Cincinnati Reds vs Kansas City Royals 6/12/2023 Game Analysis, Picks and Previews
On Monday, June 12, 2023, at 8:10 PM ET, the Cincinnati Reds will take on the Kansas City Royals in MLB play at Ewing M. Kauffman Stadium in Missouri. Cincinnati had a 5-2 record in seven games, including matches against two playoff teams currently playing and the division champion from 2022. Elly De La Cruz undoubtedly has the potential to propel the baseball club to the top of the NL Central standings, but one person cannot lead a baseball team to success. Although he has only had a brief MLB career, his speed is unmatched, and he has already hit a huge home run. The Reds’ offense ranks ninth regarding runs scored per game thanks to the fifth-highest OBP and third-most stolen bases. Elly De La Cruz might be the answer for the offense’s woeful lack of pop, which includes 26 home runs and 21 slugging. Given the current dynamics of the division, the 4.0 games that Cincinnati behind Pittsburgh in the NL Central can be caught up in a week.
The pitching staff needs to improve if Cincinnati wants to win the division this year. Their staff’s ERA is 27th, while the starting pitcher, Luke Weaver, has a 6.27 ERA. Despite the Reds’ victory, Weaver’s most recent start, De La Cruz’s debut game, saw him allow seven runs in 3.2 innings. Weaver had nine starts this season; in six of them, he gave up at least four runs. Even if the bullpen is strong and the offense can score runs, their lives would be easier if they didn’t have to save Weaver after poor starts once a week.
The Reds’ bullpen relievers entered the game 87 times with runners on base and made 82 outings in high-stakes circumstances. With 29 saves for the season, the bullpen relievers are ranked 26th in the league. The Reds bullpen entered the game with a 69.2% save percentage and 57 save opportunities. They had 18 saves this year, but they also had 8 failed saves out of 26 chances. The bullpen relievers allowed 125 base runners during the course of the season, and 30.4% of those runners scored. The Reds used 225 relievers on the mound this season.
- The Cincinnati Reds are 5-2 SU in their last 7 games.
- Cincinnati is 7-13 SU in their last 20 meetings with Kansas City.
- The total went OVER in 8 of the Reds’ last 10 games on the road.
Cincinnati Reds vs Kansas City Royals 6/12/2023 Game Analysis, Picks and Previews
Cincinnati is growing warmer while Kansas City is getting colder. The Royals have lost nine of their previous ten games and six straight contests. Try not to be shocked, but lately, their offense hasn’t been that efficient. In their previous 10 games, Kansas City averaged 2.3 runs per game, and in their past five, they averaged 1.6 runs per game. Although Salvador Perez’s first half was unquestionably All-Star material, it would have been more so if he were younger. If not, this team, which has the 28th-worst record in MLB based on runs scored per game this season, is dangerously near to having the worst record.
The Royals’ staff ERA is at 28th in the league, so nothing changed there either. Kansas City’s staff allows 5.6 runs per game, with one victory—a shutout—in their previous six contests. Over their six-game losing skid, which they carry into this game, they have averaged 6.8 runs per game. Restoring order is the responsibility of Zack Greinke, a seasoned veteran who earned the Cy Young Award in 2009 while pitching for this Royals squad. Greinke had lost 10 of his previous 13 starts and the previous five for Kansas City, but it wasn’t all his fault particularly not at home, where his ERA after 33.0 innings this season is 3.00. The Royals’ bullpen is among the worst in the league, with an ERA that ranks 28th and losses that are tied for sixth.
The relievers from Kansas City’s bullpen went to bat in 17 save situations, and they recorded nine saves. They have used 215 relievers this season, and they now own the 28th-best save percentage in Major League Baseball (52.9%). 43 times, their relievers entered the game with runners on base, and 50 times, they had significant leverage. Pitchers in Kansas City’s bullpen had an inherited scoring percentage of 41.7% when faced with 72 inherited base runners. There are now 39 save opportunities for the Royals, 22 holds, and eight missed saves.
- The total stayed UNDER in 11 of Kansas City’s last 13 meetings with the Reds.
- The Kansas City Royals are 2-5 SU in their last 7 games at home.
- The total went UNDER in 6 of Kansas City’s last 7 games at home against Cincinnati.
Cincinnati Reds vs. Kansas City Royals The MLB pick for this game is the Cincinnati Reds. If Zack Greinke performs well in this game, the bullpen will falter since he is not expected to get run support. If Greinke pitches badly, it seems improbable that the Royals will outslug the Reds for nine innings given the present state of both offenses. It wouldn’t be a good idea to trust Kansas City to pull together a win right now. The odds are 7-4 in favor of the Reds.
MLB Starting Time: 8:10 PM ET
Location: Ewing M. Kauffman Stadium, Missouri
Date: Monday, June 12, 2023
TV: Bally Sports Kansas City
MLB Odds: Cincinnati Reds +100
MLB Totals: 9
