First pitch: Monday, 8:10 p.m. EDT
Line: New York -150, Kansas City +140, Total: 9.5

The Yankees begin a seven-game Midwest road trip, streaking towards the lead in the AL East by winning 11 of 15. New York will face a battered Royals team on Monday night, who have lost eight of 10.

The Yanks will start A.J. Burnett, who is winless in his past seven starts (0-3, 6.00 ERA) and 0-8 with a 7.19 ERA in 13 career August outings as a Yankee. New York has been a horrible bet in night games (-11.6 Units, 39-38) and has not been very effective after a day off (6-8 this season, 27-30 in past three years). Kansas City has won four of the past six meetings with the Yanks, and is 28-25 this season when the total is 9 to 9.5. Expect KANSAS CITY to keep the August woes going for Burnett and handle the Yankees at home.

The FoxSheets provide a four-star reason to side with the Royals on Monday.

Play On - Home teams (KANSAS CITY) - bad offensive team (<=4.5 runs/game) against a decent starting pitcher (ERA=4.20 to 4.70)-AL, with an overused bullpen that pitches more than 3.2 innings per game. (76-41 since 1997.) (65%, +49 units. Rating = 4*).

Burnett (8-9, 4.60 ERA) has allowed at least three runs in each of the seven games during his winless skid. Last Tuesday he fanned six in six innings, but allowed four runs on seven hits and three walks in a no-decision versus the Angels. Burnett is 3-3 with a 2.52 ERA in nine career starts against the Royals, including a stellar 1.03 ERA and .140 opponents’ BA in four starts against them in a Yankees uniform. Curtis Granderson (.275 BA, 33 HR, 94 RBI) has been red hot, homering five times and driving in eight runs over the past five games.

Pitching for the Royals is 27-year-old Felipe Paulino (1-4, 3.45 ERA), who will be facing the Yankees for the first time in his career. Since the All-Star break, the Royals have lost all five of Paulino’s starts, despite a quality 3.56 ERA over this span. Paulino’s run support has been historically bad with the Royals only scoring 2.90 runs, which is the second lowest of any pitcher with at least 45 starts since 1974. Paulino left his last start at Tampa Bay with stiffness in his back, but prior to the injury pitched well, allowing one run through five innings.