There are fewer things worse than trying to break out of a slump and being forced to do so on a long road trip. That is exactly the position that the Kansas City Royals find themselves in right now, and things are not going to get any easier when they head to Wrigley Field to face the Chicago Cubs –the baseball betting lines favorites– for three games starting on Friday afternoon.
A Look at the Friday Baseball Odds Kansas City Royals at Chicago Cubs & TV Info
Time: Friday, 4:05 p.m. ET Venue: Wrigley Field, Chicago National TV: none Opening line: Cubs -128, Royals +118
What, you thought Lorenzo Cain would actually let a baseball touch the ground? http://t.co/uc2WQBTI3F #ForeverRoyal pic.twitter.com/TnnyrS1ChH
— Kansas City Royals (@Royals) May 27, 2015
Up until the end of last week, the Kansas City Royals (28-18) were making things look ridiculously easy. They were racking up runs and getting great pitching, all of which helped them set a run differential that was head and shoulders above everyone else. Sunday was when things started to turn a little sour, though, and they have now lost 4 straight games. While their +46 run differential is still far and away the best in the AL, it has taken a beating during this losing streak. They only managed a total of 5 runs in the 4 losses, whilst also giving up 29. It’s the sort of lopsided result that this team has just not been used to this season, and they now have 3 more road games before they get back home. Edinson Volquez (4-3, 2.77 ERA) will start on Friday, and the good news for the Royals is that they have won each of his last 4 starts.
The Chicago Cubs (25-21) are going through a little bit of a rough patch of their own, but they are still incredibly fun to watch. A big part of that is down to the play of rookie phenom Kris Bryant, who has shown that he definitely belongs in the big league, even if opposing pitchers would prefer to see him down in the minors. The Cubs are just 2-4 in their last 6 games, and have now lost back to back series to the Diamondbacks and the Nationals. They had a tough time getting anything going offensively versus Washington, but in fairness, that is an issue that everyone is facing right now against the National pitching staff. Jake Arrieta (4-4, 2.95 ERA) will be on the mound for the Cubs on Friday. He gave up 6 runs, 3 of which were earned, in his last start, and was lucky to walk away with a no decision.
