Houston Astros at Kansas City Royals

By Bush StaffUpdated 69d ago·2 min read
Houston AstrosHOU(33-39)
Kansas City RoyalsKC(28-43)
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FINAL
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HOU
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KC
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Houston rolled into Kauffman and stole both ends of Saturday's doubleheader — 10-8 in the matinee and 8-7 in the nightcap — to flip what looked like a competitive weekend into a sweep watch. First pitch Sunday is 1:10 PM CT, and the Astros hand the ball to a guy who has quietly been their best starter.

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FINAL
Spread
ML
Total
Astros(33-39)
WWLLW
0
Royals(28-43)
LLLLW
4
Best BetAstros +102
Pregame

Houston at a plus price with Arrighetti on the mound is the kind of road dog sharps live on — he's 7-1 with a sub-2.25 ERA and his team has been a moneyline ATM as an underdog. Kansas City is in a 4-game skid and just lost Pasquantino. Take the Astros to win it outright.

Spencer Arrighetti is 7-1 with a 2.21 ERA and his last time out he punched out 7 Angels over 6 innings. The Astros are 8-2 against the spread in his starts this season, which is the kind of stat that gets sharps paying attention even when Houston is the road favorite. Stephen Kolek has been steady enough for Kansas City (3-1, 3.14), but his last outing was a grind — 8 hits over 5 innings against Texas — and he can't afford to spot Houston runs.

Houston Astros
Spencer Arrighetti
(7-4)·4.00 ERA
Jun 8 @ Angels
ND
6.0IP
3ER
7K
4BB
95P
06/14 Lineup
Kansas City Royals
Stephen Kolek
(4-2)·4.15 ERA
Jun 9 vs Rangers
ND
5.0IP
1ER
3K
1BB
86P
06/14 Lineup
Houston Astros
Houston Astros
(33-39)
Jun 13W@ Royals8-7
Jun 13W@ Royals10-8
Jun 11L@ Angels2-3
Jun 10L@ Angels1-10
Jun 9W@ Angels5-4
Kansas City Royals
Kansas City Royals
(28-43)
Jun 13Lvs Astros7-8
Jun 13Lvs Astros8-10
Jun 11Lvs Rangers2-4
Jun 10Lvs Rangers4-6
Jun 9Wvs Rangers5-3

The Royals' injury situation is the real story heading in. Vinnie Pasquantino exited Saturday's game with a right hand/hamate issue after grimacing on a pop-up to third, and hamate stuff tends to mean weeks, not days. He's officially day-to-day, but Kansas City already had Cole Ragans, Kris Bubic, Seth Lugo, and Carlos Estevez on the shelf, plus Kyle Isbel out with a Grade 3 plantar fasciitis tear. That's a rotation and a lineup card running on fumes.

