3% Toronto (7:40 ET): Prior to losing their last three games, Kansas City had been a great early season success story and they’ll enter Tuesday still with a 13-10 record and +36 run differential. However, it is difficult to ignore the fact that the Royals have gotten to beat up the lowly White Sox in two different series (winning six of those seven games) while going just 7-9 against everyone else. This current three-game slide is telling as KC has had to step up in class against the Orioles and Blue Jays, the latter having really had their number going back to last season with seven straight head to head wins, outscoring the Royals 33-14. And overall, Toronto is trending in the opposite direction of KC right, winning seven of their nine games.

During this recent surge, the Blue Jays have been getting both solid hitting and pitching. Following last night’s 5-3 victory in the series opener, the offense has now scored 5+ runs in 10 games this season including each of the last eight victories. And the pitching has allowed a total of just 14 runs in the last seven wins. Tonight, it will be Kevin Gausman on the mound as he looks to build off an excellent start against the Yankees his last time out. Admittedly, it had been a rough start to 2024 with Gausman, but he looked like his old self holding the Yanks to one run and four hits over five innings. 

Gausman has been good in the past against KC with a 3.09 ERA in four previous starts. This includes a really strong effort last September when he went eight innings and gave up just one run on two hits. Michael Wacha will start here for the Royals and while it’s been a decent start to the year for him, you could have said the same for last night’s starter Brady Singer and he got roughed up by the Jays. I’m not saying that the Royals are going to completely fall apart moving forward, but the fact is they remain a money-losing proposition when not facing the White Sox. 3% Toronto (Play to -135)