The Boston Red Sox (58-54) will be going for the series win when they face the Kansas City Royals (36-78) in the third game of their four-game series on Wednesday night.
James Paxton, 6-3, 3.60 ER, will get the start for the Red Sox. The Royals will counter with Jordan Lyles, 3-12, 6.24 ERA.
Boston is 6-4 in its last 10 games against Kansas City.
**This preview was written before Tuesday’s game was played**
The Royals followed up their seven-game winning streak by losing their last three games. They will try to put an end to the losing streak with a win over the Red Sox, which will give them their eighth win in their last 11 games.
Kansas City is averaging 3.88 runs per game. Their .238 batting average is 22nd in the league. Their .297 on base percentage is 29th, while their .385 slugging percentage is 26th.
Bobby Witt Jr. has been the big bat for the Royals. He leads the team with a .269 batting average, 20 home runs, and 68 RBI.
Kansas City’s pitching isn’t very good, with the team giving up 5.33 runs per game. Opponents have a .263 batting average against the Royals, which is 26th in the league. Their 5.21 ERA is 28th, while their 1.41 WHIP is 25th.
In his last start, Lyles gave up eight hits and five runs in 5.2 innings, leading to a 7-5 win over Philadelphia. They will need a better effort from him if they want to win this game.