Kansas City Royals vs. New York Yankees

Quick read:

The Kansas City Royals (7-12, fourth in the AL Central) are set to face the New York Yankees (10-9, second in the AL East) on Friday at 7:05 p.m. EDT in New York, marking the first meeting between the teams this season.

The Royals, currently on a four-game losing streak and with a 2-7 record on the road, aim to break their skid against a Yankees team that is 5-5 in home games and holds a 6-0 record in games where they out-hit opponents. Probable pitchers are Michael Wacha for the Royals (2-0, 0.43 ERA, 17 strikeouts) and Cam Schlittler for the Yankees (2-1, 2.49 ERA, 30 strikeouts).

Betting lines favor the Yankees at -187, with an over/under of 8 1/2 runs. Top performers include Yankees' Ben Rice (.327 batting average, 5 home runs, 14 RBIs) and Royals' Kyle Isbel (2 home runs).

Both teams have struggled in their last 10 games, going 3-7; the Yankees have a .204 batting average and 4.90 ERA, while the Royals have a .196 average and 3.69 ERA. Significant injuries affect both rosters: the Yankees are missing Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodon, Clarke Schmidt, and Anthony Volpe, while the...