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MLB on Sling TV: Red Sox at Royals on ESPN; Regional Action on Fox Sports networks

May 16, 2016 by Scott Ross

Boston Red Sox (Porcello 6-1, 3.11) at Kansas City Royals (Ventura 3-2, 4.62) 7pm ET on ESPN

Rick Porcello has been dealing, pitching so consistently well that in his worst start he gave up 4 runs in 7 innings, and still got the win. Porcello’s success has been the result of outstanding control of the strike zone coupled with a little bit of luck. His strike-to-walk ratio of 4.60 is a career high, and among the league leaders, while his batting average on balls in play is just .254, which isn’t crazy-pants low, but far from his career norm of .314. In his last start against the A’s he went 6 ⅔ IP, 6 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 5 SO, which isn’t great, but will get the W more often than not – in fact, going back to 1913, starting pitchers are 19-6 when posting those numbers.

Famed fireballer and notorious hotheaded Yordano Ventura had a great second half in helping the Royals win a title last season, going 11-3 down the stretch with a 3.10 ERA, though his WHIP was a pedestrian 1.25 and SO/BB ratio was a ho-hum 2.75. But the wheels have come off in 2016, as he’s issued 28 walks in just 37 innings, and given up even more hits, 30. It’s a miracle his ERA isn’t a run higher, and his winning percentage isn’t .300 lower. More troubling still over, his first 4 starts his SO/BB ratio was 1.50, but in his last 3 starts, it’s been .36. His last start, against the Yankees, he went 6 innings and gave up 3 runs on 6 hits and 3 walks while striking out just 1 – a .33 SO/BB ratio is not a recipe for greatness.

Watch the Boston Red Sox at the Kansas City Royals at 7pm ET Monday on ESPN by subscribing to the Best of Live TV package..

Meanwhile, FOX Sports regional networks across Los Estados Unidos have more baseball than you can watch in a night…

Cincinnati Reds (Lamb 0-0, 1.80) at Cleveland Indians (Anderson 0-3, 7.31) 6:10pm ET on FOX Sports Cincinnati & SportsTime Ohio

Atlanta Braves (Perez 1-0, 3.54) at Pittsburgh Pirates (Niese 3-2, 5.62) 7:05pm ET on FOX Sports Southeast

Boston Red Sox (Porcello 6-1, 3.11) at Kansas City Royals (Ventura 3-2, 4.62) 7:05pm ET on ESPN & FOX Sports Kansas City

Miami Marlins (Conley 1-0, 3.54) at Philadelphia Phillies (Eickhoff 1-5, 4.43) 7:05pm ET on FOX Sports Florida

Tampa Bay Rays (Smyly 1-4, 3.63) at Toronto Blue Jays (Happ 5-0, 2.05) 7:07pm ET on Fox Sports Sun

Minnesota Twins (Berrios 1-1, 6.28) at Detroit Tigers (Zimmerman 5-2, 1.50) 7:10pm ET on FOX Sports Detroit & Sports North

New York Yankees (Green NA) at Arizona Diamondbacks (Ray 1-2, 4.84) 9:40pm ET on FOX Sports Arizona & YES

Texas Rangers (Holland 3-2, 6.09) at Oakland Athletics (Manaea 0-1, 11.37) 10:05pm ET on FOX Sports Southwest

Los Angeles Angels (Shoemaker 1-5, 9.12) at Los Angeles Dodgers (Maeda 3-2, 2.30) 10:10pm ET on FOX Sports West

Watch baseball on FOX and FOX Sports Regional Networks by subscribing to the Best of Live TV Beta Multi-Stream package..

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