Baseball, like every other professional spot, is all about the old “what have you done for me lately” question. The Kansas City Royals were the surprise team of the season last year, making it all the way to the World Series before falling to the Giants. That raised their expectations for this season through the roof, and so far they have delivered. The Royals will welcome in the Cleveland Indians this weekend, with the opening game of the series set for Friday with the Royals listed as favorites on MLB odds.
If you want to win your division and have a shot at the playoffs, you simply cannot go 10 games under .500 against division rivals through this stage of the season. That is exactly what the Cleveland Indians (74-76) have done, though, so it’s no surprise that their slim postseason chance came to an end by losing the first 2 games of the series to the Minnesota Twins. I wouldn’t be surprised to see them swept on Thursday night, which would likely mean a pretty lackluster weekend and final week of the season. This is something that the Royals will probably be hoping for, as it would mean that their quest for the division title could be over that much quicker. Carlos Carrasco (13-11, 3.62 ERA) will get the start for the Indians.
Indians vs Royals: MLB Odds and Game Preview
Date: Friday, September 25, 2015 Time: 8:10PM Venue: Kauffman Stadium Opening Line: Kansas City -125
The #Royals can clinch their first AL Central title tonight. Here’s what you need to know: http://t.co/atRtjAv2O7 pic.twitter.com/NGHSj7Psrf
— The Kansas City Star (@KCStar) September 24, 2015
It is likely to be this weekend when the Royals (88-63) make their division title official. It’s a great accomplishment for this team, and one that they haven’t managed since way back in 1985. Interestingly enough, the last year they won the division crown was also the same year that they won the World Series. It is going to be interesting to see of history repeats this time around. The Royals are actually not playing particularly great ball at the moment, and are just 4-6 in their last 10. They have a chance to pick up a series win against the Seattle Mariners on Thursday night, which might help them build some momentum coming into the weekend. You can bet that they will want to clinch that title in front of their home fans. Edinson Volquez (13-8, 3.62 ERA) will get the start for the Royals.
If you want to win your division and have a shot at the playoffs, you simply cannot go 10 games under .500 against division rivals through this stage of the season. That is exactly what the Cleveland Indians (74-76) have done, though, so it’s no surprise that their slim postseason chance came to an end by losing the first 2 games of the series to the Minnesota Twins. I wouldn’t be surprised to see them swept on Thursday night, which would likely mean a pretty lackluster weekend and final week of the season. This is something that the Royals will probably be hoping for, as it would mean that their quest for the division title could be over that much quicker. Carlos Carrasco (13-11, 3.62 ERA) will get the start for the Indians.
