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MLB : ATS Matchup
Tuesday 6/30/2015Line$ LineOU LineScore
KANSAS CITY  DUFFY )
 
HOUSTON  KEUCHEL )
+1.5  -155

-1.5  +135
+140

-150

6.5un
 
0
Final
4

KANSAS CITY (44 - 29) at HOUSTON (45 - 34)
View Previous GameView Next Game
Tuesday, 6/30/2015 8:10 PM
DANNY DUFFY (L) vs. DALLAS KEUCHEL (L)
Board OpeningLatest
 LineTotalLineTotal
967KANSAS CITY+140Ov 7,-120+135Ov 7,+105
968HOUSTON-150Un 7,+100-145Un 7,-125
ADVANCED TEAM STATS
KANSAS CITY - Current Season Performance
 Team RecordsTeamOpponent
 W-LUnitsO-URunsAvgOBPSLGOPSRunsAvgOBPSLGOPS
All Games44-29+14.232-334.30.2720.3140.4060.7203.60.2380.3010.3720.673
Road Games22-16+817-164.30.2670.3070.4000.7073.80.2370.3040.3780.682
vs Left-handed Starters12-13-1.38-143.60.2570.2930.3820.6753.80.2510.3140.3670.681
Past 7 Games5-2+4.22-23.70.2470.2910.3560.6473.30.2100.2720.3300.602
Grass Games44-29+14.232-334.30.2720.3140.4060.7203.60.2380.3010.3720.673
Night Games31-19+1122-234.20.2750.3150.4030.7183.40.2330.2960.3570.653
KANSAS CITY - Team Hitting and Fielding Statistics
Team BattingTeam BattingTeam Fielding
 RunsAVGOBPGABH2B3BHRSLGRBIBBSOSBLOBGIDPERRDPOSB
All Games4.30.2720.31473249367713118560.4063001564264248967396031
Road Games4.30.2670.307381362364676340.400154782501326140272713
Lefty Starters3.60.2570.29325875225474180.38290451491617919202111
KANSAS CITY - Bullpen Pitching Statistics
 ERAWHIPIPRERHHRBBSOW-LSVBSVPct.
All Games2.061.044244.35956169168621912-425680.6%
Road Games2.361.074125.736338012551206-312475%

HOUSTON - Current Season Performance
 Team RecordsTeamOpponent
 W-LUnitsO-URunsAvgOBPSLGOPSRunsAvgOBPSLGOPS
All Games45-34+8.237-384.50.2400.3060.4260.7323.80.2340.2910.3730.664
Home Games26-16+5.717-234.10.2340.3080.4350.7443.50.2260.2820.3720.654
vs Left-handed Starters16-17-4.711-213.80.2310.2960.3880.6843.50.2350.2920.3700.661
Past 7 Games4-3+0.82-45.00.2480.3170.4330.7502.70.2110.2810.3050.586
Grass Games45-31+11.335-374.50.2410.3070.4290.7363.70.2310.2880.3660.654
Night Games28-22+3.721-254.20.2340.2990.4220.7213.70.2350.2910.3740.665
HOUSTON - Team Hitting and Fielding Statistics
Team BattingTeam BattingTeam Fielding
 RunsAVGOBPGABH2B3BHRSLGRBIBBSOSBLOBGIDPERRDPOSB
All Games4.50.2400.30679264263514171120.4263322487366148956437245
Home Games4.10.2340.308421312307663640.4351681413792623933224220
Lefty Starters3.80.2310.296331110256553380.3881181033092321226183417
HOUSTON - Bullpen Pitching Statistics
 ERAWHIPIPRERHHRBBSOW-LSVBSVPct.
All Games2.460.973234.37064161246724015-1324875%
Home Games1.960.870133.331298314331437-714382.4%
SCHEDULE AND RESULTS
KANSAS CITY - Schedule
 Team StatsOpp Stats
DateTeam StarterOpponentOpp StarterScoreW/LLineTot.O/UHLOBEHLOBE
6/16/2015YOUNG(R)@ MILWAUKEEGARZA(R)7-2W-1157.5 unO1790960
6/17/2015BLANTON(R)MILWAUKEEFIERS(R)10-2W-1407.5 unO1260640
6/18/2015GUTHRIE(R)MILWAUKEENELSON(R)3-2W-1407.5 ovU1381880
6/19/2015PINO(R)BOSTONRODRIGUEZ(L)3-7L-1058 unO10911670
6/20/2015VOLQUEZ(R)BOSTONPORCELLO(R)7-4W-1208 unO11601091
6/21/2015YOUNG(R)BOSTONMILEY(L)2-13L-1058.5 unO91001660
6/22/2015BLANTON(R)@ SEATTLEHERNANDEZ(R)4-1W1406.5 unU1040220
6/23/2015GUTHRIE(R)@ SEATTLEMONTGOMERY(L)0-7L1057 ovP4601082
6/24/2015DUFFY(L)@ SEATTLEELIAS(L)8-2W-1107 unO1341970
6/26/2015VOLQUEZ(R)@ OAKLANDHAHN(R)5-2W1157 evP1181441
6/27/2015YOUNG(R)@ OAKLANDKAZMIR(L)3-2W1357 unU872450
6/28/2015GUTHRIE(R)@ OAKLANDCHAVEZ(R)5-3W1307.5 unO8701192
6/29/2015BLANTON(R)@ HOUSTONMCCULLERS(R)1-6L1157 unP570770
6/30/2015DUFFY(L)@ HOUSTONKEUCHEL(L) 
7/1/2015VOLQUEZ(R)@ HOUSTONVELASQUEZ(R) 
7/2/2015YOUNG(R)MINNESOTAGIBSON(R) 
7/3/2015GUTHRIE(R)MINNESOTAMILONE(L) 
7/4/2015BLANTON(R)MINNESOTAPELFREY(R) 
7/5/2015DUFFY(L)MINNESOTAHUGHES(R) 
7/6/2015 TAMPA BAY  
7/7/2015 TAMPA BAY  

