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The Houston Astros (85-68) host the Kansas City Royals (51-102) on Friday in game 1 of a three-game series, with the first pitch at 8:10 PM ET from Minute Maid Park. The favored Astros (-229) enter the matchup after a series loss to the Orioles, and the underdog Royals (+189) are coming off of a series win over the Guardians. Houston’s Framber Valdez and Kansas City’s Cole Ragans will start this matchup.
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Game Info, Betting Lines for Astros vs. Royals
- Game Day: Friday, September 22, 2023
- Game Time: 8:10 PM ET
- Location: Houston, Texas
- Stadium: Minute Maid Park
| Favorite | Favorite Moneyline | Total |
|---|---|---|
| Astros | -229 | 8 |
How Do I Watch the Astros vs. the Royals?
- TV Channel: SportsNet SW
Astros Stats & Trends
Astros Batting
- The Astros average 1.4 home runs per game to rank seventh in MLB play with 211 total home runs.
- Houston has the fourth-best batting average in MLB (.260).
- The Astros rank fourth in baseball with an on-base percentage of .332.
- Houston strikes out 7.6 times per game, the third-best average in baseball.
- The Astros average 1.1 homers per game when playing at home this season (88 total in home contests).
- Houston is averaging 2.9 extra-base hits per game while slugging .411 in home contests.
- The club is batting .251 with 647 hits (8.3 per game) at home this season.
Astros Key Batters
- Kyle Tucker has 153 hits and an OBP of .367, both of which lead Houston hitters this season. He has a .282 batting average and a slugging percentage of .509.
- Among all qualifying hitters in baseball, his batting average ranks 19th, his on-base percentage ranks 15th, and he is 16th in slugging.
- Alex Bregman leads the Astros with an OPS of .813. He has a slash line of .266/.367/.445 this season.
- He ranks 57th in batting average, 15th in on-base percentage and 66th in slugging in the major leagues.
- Yordan Alvarez has collected 109 base hits, an OBP of .408 and a slugging percentage of .573 this season.
- Jose Altuve has 17 home runs, 48 RBI and a batting average of .312 this season.
Royals Stats & Trends
Royals Batting
- The Royals have hit just 152 homers this season, which ranks 26th in the league.
- Kansas City ranks 19th in MLB with a .244 team batting average.
- The Royals are among the worst in the league at getting on base, ranking 26th with an OBP of .303.
- Kansas City ranks 14th in MLB in strikeouts per game with an average of 8.5 Ks per contest.
- They have averaged 0.9 home runs per game in their 75 road contests this season.
- Kansas City has a team slugging percentage of .374 in away games this season with 209 extra-base hits.
- In 75 road games this season, they have a batting average of .228 while averaging 7.7 base hits per contest.
Royals Key Batters
- Bobby Witt Jr. has accumulated 169 hits with a .494 slugging percentage, both team-best numbers for the Royals. He’s batting .278 and with an on-base percentage of .320.
- Including all the qualifying hitters in the majors, he ranks 30th in batting average, 93rd in on-base percentage and 24th in slugging percentage.
- MJ Melendez is batting .234 with 28 doubles, five triples, 15 home runs and 59 walks. He’s slugging .396 with an on-base percentage of .315.
- Including all qualifying hitters, he is 116th in batting average, 101st in on-base percentage and 106th in slugging percentage.
- Maikel Garcia has accumulated an on-base percentage of .325, a team-high for the Royals.
- Edward Olivares has 21 doubles, four triples, 10 home runs and 21 walks while batting .264.
Astros vs. Royals Probable Pitchers
| Framber Valdez (HOU) | Pitcher | Cole Ragans (KC) |
|---|---|---|
| 12 – 10 | W/L | 6 – 4 |
| 188.2 | IP | 83.2 |
| 3.20 | ERA | 3.44 |
| 1.087 | WHIP | 1.147 |
| 8.7 | K/9 | 10.8 |
| 2.3 | BB/9 | 3.5 |
Astros vs. Royals Injury Updates
- Astros: Ryne Stanek: 15 Day IL (Ankle), Luis Garcia: 60 Day IL (Elbow), Lance McCullers Jr.: 60 Day IL (Elbow), Michael Brantley: day-to-day (General soreness)
- Royals: Brady Singer: 15 Day IL (Lumbar strain), Brad Keller: 15 Day IL (Thoracic outlet syndrome), John McMillon: 15 Day IL (Forearm), Daniel Lynch: 60 Day IL (Shoulder), Josh Taylor: 60 Day IL (Shoulder), Kris Bubic: 60 Day IL (Flexor), Vinnie Pasquantino: 60 Day IL (Shoulder), Freddy Fermin: 60 Day IL (Finger), Josh Staumont: 60 Day IL (Neck), Austin Cox: 60 Day IL (Knee), Jake Brentz: 60 Day IL (Elbow), Salvador Pérez: 7 Day IL (Concussion)
