St. Louis (26-20) at Kansas City (25-22)
- When: May 18 2025, 2:10 PM
- Where: Kauffman Stadium, Kansas City
- Where to watch: FDSKC
St. Louis Cardinals vs. Kansas City Royals – Game Preview and Prediction
Moneyline: Kansas City -112
Total: 8.0
Kansas City Royals Overview
The Kansas City Royals are banking on Michael Wacha to continue his dominant form against his former team, the St. Louis Cardinals. Wacha, who spent seven seasons with the Cardinals, has been nothing short of stellar since parting ways with St. Louis. He holds a 4-0 record with a 2.96 ERA against them, and two of those victories came just last season in a Royals uniform.
Wacha has been dialed in recently, winning three of his last four starts while posting a sharp 1.75 ERA. His last outing saw him toss 6 1/3 solid innings, allowing just two runs on eight hits in a 7-5 win against Houston. The Royals desperately need that kind of performance to break out of their current funk, as they’ve lost four straight and are staring down the barrel of a series sweep.
The Royals’ offense, however, needs to wake up. Salvador Perez is just 1-for-21 in his last five games, and the team has managed a paltry .216 batting average during their 1-6 slump. Vinnie Pasquantino has been the lone bright spot, hitting .315 over the last 13 games, but they’ll need more than just him to turn things around.
St. Louis Cardinals Overview
The Cardinals, meanwhile, are riding high on a hot streak, winning three straight and 12 of their last 13. Their bats came alive in Friday’s 10-3 win, and Saturday’s 1-0 victory saw solid pitching and timely hitting, highlighted by a Jordan Walker homer.
Matthew Liberatore takes the mound for St. Louis. He’s been rock-solid lately, allowing two or fewer runs in each of his last six starts. His last outing was a respectable 5 1/3 innings with just two runs allowed against Philadelphia. Liberatore’s previous experience against Kansas City is limited to relief appearances, but he did manage a win despite a 5.79 ERA over 4 2/3 innings last year.
Nolan Arenado, despite a recent slump, has been a menace against Wacha, going 9-for-19 with four homers. Willson Contreras also has a couple of bombs off Wacha, making St. Louis a legitimate threat to sweep.
Prediction and Final Score:
The Royals are desperate to snap their losing streak, and Wacha’s mastery over his old team could be the deciding factor. Expect Kansas City to edge out a close one and avoid the sweep.
Score Prediction: Royals 5 – Cardinals 4
Best Bet: Kansas City ML (-112)
Total: Over 8.0 (-115)
- MLB Odds source: MyBookie Sportsbook
