Texas Rangers (34-37, second in AL West) vs Kansas City Royals (26-45, fifth in AL Central)
Kansas City, Missouri; Monday, 8:10 p.m. EDT
Pitching Prospects: Rangers: Martin Perez (5-2, 1.96 ERA, 1.12 whips, 71 strikeouts); Royals: Chris Bubic (1-4, 7.41 ERA, 1.79 WHIP, 31 strikeouts)
fanduel sportsbook Line: Rangers-138, Royals +117; over/under is 8 1/2 runs
Bottom line: The Kansas City Royals host the Texas Rangers to open a three-game series.
Kansas City leads 13-23 in home games and 26-45 on aggregate. The Royals have a 10th-ranked team base percentage in the AL at .303.
Texas has a 34-37 record overall and a 17-17 record on the road. Rangers have a 20-5 record in games when they scored at least five runs.
Monday’s matchup is the fourth encounter between these teams this season.
Top Performer: Andrew Benintendi has 11 doubles, two triples, three home runs and 25 RBIs, while .295 hits for the Royals. Bobby Witt Jr. is 10-for-40 with two doubles, one triple and three home runs in the last 10 matches.
Adolis Garcia leads Rangers with 15 home runs slugging .487. Nate Lowe is 10-for-37 in the last 10 matches with two doubles, two home runs and seven RBIs.
Last 10 games: Royals: 6-4, .226 batting average, 3.80 ERA, overtook opponents by one run
Rangers: 5-5, .231 batting average, 4.40 ERA, outscore by two runs
Injuries: Royals: Josh Stomont: 15-day IL (neck), Daniel Lynch: 15-day IL (blister), Salvador Perez: 10-day IL (thumb), Joel Pemps: 15-day IL (Covid-19), Jake Brentz: 60-Day IL (Flexor), Adalberto Mondesi: 60-Day IL (Knee), Tyler Zuber: 60-Day IL (Shoulder)
Rangers: Matt Bush: 15-Day IL (Forearm), Eli White: 60-Day IL (Wrist), Jonathan Hernandez: 60-Day IL (Elbow)
