Royals vs. Pirates: Game 2 prediction, lineup, odds, injuries, and picks

Bobby Witt Jr.'s three RBI night gave the Kansas City Royals a 9-3 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Monday. They head into the game having won 4 of their last 5 fixtures, but they are still 14 games behind the Detroit Tigers in the AL Central.

Things keep getting worse for the Pirates. Their four game road losing streak follows a six game winning home stand. Pittsburgh's offense will hope to turn things around as the trade deadline approaches. Indeed, they are last in the NL Central with a 38-54 record.

Royals vs. Pirates Game 2: Betting Odds & Weather

Time: Tuesday, 7:40 p.m. EDT

Money Line: Royals (-150), Pirates (+125)

Total Runs: Under 8.5 runs (-120), Over 8.5 runs (even)

Weather: Mostly Sunny, 83 degrees F, 16% precipitation, wind 5 mph in

Royals vs. Pirates Game 2: Injuries & Lineups

Injuries

Royals

Daniel Lynch: 15-Day IL (elbow),
Cole Ragans: 15-Day IL (rotator cuff),
Michael Massey: 10-Day IL (ankle),
Hunter Harvey: 60-Day IL (shoulder),
Alec Marsh: 60-Day IL (shoulder),
James McArthur: 60-Day IL (elbow)

Pirates

Ryan Borucki: 15-Day IL (back),
Endy Rodriguez: 60-Day IL (elbow),
Enmanuel Valdez: 60-Day IL (shoulder),
Justin Lawrence: 60-Day IL (elbow),
Tim Mayza: 60-Day IL (shoulder),
Jared Jones: 60-Day IL (elbow),
Johan Oviedo: 60-Day IL (elbow)

Expected Lineups

Royals

2B J. India R
SS Bobby Witt R
1B V. Pasquantino L
3B M. Garcia R
DH S. Perez R
RF J. Caglianone L
LF Nick Loftin R
C F. Fermin R
CF Kyle Isbel L

Pirates

1B S. Horwitz L
DH A. McCutchen R
RF B. Reynolds S
2B N. Gonzales R
CF Oneil Cruz L
3B K. Hayes R
LF Tommy Pham R
C Joey Bart R
SS I. Kiner-Falefa R

Royals vs. Pirates Game 2: Picks and Prediction

Mitch Keller starts on the mound for the Pirates. He has a 3-10, 3.64 ERA record so far. He will face a Royals offense hitting at .246 in their last ten games. The Pirates collectively have also had a strong 2.09 ERA in the same stretch.

On the Royals side, Seth Lugo with a 6-5, 2.65 ERA record will start for them. He will have to put up a strong outing, especially against Tommy Pham who is hitting close to .300 with three homers in the last ten games.

The Royals are expected to be the favorites on the back of their strong defense.

Picks: Royals (-150), Under 8.5 runs

Prediction: Royals 4, Pirates 3

About the author

Nikhil Parshy is a baseball and ice hockey journalist at Sportskeeda, and after starting out as a cricket reporter, he has been an analyst with SK since November 2022. His interest in the sports were piqued a few years back after watching highlights on YouTube and he has followed the game ever since.

The Chicago Cubs breaking the 108-year curse in 2016 to lift the World Series remains Nikhil's favorite baseball moment. Two-way phenom Shohei Ohtani has been his favorite player ever since he started following the game, while the LA Dodgers are his favorite team.

As a writer, Nikhil maintains a strong attention to detail and rigorously cross-checks information. He seeks to strike a balance in his writing such that the regular reader gains an insight into player profiles, while also keeping in mind that the non-regular reader is not put off by jargon and shallow analysis.

Nikhil is an avid public speaker, and when not writing about baseball, he regularly participates in debates and quizzes.

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Edited by Nadim El Kak

Royals vs. Pirates: Game 2 prediction, lineup, odds, injuries, and picks - July 8, 2025

Royals vs. Pirates Game 2: Betting Odds & Weather

Royals vs. Pirates Game 2: Injuries & Lineups

Injuries

Royals

Pirates

Expected Lineups

Royals

Pirates

Royals vs. Pirates Game 2: Picks and Prediction