Royals vs. Yankees (July 28): Will New York’s bats prop up Taillon with prolific plate production again?

For the first three months of the season, the New York Yankees were scorching hot. However, they have come down to earth just a bit in July. And to avoid their first non-winning month, they must sweep the Kansas City Royals.

Tonight, the Bronx Bombers will look to start the four-game series off on the right note with a win. In the opener, they will send Jameson Taillon to the mound, while Brady Singer will pitch for Kansas City.

After a 12-5 win over the rival Red Sox on July 8, the Yankees were a season-high 38 games over .500. Since then, they have lost 10 of 15 games and enter this series after dropping both games of their midweek Subway Series with the Mets.

Still, they have a very, very healthy lead in the AL East, as they are 11.5 games up on the Toronto Blue Jays.

Also, they still lead MLB in wins. The Dodgers and Astros both had a stumble against inferior opposition in their midweek action. Los Angeles lost two of three at home to the Washington Nationals, while the Astros were swept in Oakland.

That said, a win tonight is imperative for the Yankees, if for no other reason than to shake off the losses at Citi Field and turn things back in the right direction after looking a little too mortal over the last few weeks.

Kansas City Royals vs. New York Yankees Matchup Information and Betting Odds

Matchup Information

• Matchup: Kansas City Royals (39-59, 17-29 away, 5th in the AL Central) vs. New York Yankees (66-33, 37-12 home, 1st in the AL East)
• Venue & Location: Yankee Stadium (New York, New York)
• Date: Thursday, July 28, 2022
• Game Time: 7:05 p.m. Eastern Time

Royals vs. Yankees Pitching Matchup

• Kansas City Royals: Brady Singer (2022: 15 appearances – 12 starts, 4-3, 3.82 ERA)
• New York Yankees: Jameson Taillon (2022: 19 starts, 10-2, 3.93 ERA)

Royals vs. Yankees Odds

Game odds are via BetOnline. This article may also feature odds from other legal sportsbooks that we recommend and have reviewed in depth.

Moneyline

• Kansas City Royals +194
• New York Yankees -235

Over/Under

• Over 8.5 (-118)
• Under 8.5 (-104)

Run Line

• Kansas City Royals +1.5 (-102)
• New York Yankees -1.5 (-118)

Will Strong Run Support Continue for Taillon?

The Yankees have lost three straight games just twice this season, so they find themselves in a position that they have rarely been in.

New York also has not struggled at the plate too for too many games in a row either. They have been held to three or fewer runs in three or more consecutive games just twice as well.

So, it stands to reason that the Bronx Bombers will come out swinging tonight, quite literally.

They acquired All-Star outfielder Andrew Benintendi from Kansas City yesterday, and he will presumably be in the lineup against his now-former team tonight.

That could pay immediate dividends, and not only because of Benintendi’s knowledge of Singer and the other Royals pitchers.

Benintendi is fifth in MLB in batting average (.320) and ninth in on-base percentage (.387). The highest OBP on the team among a season-long regular belongs to D.J. LeMahieu (.386), with Matt Carpenter’s .421 coming in 37 games.

On-Base Percentage Leaders for the New York Yankees

• D.J. LeMahieu – .386
• Aaron Judge – .374
• Aaron Hicks – .366
• Anthony Rizzo – .342
• Gleyber Torres – .322

Batting Average Leaders for the New York Yankees

• Aaron Judge – .292
• D.J. LeMahieu – .281
• Isiah Kiner-Falefa – .275
• Gleyber Torres – .263
• Jose Trevino – .262

Fortunately, run production hasn’t been an issue in most of Taillon’s starts this season. The Yankees have scored five or more runs 12 times in his 19 starts, including six times in his 10 home starts.

It should come as no surprise then that the Yankees are 15-4 in his starts. That includes an 8-2 mark in his home starts and an 11-1 when they score five or more runs.

Kansas City Royals vs. New York Yankees Prediction and Best Bets

Royals vs. Yankees Prediction: Yankees to win

Royals vs. Yankees Best Bets: Yankees -1.5 (Best Value: -115 at Bovada Sportsbook, MyBookie & BetMGM) & Yankees team total over 5 runs (Best Value: -105 at Bovada Sportsbook)

In addition to giving Taillon plenty of run support in his starts, the Yankees usually cover the run line more often than not when he is in the mound.

Out of 15 wins in his 19 starts, 11 have come by 2+ runs. That includes six of eight home wins.

Singer is having a very good month, as he comes into this start 1-0 with a 2.66 ERA in four July starts. Singer has three straight quality starts, and the Royals have won all four starts.

If you’re interested in strikeout props, Singer is coming off of a 12-strikeout performance against the Rays this past Saturday. At BetOnline, he is currently -128 to go over 4.5 Ks, which is a very achievable target given that he has tallied five or more Ks nine times in his 12 starts.

But after a couple of disappointing results in Flushing, I expect the Yankees to come out motivated and to comfortably take care of business tonight against the visiting Royals.

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