The Seattle Mariners defeated the Kansas City Royals 6-5 yesterday to take a 2-1 series lead.
Julio Rodriguez was 4 for 6 in the game, scoring a run and two RBIs for Seattle. Cal Raleigh went 2 for 5, scoring a run and driving in two RBIs. Luis Castillo lasted 7.0 innings, giving up nine hits and four earned runs. He also walked one and struck out three in the win.
MJ Melendez went 3 for 4 for KC, scoring a run and RBI in the game. Nelson Velazquez was 2 for 4, scoring a run and an RBI. Alec Marsh pitched 5.0 innings allowing four hits and one earned run. He also walked five and struck out six batters.Â
Can the Mariners clinch the series on the road, or will the Royals come out firing and leave things deadlocked at 2-2?
Mariners vs. Royals Information & Odds
- Fixture: Seattle @ Kansas City
- Date and Time: August 17, 2023, at 2:10Â pm EST
- Location: Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri
Shark Stats
Seattle Mariners
Seattle is third in the AL West standings with a record of 65-55. They have won seven of their last ten games and are 6.5 games behind the Rangers for first. The Mariners’ offense is ranked 24th, with a team batting average of .237 and an OPS of .719. Defensively, they have a .987 fielding percentage and committed 56 errors, which ranks 13th in the league.
George Kirby will get the start today for the Mariners. He is 10-8 with a 3.11 ERA and 131 strikeouts. He has played 23 games, pitched 144.2 innings, and has a WHIP of 1.00. Seattle’s pitching rotation ranks second in the league, with a team ERA of 3.72 and 32 saves. They have given up 441 earned runs, struck out 1,086 batters, and carry a WHIP of 1.18.
Kansas City Royals
Kansas City has a record of 39-83 and is dead last in the AL Central standings. They have lost seven of their last ten games and are 24.0 games behind the Twins for first. The Royals have a team batting average of .244, an OPS of .695, and their offense ranks 19th in the league. Their defense is ranked tenth with a fielding percentage of .987 and 54 errors.Â
Angel Zerpa (1-1) will make his first start of the season for the Royals. He has an ERA of 7.71 and struck out three batters this season. Zerpa has only played four games, pitching 9.0 innings, and carries a WHIP of 1.39. KC’s bullpen ranks 28th, with a team ERA of 5.20, 17 saves, and two complete games. They have given up 609 earned runs, struck out 934 batters, and carry a WHIP of 1.41.
Betting Trends
Seattle comes in with a 59% chance of winning, while KC has a 54% chance of covering the +1.5 run line. The Over/Under for this contest sits at 9.
Seattle is 5-3 in eight games as the favorite in their last ten games. They have been the favorites 79 times this season and won 44 of them. The Mariners are 7-2 when favored by -226 or more this year. They have a 5-5 record ATS in their last ten games and carry a 60-60 overall ATS record.  Â
Kansas City is 6-4 ATS the spread in their last ten games. This season they have amassed a 50-72 ATS record. They are 3-7 as the underdogs in their last ten outings. The Royals carry a record of 6-14 in contests where they are +190 or worse.
Game Prediction
This Royals team has been horrible this year and got lucky in game one. Seattle is the better team, and with Kirby pitching today, they should have no issues clinching the series. Zerpa is set to make his first start this season, and he will likely struggle against an offense that has scored 28 runs in their last five games. I am rolling with Seattle to win and clinch the series. Look for Kirby to limit KC’s offense production and go deep in this one.
Dusty’s Sharktastic Pick
Seattle Mariners Run LineÂ
