Barstool Bush
Predictions

Kansas City Royals at Washington Nationals

By Bush StaffUpdated 68d ago·2 min read
Kansas City RoyalsKC(29-43)
Washington NationalsWSH(37-35)
3—7
FINAL
123456789RHE
KC
000120000380
WSH
00205000—780

Mitch Spence (0-0, 13.50) draws Andrew Alvarez (1-0, 3.70) in the opener of a 3-game set at Nationals Park. Spence has been built up as a starter since Kansas City grabbed him from the A's in spring, but the early returns are what they are — 4 innings, 6 earned, and a number that screams 'use your bullpen early.' Alvarez countered his last time out with 4 innings of 2-run ball against the Giants on 90 pitches, walking 5. Neither guy is exactly Tarik Skubal.

Show fees
FINAL
Spread
ML
Total
Royals(29-43)
WLLLL
3
Nationals(37-35)
WWLLW
7
Best BetNationals -144
Pregame

Washington at -142 is the chalk and it's the correct chalk. The Royals are throwing Spence and a 13.50 ERA into a park where the Nats just hung 18 runs in 2 days. Lay the price.

The Royals are running on fumes. They dropped 4 of 5 on the homestand before Sunday's 4-0 shutout of Houston, and the injury list has turned the lineup card into a roster move. Vinnie Pasquantino had hamate surgery and is out 4-to-6 weeks, Kyle Isbel has a Grade 3 plantar fascia tear, and the rotation is missing Cole Ragans, Kris Bubic, and Seth Lugo (concussion list). That's how you end up handing the ball to Spence in mid-June.

Kansas City Royals
Mitch Spence
(0-2)·21.21 ERA
06/15 Lineup
Washington Nationals
Andrew Alvarez
(1-1)·3.44 ERA
Jun 9 @ Giants
ND
4.0IP
2ER
4K
5BB
90P
06/15 Lineup
Kansas City Royals
Kansas City Royals
(13)
  • Day-To-DayAnthony Simonelli (SP) — no05/08
  • Day-To-DayJavier Vaz (2B) — Vaz (fingers) has produced a .238/.304/.262 slash line with zero home runs and three stolen bases in 10 games since being activated from Double-A Northwest Arkansas' 7-day injured list April 22.05/08
  • Day-To-DayTyson Guerrero (RP) — no05/08
  • 7-Day ILSeth Lugo (SP) — The Royals placed Lugo on the 7-day concussion list Friday.06/12
  • 10-Day-ILVinnie Pasquantino (1B) — Royals manager Matt Quatraro said that Pasquantino underwent surgery Sunday to remove a fractured hamate bone in his right hand and will face a recovery timeline of roughly 4-to-6 weeks, Joel Goldberg of Bally Sports Kansas City reports.06/14
  • 10-Day-ILKyle Isbel (CF) — Isbel has been diagnosed with a Grade 3 tear of a portion of his left plantar fasciitis.06/11
  • 15-Day-ILKris Bubic (SP) — Royals manager Matt Quatraro said Sunday that Bubic underwent another MRI that showed nothing structurally wrong with his left elbow or shoulder, Joel Goldberg of Bally Sports Kansas City reports.06/14
  • 15-Day-ILCole Ragans (SP) — Ragans (elbow) had a throwing session cut short Friday and will undergo additional testing, Jaylon T. Thompson of The Kansas City Star reports.06/13
  • 15-Day-ILCarlos Estevez (RP) — Estevez (shoulder) increased his intensity and volume in a flat-ground throwing session Friday, MLB.com reports.06/13
  • 15-Day-ILNick Mears (RP) — Mears (shoulder) began a throwing progression this week and could progress to a bullpen by the end of the week, MLB.com reports.06/11
  • 60-Day-ILJonathan India (2B) — no06/04
  • 60-Day-ILJames McArthur (RP) — McArthur (elbow) underwent surgery Friday to help combat continued soreness and inflammation, MLB.com reports.05/25
  • 60-Day-ILAlec Marsh (SP) — The Royals placed Marsh (shoulder) on the 60-day injured list Thursday.05/08
Washington Nationals
Washington Nationals
(10)
  • Day-To-DayJarlin Susana (RP) — Susana (lat strain) threw from a mound this week for the first time since undergoing lat surgery, Jessica Camerato of MLB.com reports.06/14
  • Day-To-DayTyler Stuart (SP) — no05/25
  • Day-To-DayTyler Baum (DH) — Baum has not pitched this year due an undisclosed injury.05/08
  • Day-To-DayTravis Sykora (SP) — Sykora will undergo a UCL reconstruction on his right elbow in two weeks, Andrew Golden of The Washington Post reports.05/08
  • 15-Day-ILJake Irvin (SP) — Nationals manager Blake Butera said Monday that Irvin (shoulder) remains shut down from throwing, Mark Zuckerman of NatsJournal.com reports.06/01
  • 60-Day-ILDJ Herz (SP) — Herz (elbow) struck out four batters over three scoreless innings in his second rehab start Thursday in the rookie-level Florida Complex League.06/11
  • 60-Day-ILKen Waldichuk (RP) — Waldichuk (elbow) underwent Tommy John surgery and an internal brace procedure April 21 and is hopeful to return to game action at some point early in the 2027 season, Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com reports.06/11
  • 60-Day-ILTrevor Williams (SP) — Williams (elbow) threw a simulated game at Nationals Park ahead of Tuesday's loss to the Marlins, MLB.com reports.06/05
  • 60-Day-ILMax Kranick (RP) — The Nationals transferred Kranick (elbow) to the 60-day injured list Monday.05/25
  • 60-Day-ILJosiah Gray (SP) — Gray (elbow) has resumed a throwing program, Mark Zuckerman of NatsJournal.com reports.05/08

Washington is the surprise here. The Nationals are 37-35, just took 2 of 3 from Seattle including a 10-1 beatdown on Sunday, and have quietly played themselves into 'wait, are they real?' territory. They're favored at -142 on the moneyline and laying -1.5, which feels about right for a team at home against a Royals club starting an opener-by-emergency.

Kansas City Royals
Kansas City Royals
(29-43)
Jun 14Wvs Astros4-0
Jun 13Lvs Astros7-8
Jun 13Lvs Astros8-10
Jun 11Lvs Rangers2-4
Jun 10Lvs Rangers4-6
Washington Nationals
Washington Nationals
(37-35)
Jun 14Wvs Mariners10-1
Jun 13Wvs Mariners8-3
Jun 12Lvs Mariners2-10
Jun 10L@ Giants10-11
Jun 10W@ Giants6-3

The wild card is Alvarez's command. 5 walks in 4 innings against San Francisco is the kind of line that turns into a 6-run inning if the Royals can keep Bobby Witt Jr. moving on the bases. Kansas City's offense isn't scary without Pasquantino in the middle of it, but Witt is still Witt, and even a depleted lineup will take free passes if Alvarez hands them out again.

Vibes say Nationals. The pitching edge is real, the home crowd will be juiced after the Seattle series, and the Royals are stitched together with athletic tape. But this is also a total that could go either way — two pitchers without a put-away pitch usually equals traffic.

Sources

MLBKansas City RoyalsWashington NationalsPolymarketKalshiMitch SpenceAndrew Alvarez