The Kansas City Royals host the St. Louis Cardinals on Friday at 7:40 PM ET at Kauffman Stadium. This is the start of the “I-70 Series” between two Midwest rivals. The Cardinals are looking to keep their hot streak going, while the Royals try to end a short losing skid.
These teams last met in August 2024, when the Royals won 8-3. Kansas City is 25-20 and strong at home with a 16-7 record. The Cardinals are 24-20 but have played better on the road lately, going 5-1 during their current trip. This game features two young pitchers looking to bounce back after rough stretches.
Royals Preview – Home Record Carries Kansas City
Kansas City has cooled off after a 16-2 stretch but still sits at 25-20 overall. The offense has scored just 13 runs in the past five games and has lost four of those. In their last game, they gave up a lead and lost 4-3 at Houston. They are just 9-19 when scoring three runs or fewer but 16-1 when scoring four or more.
Cole Ragans starts for the Royals. He’s 2-2 with a 4.20 ERA this season. After a strong April, Ragans has struggled in May, allowing 13 earned runs across his last three starts. In his only career outing vs. St. Louis, he gave up four runs in five innings.
The Royals bullpen has a 3.64 ERA. Lucas Erceg and John Schreiber have been the most reliable arms. Steven Cruz and Carlos Estevez have combined to allow just seven earned runs over a total of 36.2 innings. Kansas City’s bullpen depth is one of its biggest strengths, especially at home.
Cardinals Preview – St. Louis Heating Up
St. Louis has won 14 of its last 19 games. Since falling to 10-15 on April 23, the team has turned things around, outscoring opponents 62-27 over the last nine games. In their last game, they scored 14 runs in a win against the Phillies. Masyn Winn had four hits and a homer in that game.
Lars Nootbaar is on a seven-game hitting streak. He’s 11-for-30 during that run with two home runs and six RBIs. The Cardinals have been averaging 4.82 runs per game and are batting .281 during this road trip.
Andre Pallante will start. He’s 3-2 with a 4.36 ERA. Last time out, he gave up just two runs over 7.1 innings in a win over Washington. Pallante has made two starts against Kansas City before, posting a 3.75 ERA in those outings. He’s held Bobby Witt Jr. hitless in six at-bats but allowed a home run to Salvador Perez.
Betting Prediction
Kansas City is favored at -160 with a total of 8.5. The Royals have the better record at home, but their offense is cold right now. Ragans has not made it past the fifth inning in four straight starts. St. Louis comes in with momentum, and their bullpen has also been better lately.
The Cardinals have covered the run line in 11 straight games. They’ve hit the moneyline in 15 of their last 21. Kansas City has gone under the total in 26 of their last 37 games. This matchup lines up well for St. Louis to keep their run going. A 5-3 win for the Cardinals looks like a strong play.
Pick: Cardinals +135