HOUSTON - Schedule
 Team StatsOpp Stats
DateTeam StarterOpponentOpp StarterScoreW/LLineTot.O/UHLOBEHLOBE
6/16/2015VELASQUEZ(R)COLORADORUSIN(L)8-5W-1708.5 unO1170971
6/17/2015OBERHOLTZER(L)@ COLORADOKENDRICK(R)8-4W-12511 evO1380931
6/18/2015MCHUGH(R)@ COLORADOHALE(R)8-4W-11010.5 ovO1360790
6/19/2015MCCULLERS(R)@ SEATTLEELIAS(L)2-5L-1357 unP441870
6/20/2015KEUCHEL(L)@ SEATTLEWALKER(R)3-6L-1156.5 ovO860760
6/21/2015VELASQUEZ(R)@ SEATTLEHAPP(L)6-2W1057.5 unO1070481
6/22/2015OBERHOLTZER(L)@ LA ANGELSSANTIAGO(L)3-4L1157.5 ovU5427100
6/23/2015MCHUGH(R)@ LA ANGELSWILSON(L)13-3W1057.5 ovO16901182
6/24/2015MCCULLERS(R)@ LA ANGELSHEANEY(L)1-2L-1057.5 unU7609141
6/25/2015KEUCHEL(L)NY YANKEESWARREN(R)4-0W-1507.5 evU760663
6/26/2015VELASQUEZ(R)NY YANKEESEOVALDI(R)2-3L-1258.5 unU560980
6/27/2015OBERHOLTZER(L)NY YANKEESTANAKA(R)6-9L+1207.5 unO108210100
6/28/2015MCHUGH(R)NY YANKEESPINEDA(R)3-1W+1007.5 unU710231
6/29/2015MCCULLERS(R)KANSAS CITYBLANTON(R)6-1W-1257 unP770570
6/30/2015KEUCHEL(L)KANSAS CITYDUFFY(L) 
7/1/2015VELASQUEZ(R)KANSAS CITYVOLQUEZ(R) 
7/3/2015 @ BOSTONMASTERSON(R) 
7/4/2015MCHUGH(R)@ BOSTONBUCHHOLZ(R) 
7/5/2015MCCULLERS(R)@ BOSTONRODRIGUEZ(L) 
7/6/2015 @ CLEVELAND  
7/7/2015 @ CLEVELAND  
KEY GAME INFORMATION
KANSAS CITY: KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) - Every once in a while, Ned Yost will spin a story about his days on Bobby Cox's bench with the Atlanta Braves, back when the organization was winning NL pennants by the fistful.
Inevitably, Yost would start drawing comparisons to his Kansas City Royals - that they were building through the farm system in the same manner as the Braves, and Kansas City would embrace the franchise in the same way Atlanta did if it ever became a winner.
Last year, that narrative finally made sense.
After squeaking into the playoffs as a wild card, the Royals swept all the way to the World Series. If not for a virtuoso performance by Madison Bumgarner of the San Francisco Giants, the Royals might very well have been celebrating their second championship.
The postseason run led Yost to draw one more comparison when he arrived in Arizona for the start of a new season, and his players filed into the clubhouse for the first time.
''It definitely reminded me of that feeling in Atlanta,'' he said, ''when you came to spring training every year with the feeling that you have an opportunity to go to the World Series - instead of hoping, you know? And it's a different feeling.''
There is good reason for that feeling, too.
The Royals return most of the pieces from the club that ended a 29-year playoff drought, including one of the best bullpens in baseball history. And the pieces they did lose to free agency have been replaced with what could turn out to be upgrades.
Designated hitter Billy Butler is gone, Kendrys Morales signed in his place. Alex Rios is taking over for Nori Aoki in right field. Edinson Volquez was signed to fill the rotation spot of staff ace James Shields, who chased bigger money all the way to San Diego.
Even though a few faces have changed, the tenants that the Royals believe in have not: They will continue to rely on speed, defense and pitching to chase another playoff berth.
''Any time you're fortunate enough to keep those key pieces, you feel good,'' said Greg Holland, the Royals' All-Star closer. ''Yeah, we lost Billy and Shields and Nori, but for the most part, we're right where we need to be.''
Besides, the back end of the bullpen is still intact.
Kelvin Herrera harnessed his electrifying fastball to become a shutdown seventh-inning reliever last season. Former starter Wade Davis had a historically dominant year as the setup man. Holland further cemented his status as the AL's best closer.
''The way you tilt the field in your favor, in my opinion, is having quality pitching and really good defense,'' Royals general manager Dayton Moore said. ''Those are things that hopefully can show up every single day and perform for you.''
As the Royals approach opening day against the Chicago White Sox on April 6 at Kauffman Stadium, here are a few other story lines to watch this season:
THE ROTATION: Shields was the anchor in 2014, but he struggled mightily in the playoffs. So when the Royals signed Volquez to replace him, it was mostly met with a collective shrug.
Besides, the success of the rotation will more likely be determined by the success of young flamethrowers Danny Duffy and Yordano Ventura, both of whom have ace ability.
INJURY BUGS: The Royals stayed remarkably healthy last season. Will karma even out?
Second baseman Omar Infante already missed long stretches of spring training with a bone spur in his elbow that could require surgery next offseason. Left fielder Alex Gordon also got a slow start to the spring after undergoing wrist surgery this past offseason.
SLOW STARTS: The last couple of seasons, the Royals have gotten off to slow starts. They unsuccessfully dug out of a big hole two years ago, but pulled it off last season.
