Published Aug 3, 9:34pm ET by
Paul Lebowitz - Betting Preview Analyst and Sports Writer
Last updated Aug 3, 9:34pm ET
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| Kansas City Royals | +127 |
| Minnesota Twins | -140 |
The Twins, sensing that they have as good a chance as anyone in the weak AL Central, were surprise buyers at the MLB trade deadline. They boosted their starting rotation with Dean Kremer from the Orioles, added A.J. Minter from the Mets, and Jeff Hoffman from the Blue Jays.
Now, they need to beat the teams that are playing out the string. That includes the Royals.
Joe Ryan takes the hill in Kansas City.
Ryan has had two poor starts in a row, allowing 8 earned runs to the Guardians and then 4 earned runs to the Royals. For the season, he has a 2.0 bWAR and a 3.52 ERA and made the All-Star team. Over 120.1 innings, he's allowed 109 hits, 47 earned runs, and 17 homers, walking 25 and striking out 135.
On offense, they stood pat. Byron Buxton leads the team with 25 homers, but is on the 10-day injured list with a right hip impingement. Kody Clemens has 19 homers, Brooks Lee has 16, and Josh Bell has 13.
Against Randy Dobnak, Royce Lewis is 1 for 3 with a single. Clemens is 1 for 3 with a single. Ryan Kreidler is 1 for 2 with a double. Bell is 2 for 4 with a double.
The Royals are buried in the AL Central, but they didn't do anything notable at the trade deadline, dealing away Kris Bubic, Bailey Falter, and Lane Thomas.
For the opener of their series with the Twins, they start Randy Dobnak. Dobnak is a journeyman, but has been solid for the Royals in 5 appearances. He's made 3 starts and has tossed 16.1 innings, allowed 12 hits, and 1 earned run.
For the season, he has a 1.4 bWAR and a 1.04 ERA. It's an impressive bWAR considering having tossed only 26 innings. He's allowed 21 hits, 3 earned runs, and 2 homers, walking 10 and striking out 14.
KC is without its best player, Bobby Witt Jr., out with lower back tightness. Their 3rd baseman, and Maikel Garcia and 1st baseman Vinnie Pasquantino are also out.
Jac Caglianone leads the team in homers with 18. Carter Jensen has 15 homers and a .728 OPS.
This has been a disastrous season for the Royals and it's inexplicable that they didn't trade Michael Wacha and Seth Lugo.
Against Ryan, Salvador Perez is 7 for 27 with a double, a triple, and a home run. Jensen is 2 for 9 with a double and a home run. Michael Massey is 3 for 14 with 2 doubles. Kyle Isbel is 3 for 21 with a double.
The Twins are hovering around .500, but for the same reason they let Derek Falvey go as president of baseball operations before the season, they are going for a playoff spot during the season: they did not want to tear it down completely and punt.
They have hovered around contention largely because of the mediocrity in the AL. But that doesn't make much of a difference. They're contending, so they boosted their rotation and their bullpen.
For this matchup, they have one of their top starts, Ryan, on the hill. Dobnak has been surprisingly solid for the Royals. The Twins should be familiar with him from having been his teammate for the past few seasons. Minnesota will take this one from depleted Kansas City and stay within striking distance of the AL Central lead.
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Minnesota Twins -140
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