MLB: Kansas City (Run Line -1.5 runs -105) at Chicago White Sox

The oddsmakers are giving us some low-hanging fruit whenever a price on a Chisox game lands near even-money.  Even if we have to lay an extra run, like tonight with the Royals, it seems well worth the trouble.

That’s because the Pale Hose seem well on their way to being an MLB equivalent of John McKay’s win-and-point-starved Tampa Bay Bucs from 1976 and ‘77; not just losing, but doing so in such a torturous fashion that it almost inspires sympathy.

Sixteen games into the new campaign, and the Sox have already been blanked SIX times.  And while their 33 runs scored don’t suggest complete impotence, drill a bit deeper and you’ll find that 19 of those runs were bunched in just three games…there’s only been 14 runs to spread around the other 13 games.

No wonder the Pale Hose are at 2-14!  Meanwhile the Royals have become a contender in the who-wants-it AL Central simply by beating up on the Sox, which they’ve already done five times this season by a combined 22-5 scoreline.

Last night it was only 2-0, as Chisox rookie Nick Nastrini didn’t perform badly on the mound in this MLB debut.  But he wasn’t as good as Seth Lugo or the Royals bullpen that allowed just four measly hits.

So desperate is Pedro Grifol to turn things around for the Sox that for the second straight night he starts a pitcher making his MLB debut (Jonathan Cannon), but would rather trust KC’s Brady Singer, who is becoming an early favorite for the AL Cy Young Award by posting an 0.98 ERA thru three starts.  As we’re not sure we can put down this Chicago offense for any runs, the Run Line price is less intimidating.  PLAY ROYALS on RUN LINE