Boston Red Sox vs Kansas City Royals Prediction, 6/18/2021 MLB Pick, Tips and Odds

Game: Boston Red Sox vs Kansas City Royals

Date: Friday, June 18, 2021

Location: Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, MO

TV: Bally Sports Kansas City

Odds/Point Spread: Boston (-135) Kansas City (+110)

Kauffman Stadium is the site where Jackson Kowar and the Kansas City Royals (30-37, 3rd in AL Central) will play the Boston Red Sox (42-27, 2nd in AL East) on Friday. The moneyline on this matchup has the Red Sox coming in at -135 and the Royals are at +110. The over/under opens at 9. The pitchers taking the mound are Nick Pivetta and Jackson Kowar.

The Red Sox have accounted for 153 two-baggers as a squad and have knocked 86 balls out of the park. Boston has a slugging percentage of .439 and have been rung up 614 times, while taking a walk on 182 occasions. As a team, the Boston Red Sox are compiling 5.1 runs per contest, which puts them at 3rd in baseball. They have accrued 326 runs batted in in addition to 601 hits so far this year, and their average at the plate sits at .257. They have notched a total of 349 runs scored and have an on-base percentage of .317.

The Red Sox are sitting with a team ERA of 4.24 this year (18th in the league), and they have struck out 655 batters. Their pitching staff has walked 243 opposing players and their FIP sits at 3.81 as a team this year. Their strikeout to walk ratio is 2.70 and their pitching staff has a collective WHIP of 1.40. Red Sox pitchers have surrendered 67 home runs in addition to 315 runs (18th in the league).

The Red Sox have sent 226 relief pitchers to the hill this season. The relievers have inherited 108 base runners so far this season with 32.4% of those players crossed the plate. They have earned 22 saves on the year and have blown 11 out of their 33 save opportunities. The Red Sox bullpen have accumulated a save rate of 66.7% and has entered the game in 80 save situations. The relievers have a total of 46 holds this year (3rd in the league). Red Sox bullpen pitchers have entered the game with players on base 67 times as well as having 81 appearances in high leverage situations.

The Boston Red Sox have a total of 1,822 putouts so far this season, in addition to 616 assists and 50 errors. Their fielding rate is holding steady at .980 which puts them in 30th in the majors, and have accumulated 487 double plays. The Red Sox have turned 65.1% of balls hit into play into outs out of their 5,466 innings on the diamond, which has them sitting 30th in baseball.

Pivetta (27-32 win-loss record in his career) holds a FIP of 4.52 and he has gone up against 2,064 batters in the majors. He has conceded 486 hits (9.2 hits per nine innings) and has 186 free passes. His ERA is 5.24 (277 earned runs allowed) and he has a career WHIP of 1.413. Pivetta has taken the hill for 475 innings and has accounted for 514 strikeouts so far in his career.

The Kansas City Royals have a team on-base percentage of .305 and a team batting average of .241 this season. They have been called out on strikes on 539 instances (27th in MLB) and have 531 base hits. Kansas City is sitting with 66 home runs this season and 268 RBIs. The Royals hold a slugging % of .387 and they have an average of 4.22 runs per game (18th in the league). They have hit 93 doubles, while walking 187 times as well as putting up 283 runs.

The Royals hold a team WHIP of 1.403 in addition to having a FIP of 4.21 as a squad so far this year. They rank 21st in MLB as a staff in total hits given up with 559. The Kansas City pitching staff have allowed 323 runs over the course of the season and come in with a team ERA of 4.69 (302 earned runs surrendered). Their strikeout to walk ratio sits at 2.35 (599 strikeouts against 255 bases on balls). They have yielded 75 home runs and they relinquish 5.01 runs per 9 innings (22nd in the league).

Kansas City has called on relief pitchers to step onto the hill in 23 save chances and they have earned 14 saves. They sit at 17th in MLB holding a save rate of 60.9%, and they have sent 222 bullpen pitchers onto the diamond on the season. Their bullpen pitchers have come in 60 times in high leverage situations in addition to 67 occasions with runners on base. Kansas City relief pitchers hold an inherited score percentage of 29.8% out of 104 inherited runners. Sitting with 54 save situations, the Royals have compiled 31 holds and 9 blown saves.

The Kansas City Royals have turned 54 double plays and have a fielding percentage of .984 (13th in pro baseball). The Royals have 550 assists, 38 errors and have accounted for 1,740 putouts over the course of the season. In their 5,220 innings on the field, the Royals have earned a defensive efficiency of 67.7% (28th in the majors).

Kowar (0-2 career mark) is the owner of a 36.00 earned run average while allowing 36.0 hits per 9 innings. He has a K/BB ratio of 0.20 and he has gone up against 19 hitters so far in his career. He has allowed 8 earned runs while earning a WHIP of 6.500 and a FIP of 9.7. Thus far in his career, Kowar has given up 8 base hits while he has tallied 1 strikeouts in 2 innings pitched.

Who will win tonight's baseball game against the spread?

Tony Sink's Pick: Take Boston (-135)

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