Red Sox vs. Royals (8/5): Will Boston bounce back after losing opener in K.C.?

The Kansas City Royals may not be in the MLB playoff race, but they are making the most of their chances to affect it. In the past month, they have taken series from the Cleveland Guardians and Tampa Bay Rays, and they now have their sights set on one over the visiting Boston Red Sox this weekend.

In last night’s series opener at Kauffman Stadium, Kansas City claimed a 7-3 win over Boston thanks to a four-run seventh, which broke a 3-3 tie and produced the game’s final and decisive runs.

The big blow in that frame was a three-run homer by Salvador Perez, his fourth longball in seven games since returning from a stint on the IL.

110.4 MPH LASER. #TogetherRoyal pic.twitter.com/Ss8rwyhwdB

— Kansas City Royals (@Royals) August 5, 2022

With their loss and Tampa Bay’s 6-2 win at Detroit, the Red Sox now find themselves four games out of the final American League wild-card spot. So, a win tonight is imperative, especially with several teams also in the mix for that spot.

Boston Red Sox vs. Kansas City Royals Matchup Information and Betting Odds

Matchup Information

• Matchup: Boston Red Sox (53-54, 27-27 away, 5th in the AL East) vs. Kansas City Royals (42-64, 23-30 home, 4th in the AL Central)
• Venue & Location: Kauffman Stadium (Kansas City, Missouri)
• Date: Friday, August 5, 2022
• Game Time: 8:10 p.m. Eastern Time (7:10 p.m. Central Time)
• Red Sox vs. Royals TV/Streaming Info: ESPN+ (subscription service)

Red Sox vs. Royals Pitching Matchup

• Boston Red Sox: Josh Winckowski (2022: 9 starts, 4-5, 5.00 ERA)
• Kansas City Royals: Zack Greinke (2022: 17 starts, 3-6, 4.41 ERA)

Red Sox vs. Royals Odds

Game odds are via BetOnline. This article may also include odds from other top legal online sportsbooks that we have reviewed and recommend.

Moneyline

• Boston Red Sox -120
• Kansas City Royals +102

Over/Under

• Over 9.5 (-102)
• Under 9.5 (-120)

Run Line

• Boston Red Sox -1.5 (+134)
• Kansas City Royals +1.5 (-162)

Will the Bats Back Up Another Solid Road Start for Winckowski?

After winning all three of his starts in June, Winckowski went 1-4 with a 6.12 ERA in five July starts. He lost the first four before finishing the month on a high with a solid outing in a win over the Milwaukee Brewers last Sunday.

The rookie righty was up and down last month, alternating good starts with subpar starts. However, both of his road starts were quality starts, though his efforts went for naught due to poor run support.

Ultimately, a lot will hinge on what Boston’s bats are able to do against Greinke. In those two aforementioned quality road starts in July, the Red Sox tallied one run in each game.

Unfortunately, the numbers do not trend positively for the Red Sox with regards to providing good run support for Winckowski.

In eight home starts, Greinke is 3-1 with a 1.65 ERA and has allowed just eight runs in 43.2 innings at home. The former Cy Young Award winner has not allowed more than two runs in any home start, and the Royals have given up more than two runs just once in his home starts this season.

On the road, he is 0-5 with a 7.16 ERA in nine starts. Opponents are hitting .321 with 11 homers against Greinke in his road starts, while they are hitting just .224 with one homer in his home starts.

Those numbers carry over to wins and losses. In his home starts, the Royals have posted a 6-2 record. But in his road starts, they are just 3-6, though they did win his most recent road start against none other than the New York Yankees last Sunday.

Boston Red Sox vs. Kansas City Royals Prediction & Picks

Red Sox vs. Royals Prediction: Royals to win

Red Sox vs. Royals Picks: Royals ML (Best Value: +102 at BetOnline) & Red Sox team total under 4.5 runs (Best Value: +100 at BetOnline)

While the Red Sox certainly are the better team talent wise, Greinke’s home splits and Boston’s inconsistency at the plate make the Royals great value to take a second straight win in this series.

More Red Sox vs. Royals Content

• Red Sox vs. Royals Odds, Stats & Trends (8/4)