Houston Astros
Houston Astros
(14)
  • Day-To-DayPeter Lambert (SP)Lambert (5-4) earned the win Friday over the Athletics after tossing 5.1 innings of one-run ball. He allowed five hits and four walks while fanning four.06/11
  • Day-To-DayWalker Janek (C)Double-A Corpus Christi placed Janek on its 7-day injured list Sunday due to an unspecified injury.05/08
  • 10-Day-ILYainer Diaz (C)Diaz (oblique) could be reinstated from the injured list during the Astros' upcoming series versus Detroit, which begins Monday, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.06/13
  • 10-Day-ILLaMonte Wade Jr. (1B)Wade left Monday's game against the Angels with right hamstring soreness, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.06/09
  • 10-Day-ILNick Allen (SS)Allen was removed from Sunday's game against the Athletics due to left hamstring discomfort.06/08
  • 10-Day-ILBraden Shewmake (SS)Shewmake (groin) is not in the lineup for Sunday's game against the Brewers, Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports.06/02
  • 15-Day-ILBennett Sousa (RP)The Astros announced Friday that Sousa (elbow) has begun a throwing progression, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.06/04
  • 15-Day-ILLance McCullers Jr. (SP)The Astros announced Friday that McCullers (shoulder) began a throwing progression, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.06/04
  • 60-Day-ILRonel Blanco (SP)Blanco (elbow) tossed 40 pitches in a simulated game Saturday and will soon start a rehab stint in the Florida Complex League, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.06/13
  • 60-Day-ILHunter Brown (SP)Brown (shoulder) will make his next start at Triple-A Sugar Land on Wednesday, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.06/06
  • 60-Day-ILBrandon Walter (SP)The Astros announced Friday that Walter (elbow) is in the midst of a throwing progression at the team's complex in West Palm Beach, Fla., Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.06/04
  • 60-Day-ILCristian Javier (SP)Javier (shoulder) recorded two outs -- both via strikeout -- and was charged with two earned runs on two hits and two walks in a rehab start Wednesday with Double-A Corpus Christi.06/04
  • 60-Day-ILCarlos Correa (SS)Correa is scheduled to undergo surgery Monday in Houston to repair the tendon in his left ankle, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.06/02
  • 60-Day-ILHayden Wesneski (SP)Wesneski (elbow) has progressed to throwing live batting practice this week, Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports.05/29
Kansas City Royals
Kansas City Royals
(13)
  • Day-To-DayVinnie Pasquantino (1B)The Royals announced that Pasquantino sustained a right hamate injury in Saturday's game against the Astros.06/14
  • Day-To-DayAnthony Simonelli (SP)no05/08
  • Day-To-DayJavier Vaz (2B)Vaz (fingers) has produced a .238/.304/.262 slash line with zero home runs and three stolen bases in 10 games since being activated from Double-A Northwest Arkansas' 7-day injured list April 22.05/08
  • Day-To-DayTyson Guerrero (RP)no05/08
  • 7-Day ILSeth Lugo (SP)The Royals placed Lugo on the 7-day concussion list Friday.06/12
  • 10-Day-ILKyle Isbel (CF)Isbel has been diagnosed with a Grade 3 tear of a portion of his left plantar fasciitis.06/11
  • 15-Day-ILCole Ragans (SP)Ragans (elbow) had a throwing session cut short Friday and will undergo additional testing, Jaylon T. Thompson of The Kansas City Star reports.06/13
  • 15-Day-ILKris Bubic (SP)Bubic (elbow/shoulder) suffered a setback after beginning his rehab assignment Tuesday with Triple-A Omaha, MLB.com reports.06/13
  • 15-Day-ILCarlos Estevez (RP)Estevez (shoulder) increased his intensity and volume in a flat-ground throwing session Friday, MLB.com reports.06/13
  • 15-Day-ILNick Mears (RP)Mears (shoulder) began a throwing progression this week and could progress to a bullpen by the end of the week, MLB.com reports.06/11
  • 60-Day-ILJonathan India (2B)no06/04
  • 60-Day-ILJames McArthur (RP)McArthur (elbow) underwent surgery Friday to help combat continued soreness and inflammation, MLB.com reports.05/25
  • 60-Day-ILAlec Marsh (SP)The Royals placed Marsh (shoulder) on the 60-day injured list Thursday.05/08

Houston isn't exactly healthy either — Hunter Brown, Lance McCullers Jr., Cristian Javier, Ronel Blanco, and Carlos Correa are all on the IL — but Yainer Diaz is tracking toward a return for the Detroit series Monday, and the offense has scored 18 runs over the last 2 games. When Arrighetti is on the mound, they don't need many.

Kansas City has lost 4 in a row, is 28-43, and is staring at a Sunday matinee against the hottest starter on either side with their middle-of-the-order bat possibly headed to the IL. The Astros are 33-39 but playing like a team that's finally figured out which arms it can trust. Tough spot for the home team to stop the bleeding.

MLBHouston AstrosKansas City RoyalsPolymarketKalshiSpencer ArrighettiStephen Kolek