Cincinnati Reds Waste Great Opportunity For Series Sweep at Kansas City Royals with Bad Lineup

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The Cincinnati Reds (28-28) face the Kansas City Royals (29-27) in the final game of their three-game series at Kauffman Stadium on May 28, 2025, with first pitch at 7:40 PM EDT. The Reds go for a series sweep, while the Royals look to capitalize on their home-field advantage.

Pitching Matchup: The Reds send right-hander Hunter Greene (4-2, 2.54 ERA) to the mound. Greene’s electric fastball and sharp slider make him a formidable starter, averaging over a strikeout per inning. His recent outings show consistency, allowing two or fewer runs in three of his last five starts. However, the Reds’ pitching staff is depleted, with Brandon Williamson (elbow), Rhett Lowder (forearm), and Carson Spiers (shoulder) on the injured list, putting pressure on Greene to go deep.

The Royals counter with left-hander Noah Cameron (1-1, 0.93 ERA), a relatively untested starter making his second start of 2025. Cameron’s low ERA comes from limited innings, but his command and deceptive changeup could challenge Cincinnati’s lineup. Kansas City’s pitching depth is also strained, with Seth Lugo (finger), Cole Ragans (groin), and Hunter Harvey (shoulder) sidelined, forcing reliance on younger arms like Cameron.

Offensive Outlook: The Reds’ offense has been powered by Elly De La Cruz, who smashed two home runs (436 and 451 feet) in Tuesday’s 7-2 win, tying Pete Rose’s franchise record for switch-hitters with five multihomer games. TJ Friedl and Tyler Stephenson have also been key, with Stephenson hitting a two-run homer in the series opener. However, injuries to Jake Fraley (calf), Christian Encarnacion-Strand (back), and Noelvi Marte (oblique) thin their lineup.

The Royals’ offense, led by Bobby Witt Jr., struggles to generate runs, ranking 26th in MLB with 3.3 runs per game. Witt remains a spark, but the absence of Michael Massey (ankle soreness) and a .664 team OPS highlight their offensive woes. Kris Bubic’s emergence as a Cy Young candidate (5-2, 1.45 ERA) has been a bright spot, though he’s not starting today.
Game Dynamics: Kauffman Stadium’s dimensions favor pitchers, and with winds blowing in, expect a low-scoring affair. The Reds are slight favorites (-120 money line), but the Royals’ +1.5 spread (-175) suggests a close game. The over/under is set at 7.5 runs, leaning under given both teams’ pitching strengths and offensive struggles.

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Andrew Abbott, Julian Aguiar, Graham Ashcraft, Scott Barlow, Emilio Pagán, Fernando Cruz, Alexis Díaz, Hunter Greene, Nick Lodolo, Nick Martinez, Tony Santillan, Carson Spiers, Brent Suter, Rhett Lowder, Brandon Williamson, Tyler Stephenson, José Trevino, Jeimer Candelario, Christian Encarnacion-Strand, Matt McLain, Elly De La Cruz, Santiago Espinal, Jonathan India, Noelvi Marte, Edwin Ríos, Will Benson, TJ Friedl, Jake Fraley, Stuart Fairchild, Austin Hays, Spencer Steer, Jacob Hurtubise, Blake Dunn, Cooper Bowman

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