Considering every other team in the AL Central appeared to get better over the winter, the Royals can ill afford to let Detroit, Cleveland and Minnesota and the White Sox bury them.
RESTING SALVY: All-Star catcher Salvador Perez faded in the playoffs in part due to his heavy work load in the regular season, where he appeared in 150 games. Yost intends to give him more days off this year, though it's hard to take his bat out of the lineup.
BASEBALL TOWN: Did the World Series run turn Kansas City into a baseball town again? The club has been overshadowed for decades by the Chiefs, who play just across the parking lot in Arrowhead stadium. How will fans respond to having the reigning AL champions?
HOUSTON: HOUSTON (AP) - The Houston Astros moved out of the major league basement last season.
Now the question is whether Jose Altuve and his teammates are ready to contend this year or if they still need a couple of seasons to complete their rebuild and get back to the postseason.
Owner Jim Crane is confident the time is now.
''This is our year,'' he said, adding that their goal is to make the playoffs.
The Astros made a 19-game improvement in 2014 to win 70 games and snap a streak of three straight 100-loss seasons. They beefed up a bullpen that struggled last year and added more pop to a lineup that was fourth in the majors with 163 homers in 2014 in an attempt to take another step in 2015.
''These guys are all professional baseball players and they all want to win,'' general manager Jeff Luhnow said. ''We're not going to set any limitations on them. It's up to them at this point. We've done our work for the offseason.''
The Astros blew 25 saves last season, a statistic that troubled Crane more than any other number associated with his team. His first order of business this offseason was to bring in players to get that number down this year.
To that end, Houston added relievers Luke Gregerson and Pat Neshek. Gregerson appeared in 72 games for the Athletics last season and posted a 2.12 ERA and Neshek saw action in 71 games for St. Louis in 2014 with a 1.87 ERA.
A lineup that already had power aplenty with Chris Carter, whose 37 homers tied for second in the majors last season, and George Springer, who hit 20 in just 78 games, now has more sluggers with the addition of Evan Gattis and Colby Rasmus. Gattis has hit 43 homers combined in his first two major league seasons and Rasmus has hit at least 22 home runs in two of the last three years.
That power is what excites first-year manager A.J. Hinch most about his team.
''We have a chance to be a dangerous lineup,'' Hinch said with a smile.
Some things to know about the 2015 Astros:
EXPECTATIONS FOR ALTUVE: Altuve became the first Astros player to win a batting title by hitting .341 last season. He set a team record with 225 hits, was third in the majors with 47 doubles, had 59 RBIs and tied for second in the league with 56 stolen bases.
So what does Luhnow expect the 24-year-old second baseman to do for an encore?
''He's going to be a .300 career hitter, which are few and far between,'' Luhnow said. ''So there's going to be years like with most of these great hitters where they hit .340 and years that they hit .305. In my mind Altuve is an elite major league hitter and we're going to see it year in and year out.''
SPRINGER'S SECOND YEAR: Springer, the 11th overall pick in the 2011 draft, hit .231 with 20 homers and 51 RBIs in 78 games as a rookie. He injured his left quadriceps on July 20 and he didn't play again. The Astros are eager to see what the right fielder can do in a full season.
''He's got a ton of potential,'' Hinch said. ''He's a dynamic player. He can do a lot of different things in a lot of different ways. Everybody sort of sits up in their seats when he comes up to bat. I think there's a chance for him to have impact in all (areas) of the game, which is hard to come by.''
CAN ROTATION BE CONSISTENT?: Dallas Keuchel (12-9, 2.93 ERA) and Collin McHugh (11-9, 2.73) had breakout seasons in 2014, but can they perform at that level in a second year to lead the rotation? Keuchel posted ERAs of over 5.00 in both of his first two seasons before being chosen this year's opening day starter with his work last year, and McHugh had ERAs of 7.59 and 10.04 in his first two years before his success in 2014.
ANOTHER NEW SKIPPER: Counting interim managers, Hinch is the seventh manager the Astros have had since 2009. He was hired just after last season following the firing of Bo Porter, who was let go near the end of his second season.
This is the second time the 40-year-old Hinch has led a team after he managed Arizona from May 2009 until July 2010, when he was fired after 31-48 start. He was the vice president of professional scouting for San Diego from 2010 until August.
PREVIEW
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ PA SPORTSTICKER AL PREVIEW (KANSAS CITY-HOUSTON) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

