Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the MLB regular season match.
The New York Yankees and the Kansas City Royals have split the first two games of their series, and the decisive third game will determine the winner. Last night, the Royals secured a shutout victory (5:0) thanks to a stellar performance from pitcher Seth Lugo, who recorded 10 strikeouts over seven innings.
New York Yankees
The Yankees continue to struggle offensively. Their SLG percentage, which measures the productivity of hitters by the total number of bases achieved relative to at-bats, has noticeably slumped. Over the season, their SLG stands at 43.4%, but it has dropped to 34.4% in September. This decline is partly due to Aaron Judge's dry spell without a home run, which now extends to 14 games.
Kansas City Royals
Meanwhile, the Royals are expected to start left-handed pitcher and All-Star participant Cole Ragans (11-9, 3.33 ERA). This season, he has already accumulated 200 strikeouts and pitched six scoreless innings in his last outing against the Minnesota Twins last Friday. It will be intriguing to watch his matchup against the Yankees’ pitcher Luis Gil, who is a contender for the Rookie of the Year award.
New York Yankees — Kansas City Royals Prediction
The Kansas City Royals have played many low-scoring games this month. A bet on total under has paid off in 7 of their last 10 games, with one void. With top-notch pitchers starting for both teams, the trend is likely to continue.
