Series Preview: Red Sox at Royals

"The Royals entered the season in the large group of teams hoping to be in the hunt for a Wild Card. The Detroit Tigers and Cleveland Guardians were the division favorites, the White Sox and Twins were taking steps back, but the Royals could dream. As it would happen, Bobby Witt Jr. wouldn't homer until April 26 (though he's done it six more times since!), Jac Caglianone and Vinnie Pasquantino couldn't recapture the Team Italy magic. The ageless catcher Salvador Perez would start slow. And the pitching would be a bit of a mess."

"Sonny Gray kicks things off on Monday. Gray, likely second after Chapman in trade interest as the deadline approaches, is coming off a fine start. His second outing since an IL stint, the veteran tossed six one-run innings while striking out six, a season high. The Red Sox have won five of his seven starts this year. In his third year with the Royals, Seth Lugo has settled in for them as a contact guy with fewer Ks (20.8%) and a higher walk rate (8.6%)."

"But if they can get 200 innings out of him like in 2024 the Royals won't complain. He's been hit hard twice - by the Angels and White Sox - in his last 5 starts yielding 7 and 5 runs, respectively. He also had a four-inning, four-run outing against the Guardians. Over his first five starts, Lugo had a 1.15 ERA / 2.27 FIP and over the next four it's a 7.59 ERA / 3.28 FIP. So maybe he's working through a little something right now."

The Boston Red Sox travel to Kansas City with a 19-27 record after a loss to the Atlanta Braves. The Royals are 20-27 and recently snapped a six-game losing streak. Kansas City entered the season with Wild Card hopes, but early production from key hitters lagged, including delayed power from Bobby Witt Jr. and limited results from Jac Caglianone and Vinnie Pasquantino. Salvador Perez started slowly, and pitching has been inconsistent. Boston’s rotation is positioned to exploit the Royals’ weak offense, beginning with Sonny Gray, who recently delivered six one-run innings with six strikeouts. Seth Lugo has been more contact-oriented with fewer strikeouts and more walks, but recent starts have included hard contact and elevated runs allowed.

Read at Over the Monster