The San Diego Padres (30-29) and Kansas City Royals (35-23) will kick off a three-game series on Friday, May 31, at 8:10 PM ET at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri. The Padres are road favorites, with a moneyline of -130.
The Padres have gone 3-2 in their previous five matchups. They are coming off a 9-1 blowout against the Miami Marlins, which snapped their three-game winning streak.
Dylan Cease (5-4), who has a 3.29 ERA and a 0.96 WHIP, will be on the mound to start. He fits right in with their team ERA of 3.90, giving them some hope to keep their opponents at a lower scoring rate.
The Padres have Jurickson Profar leading their offense with a.323 batting average (ranked fourth in the league) and 35 RBIs. Surprisingly, they do not have a lot of players leading strongly with home runs, as Fernando Tatis Jr. has nine so far.
They are hitting.255 at the plate, while their opponents are only managing.235. This demonstrates a positive correlation at the plate and, arguably, gives them a solid chance at winning with more offense.
The Royals have gone 1-4 over their last five games and need to break the losing cycle. Their latest battle was a 7-6 defeat against the Minnesota Twins, which put them back on the losing side after winning the game prior to that.
Michael Wacha (4-5) leads their quest for victory as he starts on the mound with an ERA of 4.31 and has a WHIP coming in at 1.26. This will be a good test for him, as he faces a tough pitcher on the other side. Their team ERA stands at 3.40, which will be pivotal late in the game.
When Salvador Perez has a good game, the Royals do well offensively. He currently leads their offense with 10 homers, bats.320 (fifth in the league), and has 41 RBIs. He will be key to their success.
Their situation at the plate is similar to that of the Padres. They put up a.251 batting average and allowed their opponents to average.235.
The MLB has the betting odds available for the San Diego Padres vs. Kansas City Royals matchup. According to market insights, this game is expected to be close, with the Padres having a 48.2% chance of success.
This matchup is arguably a toss-up, as both teams are similar when comparing a variety of stats. So far, the Royals have the slightest edge in comparison, especially since they are at home. Look for the Royals to find success in Game 1.
