hits they are getting.

 

Our prediction for White Sox vs Royals Saturday, Sept, 4th is White Sox 7 - Royals 3

 

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White Sox are 5-1 in their last 6 games vs. a right-handed starter.

White Sox are 4-1 in their last 5 games on grass.

White Sox are 7-3 in their last 10 games with the total set at 9.0-10.5.

White Sox are 89-40 in their last 129 games as a favorite.

Royals are 9-2 in their last 11 games vs. a starter with a WHIP greater than 1.30.

Royals are 8-2 in their last 10 vs. American League Central.

Royals are 0-4 in their last 4 overall.

Royals are 0-4 in their last 4 home games.

 

White Sox:

Craig Kimbrel  RP  (unspecified) Out, Tim Anderson SS (10Day) Out, Adam Engel (10Day) Out

 

Royals: Jacob Junis SP (10Day) Out, Ronald Bolanos RP (60Day) Out

 

The White Sox are still without Tim Anderson and that's a huge loss in the lineup..  It would tip the scales against the Yankees, Dodgers, Giants, etc… but against the Royals it’s just “whatever man”.

 

The pitchers.    

Reynaldo Lopez will throw the first pitch for the White Sox.  3-1, 1.54, 37 strikeouts in 35 ip, 0.69 WHIP.  (*good whip bro).  The 27 year old may look like a guy used to relief appearances but is blossoming into a quality starter.  Reynaldo has a full list of pitches and both speed and accuracy. His numbers in the last 15 games are blowing out his career numbers.  Could be a guy coming into his own and ready to dominate any pitching matchup.

 

The projected starting pitcher for the Royals is Daniel Lynch 4-3, 4.47 ERA, 40 strikeouts in 48 innings pitched.  Those are also his career stats as he is a 2021 call-up.  For entertainment purposes the 24 year old has a 2.23 ERA over his last 7 games.  Of course with his limited games played his numbers could swing either direction with a great or awful outing.  The betting services don’t yet think he affects the Royals odds. He was the 34th overall pick in 2018 and has moved up quickly.  He could be a future ACE in the making.  So far the news coverage form the newsrooms don’t know who he is except for “That kid with the big ears?”.  

 

 

 "Some lingering soreness,...Let's get certainty that he's 100 percent. ... The 10 days allows that to happen." -White Sox manager Tony LaRussa about Tim Anderson.

"Why do you even bother to write about the Royals?!!" - My wife, bothered by my inattentiveness.

 

L. Robert, CF

Y. Moncada, 3B

J. Abreu, 1B

E. Jimenez, LF

Y. Grandal, C

B. Goodwin, RF

L. Garcia, SS

G. Sheets, DH

C. Hernandez, 2B

C. Rodon, SP

 

Royals

W. Merrifield, 2B

N. Lopez, SS

S. Perez, C

A. Benintendi, LF

C. Santana, DH

M. Taylor, CF

E. Olivares, RF

H. Dozier, 1B

E. Rivera, 3B

M. Minor, SP

 

 

Batting Average:  Tim Anderson (.302)

Hits:  Tim Anderson (140)

Home Runs:  J. Abreu (28)

RBI: J Abreu (102)

Stolen Bases:  Tim Anderson (17)

Wins:  D Cease (11)

Saves:  L Hendriks (31)

ERA:  L Lynn (2.59)

 

Royals

Batting Average:  Nick Lopez (.292)

Hits:  W Merrifield (149)

Home Runs:  S Perez (38)

RBI:  S Perez (94)

Stolen Bases:  W Merrifield (38)

Wins: M.  Minor (8)

Saves:  S Barlow (10)

ERA:  M Minor (5.30)

 

Managers:

White Sox:  Tony LaRussa

Royals Mike Methany

 

Rainy.  90% chance of that rain.  Most likely wet and damp.  81% humidity probably because of all the rain in the air.  Wind at 8 mph.  High of 77* except when it is raining when it should be cooler.