Albert
·
2d
My Prediction
Kansas City Royals by 2Here we have another exciting clash between the Kansas City Royals and the Houston Astros. We're on the Astros' turf this time, at the all-American Minute Maid Park, which isn't exactly a slugging paradise but isn't a pitching haven either. Basically, it's as middle of the road as you get, much like my ex-wife's cooking.
But let’s dive into our on-mound charmers, shall we? Starting for the Royals we’ve got young whiz Kris Bubic, whose performance this season has been quite commendable, with an impressive ERA of 1.90 and a WHIP that would put Indiana Jones to shame at 1.12. By contrast, Framber Valdez of Astros fame will be wielding the rosin-bagged ball for the opposition, boasting a slightly heavier ERA of 3.75, and a touch more WHIP at 1.19. In my book, Bubic’s already got one-up with his lower ERA, but keep in mind, the game ain't won on stats alone.
On the batting lineup, the Royals' chargers have been making some noise. Bobby Witt Jr. is packing a steamy .330 slash line and if you aren’t excited by Maikel Garcia's .320 batting average, I question your passion for the game. Just remember folks, these stats aren’t from the good old days, they’re fresh off the print. Over in the Astro's corner, we’ve got equal servings of batting bravado. Jeremy Pena and Yainer Diaz are rocking some respectable numbers, but I won't bore you with specifics--just know they're holding their own.
Meandering into history lane, when it comes to the past showdowns between these two squads, it's been a see-saw ride. You got the Royals besting Astros on a couple of occasions and vice-versa. If past performance means anything, we're in for a dogfight tonight. Let's look at their current standing: the Royals are standing pretty at 24 wins against 18 losses, while the Astros are treading water with 20 wins and 19 losses.
Considering recent match-ups, the Royals got pummeled by Boston, while the Astros laid waste to Cincinnati in their last showdown. Stir in all these factors and we got ourselves a curious brew.
So, when we add up the pitching prowess of Bubic, the solid batting lineup of the Royals and their slightly better season performance, despite the Astros home field advantage, my money is on Kansas City.
Albert’s Prediction: Kansas City Royals by 2