POTD Record: 28-18 (+16.95u)

Oakland A's @ Kansas City Royals 7:10pm EST

KC Royals -1.5 +110 (2u)

Headed to Kauffman Stadium for today's POTD and a team that has been great to us this year, the Kansas City Royals. They have shown their prowess at home this season, going 16-8, which is the league's 6th best and puts them among good company at the top of this list. Atlanta, NY Yankees, Cleveland, Philadelphia, and LA Dodgers are ahead of them on this list. Kansas City at home also holds the league's best Run Line +/- with a 1.7 at home, meaning that they are averaging +1.7 runs in home games this season. Kansas City this season holds the league's 13th best runs per game and is 15th in Batting Average with a team .239. Against right-handers this season, the Royals average the league's 13th best average with a .238. Kansas City were winners in their first game of the season against the Athletics 6-2, with Cole Ragans being dominant for the Royals. Two runs in the top of the ninth saved face a little bit for the A's.

Over to the A's, whose good run has seemingly come to a screeching halt. They are 2-8 in their last 10 games and have struggled away from home, going just 9-15 and hitting a league's worst .198. Oakland relied on their home-run ball to carry them, and that was evident last night as a 9th inning home-run got them on the board. Against right-handed pitchers this season, the A's rank 25th in the league, hitting .220. Opponents this season have feasted on A's starting pitching, as opposing teams have hit .252 against the Athletics' pitchers. Oakland are losers of their last 6 games and have covered the run line just three times in their last 13 games.

Let's talk Weather:

Looks like it's going to be a nice night for baseball here in Kansas City as it will be 87° at first pitch with some strong winds going out to left at around 10 mph throughout the game.

Let's talk Starting Pitching:

(OAK) Ross Stripling (R)

9 G / 1-7 / 4.98 ERA / 47.0 IP / 1.53 WHIP

(KC) Seth Lugo (R) 9 G / 6-1 / 1.66 ERA / 59.2 IP / 0.96 WHIP

Starting for the Athletics today will be Ross Stripling, who makes his 10th start of the season. Stripling has struggled this season, giving up 60 hits in 9 starts, averaging 7 hits per start. The Texas Rangers alone account for 21 of those 60 hits, as they dinged Stripling up for 11 and 10 runs in their two meetings this season. It's not like the Rangers are the only team that has Stripling's number as this season he has given up 34 runs (26 earned) in just 9 starts. Last time out, Stripling faced the Houston Astros in Houston where he went 5 innings, allowing 3 runs (2 earned) on 4 hits, 1 home-run, 2 walks, and just one strike-out. Stripling this season has allowed 5 home-runs, and with the wind blowing out to left at 10 mph, look for the Royals' bats to take advantage.

Moving over to Seth Lugo, who has been dominant in his 9 starts for the Royals this season. He is coming off a great performance last game against the Los Angeles Angels, where he went 8 innings allowing just 1 run on 5 hits and striking out 10 Angels on his way to his 6th win of the season. Lugo has thrown a lot of pitches in his 3 starts in the month of May. He has thrown 290 pitches in just 3 starts in the month of May, and a lot of this can be attributed to his stellar performances. He bounced back against the Angels after a tough start against the Milwaukee Brewers, who obviously mash the ball. He went 6.2 innings allowing 3 runs (2 earned) on 5 hits and two home-runs. It is odd to say a tough start where someone allows 5 hits over 6.2 innings, but that's the bar that Lugo has set this year. Look for him to back up a great performance last time out and carry the momentum into this one at home.