Houston Astros (33-18, first in the AL West) vs. Kansas City Royals (16-33, fifth in the AL Central)
Kansas City, Missouri; Friday, 8:10 p.m. EDT
PITCHING PROBABLES: Astros: Jose Urquidy (4-2, 4.80 ERA, 1.58 WHIP, 34 strikeouts); Royals: Brady Singer (2-0, 2.49 ERA, .99 WHIP, 26 strikeouts)
LINE: Astros -134, Royals +114; over/under is 8 1/2 runs
BOTTOM LINE: The Kansas City Royals host the Houston Astros on Friday to open a three-game series.
Kansas City has a 16-33 record overall and an 8-15 record at home. The Royals have a 9-15 record in games when they record eight or more hits.
Houston has a 33-18 record overall and a 19-12 record in road games. The Astros have an 18-3 record in games when they did not give up a home run.
The matchup Friday is the first meeting this season between the two teams.
TOP PERFORMERS: Andrew Benintendi has seven doubles, two triples, two home runs and 21 RBI for the Royals. Bobby Witt Jr. is 10-for-37 with four doubles, a triple, two home runs and eight RBI over the last 10 games.
Jeremy Pena is third on the Astros with a .285 batting average, and has seven doubles, a triple, eight home runs, 10 walks and 23 RBI. Yordan Alvarez is 12-for-37 with two home runs and eight RBI over the last 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Royals: 2-8, .252 batting average, 6.83 ERA, outscored by 22 runs
Astros: 7-3, .224 batting average, 2.76 ERA, even run differential
INJURIES: Royals: Matt Peacock: 15-Day IL (undisclosed), Gabe Speier: 15-Day IL (undisclosed), Zack Greinke: 15-Day IL (flexor), Amir Garrett: 15-Day IL (undisclosed), Adalberto Mondesi: 60-Day IL (knee), Michael A. Taylor: 10-Day IL (illness), Edward Olivares: 10-Day IL (quadricep), Cam Gallagher: 10-Day IL (hamstring), Jake Brentz: 10-Day IL (flexor), Tyler Zuber: 60-Day IL (shoulder)
Astros: Jake Odorizzi: 15-Day IL (leg), Taylor Jones: 60-Day IL (back), Lance McCullers Jr.: 60-Day IL (forearm), Jacob Meyers: 10-Day IL (shoulder)
___
The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by
