1 de septiembre 08:10 Análisis de béisbol en el extranjero de MLB Houston Kansas City Análisis deportivo
-
Editing and deleting posts requires login
Altuve's walk-off hit led the Houston Astros to a narrow victory, and Kikuchi Yusei (6 wins, 9 losses, 4.39 ERA) will be aiming for his 7th win of the season. Kikuchi had a disappointing outing despite throwing 5.2 innings with 2 hits and 3 earned runs in his recent road game against Baltimore. His home performances, where he has consistently pitched 6 innings or fewer with 2 or fewer earned runs, are encouraging, especially since the team's performance tends to improve when he pitches. In the previous game, Houston's offense managed only 3 runs, including a solo home run from Ben Gamel against Kansas City's pitching staff, and squandered numerous opportunities against Seth Lugo, which contributed to their struggle in the game. Their batting with runners in scoring position was disappointing, going hitless in 8 at-bats. The bullpen, which allowed a two-run home run to tie the game in the ninth inning, has not shown its usual formidable strength this year.
The Kansas City Royals, who lost narrowly due to their bullpen's struggles, will see Cole Ragans (10 wins, 8 losses, 3.28 ERA) trying for his 11th win of the season. Ragans had a difficult outing in his last game against Cleveland, pitching 4 innings and giving up 2 earned runs, and he has shown signs of wavering in his last two games. Although he has been strong in away games, his tendency to falter against teams from the Western Division is a significant weakness. In the previous game, Kansas City's lineup was completely stifled by Framber Valdez, managing only a two-run home run by Paul DeJong in the ninth as their sole scoring chance, highlighting the severity of their batting slump. The bullpen allowed 2 earned runs in 2 innings, reaffirming that James McArthur should not pitch in the ninth.
This series has maintained a competitive flow throughout the games. While Kikuchi is seen as having improved in Houston, Kansas City does have strengths against left-handed pitchers, and Ragans has historically struggled against teams from the Western Division. This game is likely to turn into a battle of bullpens, with Houston having the upper hand in that regard throughout the series, which could decide the outcome. With more stamina in the later innings, the Houston Astros are closer to victory.
Predicted score: 5-4 in favor of Houston.
Handicap: Kansas City for the win.
Over/Under: Over.