The Kansas City Royals and the Baltimore Orioles meet Wednesday in MLB Wild Card playoffs action from Oriole Park. This will be the second installment in a three-game postseason series. Here’s a Baltimore Orioles vs Kansas City Royals prediction. We will look at this from a betting perspective and determine the best Orioles vs Royals pick.
Kansas City Royals Betting Preview
Kansas City ended up with an 86-76 overall record in the regular season, 6.5 games behind the Cleveland Guardians for the AL Central title. The Royals earned a Wild Card spot, though. Tuesday in their playoffs opener versus Baltimore, Kansas City eked out a 1-0 win during a defensive battle that contained a combined 10 hits (five apiece). Starter Cole Ragans went 5.0 innings with four hits, no walks, and eight Ks.
For game two Wednesday the Royals will send out Seth Lugo in the start. This year Lugo went 16-9 with a 3.00 ERA in 33 starts. Lugo has pitched in three career postseason games, notching a clean ERA without a decision. He’s got one save in 2.0 innings of work. Lugo is without a win in his last three starts when he faced the Tigers, Giants, and Braves.
Baltimore Orioles Betting Preview
Over on the Orioles’ side, they posted a 91-71 overall record this season but missed out on the AL East championship by three games to the New York Yankees. In their Tuesday postseason opener, the O’s managed only one hit after the sixth inning and drew just two walks. Corbin Burnes took the tough-luck loss with 8.0 innings, five hits, one walk and three Ks.
The O’s will send out Zach Eflin for the Game 2 start. This regular season Eflin went 10-9 with a 3.59 ERA in 28 starts. Eflin is 0-1 in his postseason career with a 5.17 ERA in 11 games (one start). After securing four consecutive wins, Eflin is without a W in his last starts (Rays, Tigers, Giants, and Yankees).
Total Runs Facts
- Each of the Royals’ last six games as underdogs has gone UNDER the total runs line.
- Six of the Orioles’ last seven playoff games have gone UNDER the total runs line.
- The ‘Inning 1 UNDER 0.5 runs’ market has hit in each of the Orioles’ last seven-day games.
- The ‘Inning 1 UNDER 0.5 runs’ market has hit in each of the Royals’ last four-day games against American League opponents.
Baltimore Orioles Player Prop Facts
- Zach Eflin has recorded six or more strikeouts in each of his three previous home appearances against opponents that held a winning record.
- Zach Eflin has recorded a win in five of his last six home appearances against AL Central opponents.
- Jordan Westburg has recorded at least one RBI in three of his four previous appearances in day games against AL Central teams that held a winning record.
- Austin Slater has recorded at least one Single in each of his last six appearances with his team as a home favorite against AL Central opponents.
- Jorge Mateo has scored a run in 11 of his last 13 home appearances against AL opponents that held a winning record.
- Cedric Mullins has recorded at least one hit in 18 of his last 19 home appearances against AL Central opponents that held a winning record.
- James McCann has hit at least one home run in two of his last three appearances at Oriole Park at Camden Yards against AL Central opponents that held a winning record.
- Cedric Mullins has recorded at least one total base in 18 of his last 19 home appearances against AL Central opponents that held a winning record.
Kansas City Royals Player Prop Facts
- Seth Lugo has recorded a win in three of his last four road appearances against AL East opponents.
- Vinnie Pasquantino has recorded at least one RBI in each of his last eight Wednesday appearances against teams that held a winning record.
- Seth Lugo has recorded three or more strikeouts in each of his last 20 appearances against AL opponents.
- Salvador Perez has recorded at least one Single in each of the Royals’ last 13 games as road underdogs against AL East opponents.
- Tommy Pham has scored a run in each of his last four road appearances against the Orioles after playing the previous day.
- Salvador Perez has recorded at least one hit in each of the Royals’ last 15 games as road underdogs against AL East opponents.
- Hunter Renfroe has hit a home run in each of his last two appearances in day games.
- Salvador Perez has recorded at least one total base in each of the Royals’ last 15 games as road underdogs against AL East opponents.
Baltimore Orioles vs Kansas City Royals Prediction
I’m leaning toward the Orioles. Baltimore will be in good shape if they can get to Lugo early. In his last two outings, Lugo is 0-1 but he’s given up just two earned on four hits and a walk in 9.0 innings (7.0 innings in one start). On September 16 versus the Tigers, however, Lugo gave up four earned in 4.2 innings on eight hits and two walks.
In Tuesday’s opener, the O’s offense got very little outside of Cedric Mullins’ 2-for-3 effort. The good news is that Baltimore only had to use two arms out of the bullpen (Keegan Akin and Seranthony Dominguez) for just one inning. The Orioles will have a lot of options on the mound Wednesday, which will be their only hope if the offense doesn’t pick up.