Royals vs Reds Preview: Young Abbott vs Cameron Shine

Let's talk about yesterday. The Royals came into Great American Ball Park and dominated the Reds 9-2. Thomas launched a massive home run in the first inning—409 feet to left center. That ball flew off his bat like a rocket. Caglianone added another blast to center field. The Royals' bats came alive and stayed hot all game long. Now Kansas City is 23-37 on the season, riding a one-game winning streak. Can they keep the momentum rolling against Andrew Abbott tonight?

Andrew Abbott is starting for the Reds tonight. He's in his first All-Star season and throwing strikes when he needs to most. Abbott recorded about 4 strikeouts this season with a 1.33 WHIP. The Cincinnati pitcher has been solid, but the Royals' bats are hot right now. Noah Cameron takes the mound for Kansas City. Both teams have injuries to deal with. The Reds are without Elly De La Cruz at shortstop due to a hamstring strain. The Royals are missing Cole Ragans in the rotation due to elbow issues.

The Royals came to Cincinnati hungry and proved they could compete against any team. Kansas City is 23-37 overall and needs to string together wins. The pitching staff features Cole Ragans and Seth Lugo as top arms, though Ragans is injured right now. Cincinnati sits at 30-29, fighting to stay above .500. Both teams have pieces that work. But the Royals' offense showed last night they can explode. If Noah Cameron pitches well and the bats stay hot, Kansas City could win again tonight and complete a strong road trip.