You know it’s still early in the baseball season when Kansas City isn’t trailing the American Central leader by double digits. In fact, the Royals are still playing above .500 ball and trail the leading White Sox by just a game and a half.

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The entire American League East is separated by just 3 ½ games after division-leading Boston won Tuesday while Tampa Bay lost. This division has been dominated by the Red Sox and Yankees, but maybe this is the year that the Orioles and Blue Jays make a run at the postseason.

The biggest surprise in the American League, if not all of baseball, is the Detroit Tigers. This team was a trendy pick to win its division and even appear in the World Series, but they have gotten out of the gates with a 5-10 record. However, Detroit is currently riding a three-game winning streak after upending Minnesota in Tuesday’s matchup.

Now let’s break down some of Wednesday’s key contests.

**Red Sox (Buchholz) at Yankees (Wang)**

-Caesars Palace installed New York as a $1.45 home ‘chalk’ over Boston, with the total set at nine ‘over’ (minus $1.20). This American League East tilt is slated to start at 7:05 p.m. ET.

-Boston hurler Clay Buchholz (0-1, 3.27 ERA) heads to the hill for the first time since Friday’s no-decision against New York. The righty was reached for one run on four hits with three walks and three strikeouts over six innings.

-The Red Sox ended up dropping that affair as a $1.10 home favorite, 4-1, while the combined five runs went ‘under’ the 9 ½-run closing total. That marked his only career start against the Yankees.

-New York counters with Chien-Ming Wang (3-0, 1.23 ERA), who beat Buchholz and the Red Sox in last week’s meeting. The Taiwan native went the complete-game route, allowing the lone run on just two hits (one home run) with no walks and three strikeouts.

-The ‘under’ has cashed in all three of his starts this season.

-Wang went 3-1 against Boston last season in four starts, going a combined 24 2/3 innings while surrendering 10 runs on 27 hits with 12 walks and 14 strikeouts. The Yankees prevailed as a $1.50 home ‘chalk,’ 6-2, a $1.20 road favorite, 9-5, and as a $1.65 home ‘chalk,’ 5-0, while losing as a road ‘pick,’ 10-1.

**White Sox (Contreras) at Orioles (Loewen)**

-Caesars Palace opened Chicago as a $1.15 road favorite over Baltimore, with the total listed at 9 ½. This contest is scheduled to begin at 7:05 p.m. ET.

-Chicago’s Jose Contreras (0-1, 6.17 ERA) is still searching for his first victory on the year after falling to Detroit Friday as a $1.00 home underdog, 5-2. The Cuba native went 6 2/3 innings, yielding four runs on six hits with three walks and two strikeouts.

-The combined seven runs went ‘under’ the 10 ½-run closing total. Both of his starts this season occurred against the Tigers.

-Contreras was 0-2 against the Orioles last year in two starts, going a combined 11 innings while allowing 11 runs on 18 hits (three home runs) with four walks and eight strikeouts. The White Sox fell as a $1.35 home favorite, 9-6, and as a road ‘pick,’ 5-3.

-Baltimore southpaw Adam Loewen (0-0, 7.45 ERA) is coming off back-to-back no decisions against Seattle and Texas. The three-year veteran went five innings against the Rangers Thursday, allowing four runs on six hits (one home run) with four walks and four strikeouts.

-The Orioles eventually dropped that affair as a $1.35 road underdog, 5-4. The combined nine runs went ‘under’ the 10-run closing total.

-Loewen has never started against the White Sox in his brief major-league career.

**Rays (Shields) at Twins (Hernandez)**

-Caesars Palace lists Tampa Bay as a $1.20 road ‘chalk’ over Minnesota, with the total set at 8 ½. This game is scheduled to start at 8:10 p.m. ET.

-Tampa Bay pitcher James Shields (1-1, 3.00 ERA) picked up a no-decision against Baltimore Friday, tossing six innings while surrendering five runs (two earned) on seven hits with a walk and four strikeouts.

-The Rays eventually won that contest as a $1.55 home favorite, 10-5, while the combined 15 runs soared ‘over’ the 8 ½-run closing total. The ‘under’ cashed his first two outings of the season.

-The right-hander beat the Twins in his only start against them last season as a $1.02 home selection, 6-4. In 7 1/3 innings, Shields allowed three runs on nine hits with two walks and eight strikeouts. The combined 10 runs went ‘over’ the nine-run closing total.

-Minnesota’s Livan Hernandez (3-0, 2.57 ERA) continued his winning ways by blanking Kansas City Friday as a $1.25 road underdog, 5-0. The veteran right-hander tossed seven scoreless innings on seven hits with a walk and three strikeouts.

-The five runs failed to topple the 8 ½-run closing total, helping the ‘under’ improve to 2-1 his three starts.

-Hernandez lost to Tampa Bay last year as a member of the Arizona Diamondbacks, yielding six runs on 12 hits (two home runs) with a walk and six strikeouts over six innings. The Rays won that contest as a $1.68 road underdog, 10-2, while the combined 12 runs went ‘over’ the 10 ½-run closing total.

**Mariners (Hernandez) at Athletics (Blanton)**

-Caesars Palace installed Oakland as a $1.15 home favorite over Seattle, with the total set at eight. This AL West contest is scheduled to begin at 10:05 p.m. ET.

-Seattle’s Felix Hernandez (1-0, 1.66 ERA) picked up his first victory of the year against Los Angeles Friday as a $1.20 home ‘chalk,’ 8-5. The Venezuela native was reached for four runs on nine hits (two home runs) with three walks and seven strikeouts over 6 2/3 innings.

-The combined 13 runs eclipsed the eight-run closing total, enabling the ‘over’ to improve to 2-1 his three starts.

-Hernandez went 4-0 against Oakland last season in four starts, going a combined 28 innings while surrendering just five runs (four earned) on 19 hits (two home runs) with 10 walks and 24 strikeouts. The Mariners won as a $1.25 home favorite, 4-0, as a $1.68 home ‘chalk,’ 7-1, as a $1.15 road underdog, 4-0, and as a $1.55 road favorite, 9-5. The ‘under’ went 3-1 during those four outings.

-Oakland right-hander Joe Blanton (1-2, 4.15 ERA) was 0-2 his first three starts before beating Cleveland Friday as a $1.45 road underdog, 9-7. The 6-foot-3 hurler allowed five runs on eight hits (one home run) with a walk and a strikeout over 7 2/3 innings.

-The combined 16 runs soared ‘over’ the 8 ½-point closing total, ending back-to-back ‘under’ outings.

-The 27-year-old went 1-2 against Seattle last year in four starts, going a combined 28 innings while yielding 14 runs on 31 hits (four home runs) with three walks and 15 strikeouts. The A’s won as a $1.10 road underdog, 9-3, while losing as a $1.10 road ‘dog, 8-4, as a $1.32 home favorite, 2-0, and as a $1.83 home ‘chalk,’ 7-3. The ‘over’ was 3-1 during those four outings.

Brad Young can be reached at byoung@vegasinsider.com..