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The Kansas City Royals (44-97) will look for another strong showing from a batter when they square off against the Toronto Blue Jays (77-63) on Friday at 7:07 PM ET at Rogers Centre. Nelson Velazquez is currently on a three-game home run streak for the underdog Royals (+154) going into this contest against the favored Blue Jays (-185). Yusei Kikuchi starts for Toronto, and Brady Singer is Kansas City’s pick to start.
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Game Info, Betting Lines for Blue Jays vs. Royals
- Game Day: Friday, September 8, 2023
- Game Time: 7:07 PM ET
- Location: Toronto, Ontario
- Stadium: Rogers Centre
| Favorite | Favorite Moneyline | Total |
|---|---|---|
| Blue Jays | -185 | 9 |
How Do I Watch the Blue Jays vs. the Royals?
- TV Channel: MLB Network
Blue Jays Stats & Trends
Blue Jays Batting
- The Blue Jays are 16th in MLB play with 163 home runs. They average 1.2 per game.
- Toronto ranks fifth in the majors with a .260 batting average.
- The Blue Jays rank fourth in baseball with a .333 on-base percentage.
- Toronto’s batters strike out 8.0 times per game, the eighth-lowest average in the majors.
- The Blue Jays have hit 68 homers at home this season (1.0 per game).
- Toronto has a .405 slugging percentage and is averaging 2.9 extra-base hits per game at home.
- At home this season the team averages 8.4 hits per game and is batting .254.
Blue Jays Key Batters
- Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has 141 hits this season and a team-best OBP of .343. He has a .266 batting average and a slugging percentage of .436.
- Among all qualifying hitters in baseball, he is 64th in batting average, 42nd in on-base percentage, and 79th in slugging.
- George Springer has 22 doubles, a triple, 17 home runs and 54 walks. He’s batting .258 and slugging .401 with an on-base percentage of .331.
- He is 79th in batting average, 69th in on-base percentage and 108th in slugging in MLB.
- Whit Merrifield has collected 142 base hits, an OBP of .325 and a slugging percentage of .399 this season.
- Daulton Varsho has been key for Toronto with 103 hits, an OBP of .287 plus a slugging percentage of .373.
Royals Stats & Trends
Royals Batting
- The Royals rank 25th in Major League Baseball with 141 home runs.
- Kansas City ranks 20th in MLB with a .243 team batting average.
- The Royals have an OBP of just .300 this season, which ranks 28th in MLB.
- Kansas City ranks 15th in strikeouts per game (8.5) among MLB offenses.
- They have averaged 1.0 home runs per game in their 69 road contests this season.
- Kansas City has a team slugging percentage of .376 in away games this season with 195 extra-base hits.
- They are averaging 7.6 base hits per game and batting .228 on the road this season.
Royals Key Batters
- Bobby Witt Jr. has 153 hits with a .312 on-base percentage and a .496 slugging percentage, all club-bests for the Royals. He’s batting .273.
- Including all qualifying hitters in the majors, he ranks 38th in batting average, 106th in on-base percentage and 22nd in slugging percentage.
- Salvador Perez is hitting .245 with 19 doubles, 21 home runs and 18 walks. He’s slugging .416 with an on-base percentage of .286.
- Including all qualified players, he ranks 104th in batting average, 133rd in on-base percentage and 93rd in slugging percentage.
- Maikel Garcia is batting .283 with 19 doubles, four triples, four home runs and 29 walks.
- MJ Melendez has 28 doubles, four triples, 14 home runs and 49 walks while batting .238.
Blue Jays vs. Royals Probable Pitchers
| Yusei Kikuchi (TOR) | Pitcher | Brady Singer (KC) |
|---|---|---|
| 9 – 5 | W/L | 8 – 10 |
| 143.2 | IP | 148.1 |
| 3.63 | ERA | 5.34 |
| 1.260 | WHIP | 1.416 |
| 9.5 | K/9 | 7.7 |
| 2.6 | BB/9 | 2.7 |
Blue Jays vs. Royals Injury Updates
- Blue Jays: Matt Chapman: 10 Day IL (Finger), Bo Bichette: 10 Day IL (Quadricep), Danny Jansen: 10 Day IL (Finger), Erik Swanson: 15 Day IL (Spine), Adam Cimber: 60 Day IL (Shoulder), Hagen Danner: 60 Day IL (Oblique), Otto Lopez: 60 Day IL (Oblique), Brandon Belt: day-to-day (Back)
- Royals: Nick Pratto: 10 Day IL (Groin), John McMillon: 15 Day IL (Forearm), Daniel Lynch: 60 Day IL (Shoulder), Brad Keller: 60 Day IL (Shoulder), Josh Taylor: 60 Day IL (Shoulder), Kris Bubic: 60 Day IL (Flexor), Josh Staumont: 60 Day IL (Neck), Vinnie Pasquantino: 60 Day IL (Shoulder), Jake Brentz: 60 Day IL (Elbow)