*Royals-Astros Preview* =======================

By KEVIN CHROUST STATS Writer

Kansas City (44-28) at Houston (44-34), 8:10 p.m. EDT

Dallas Keuchel has leveled out some after a six-start stretch that bordered on incredible to begin the season, but opponents still haven't done much to his stellar home numbers.

Nearly all of the balancing has happened on the road, and the left-hander has a shot at pitching the Houston Astros to a series win over the AL-leading Kansas City Royals on Tuesday night at Minute Maid Park.

Keuchel (9-3, 2.17 ERA) is coming off his third complete game and second shutout of the season, surrendering six hits while striking out a career-high 12 in Thursday's 4-0 home win over the New York Yankees.

What may have been his best start of the season followed what was likely his worst when he allowed five runs and five hits - three home runs - in six innings of a 6-3 loss in Seattle on June 20.

"I wanted to take a step back and relax a little coming out of the gate and find my groove," Keuchel said.

He's an MLB-leading 7-0 with an AL-best 1.39 ERA in nine home starts and he's unbeaten in his last 12 at Minute Maid. It's the top home streak for an Astros pitcher since Brett Myers went unbeaten in his first 16 home starts with the club from April 7, 2010-April 17, 2011.

The reason might be that he's kept the ball in the park, surrendering no home runs in Houston in 86 2-3 innings over the 12-start span.

He's 1-0 with a 4.26 ERA in two career starts against the Royals, both at home. Alex Rios is 8 for 20 against him and Eric Hosmer is 4 for 6, but it seems unlikely he'll face the latter.

Hosmer missed Monday's 6-1 loss along with Alcides Escobar, and the first baseman isn't expected to appear in the series because of a sprained finger. Escobar was out with a bruised finger.

The Astros (45-34) have allowed two runs and seven hits in their last two games, and they've won four straight against the Royals (44-29) by a combined 27-6.

Salvador Perez went deep for a second straight game as Kansas City's four-game winning streak came to an end.

Chris Carter and Jose Altuve homered for the second time in three games for the Astros, who played without Colby Rasmus for a third straight contest because of an infected bug bite. The outfielder won't return Tuesday, though that might not be such a bad thing because he's 0 for 5 with four strikeouts against Danny Duffy.

The Royals are looking to Duffy (2-3, 5.44) to help the rotation improve on a 5.81 ERA over the last 10 games, though he was quite hittable in his first start back from more than a month off because of a shoulder injury.

The left-hander gave up two runs - one earned - and eight hits in 4 2-3 innings of Wednesday's 8-2 win in Seattle. He's 0-3 with a 9.42 ERA over his last four outings, though this was the best of the bunch after he walked 10 batters in his previous two.

"Yeah, the no walks, that's a good starting point," Duffy told MLB's official website. "Got my pitch count up a little too fast but overall it all felt pretty good."

He's 1-1 with a 7.50 ERA in two starts against Houston with Carter and George Springer each going 1 for 2 with a home run and two walks.


Last Updated: 3/29/2024 10:03:19 AM EST.


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