Tigers at Royals
A late surge in the series opener helped the Kansas City Royals avoid a 15th loss in 18 games. They attempt to post back-to-back wins for the first time since May 19 and 22 when they host the Detroit Tigers on Wednesday for the middle contest of their three-game set.
The Royals trailed by two runs on Tuesday before Ryan O'Hearn halved the deficit in the seventh inning as he recorded his first RBI in 12 games with a solo homer. Jorge Soler forged a tie in the eighth with a run-scoring double and Cheslor Cuthbert followed with an RBI single, helping Kansas City improve to 2-5 on its nine-game homestand. Nicholas Castellanos and Brandon Dixon belted solo shots for the Tigers, who have lost seven of nine this month after ending May with a three-game winning streak. Castellanos is riding an eight-game hitting streak while Dixon has gone 7-for-24 while registering an RBI in four of his last five contests.
TV: 8:15 p.m. ET, FS Detroit, FS Kansas City
PITCHING MATCHUP: Tigers LH Daniel Norris (2-5, 4.60 ERA) vs. Royals LH Danny Duffy (3-3, 4.68)
Norris has lost four straight decisions and each of his last three starts, including one against Tampa Bay on Thursday in which he yielded three runs and 11 hits over 5 2/3 innings. The 26-year-old Tennessean has not won since May 12, when he permitted two runs in 6 1/3 frames at Minnesota. Norris has gone 1-2 with a 3.99 ERA against Kansas City in nine starts and a relief appearance on April 6 in which he surrendered three runs and three hits - two homers - over three innings.
Duffy has dropped back-to-back starts after being tagged by Boston for four runs on four hits, two walks and a hit batsman in 2 1/3 innings on Thursday. The 30-year-old Californian has surrendered a total of 10 earned runs in the setbacks after giving up just one in each of his previous two turns. Duffy has made 22 starts and three relief appearances against Detroit in his career, going 8-10 with a 4.49 ERA.
WALK-OFFS
1. Royals SS Adalberto Mondesi has gone hitless in four of his last six contests following a five-game hitting streak but has registered three-hit performances in the other two outings.
2. Detroit OF JaCoby Jones, who has gone 6-for-11 in his last three games, has hit safely in 15 of his last 16 contests - recording eight multi-hit efforts in that span.
3. Kansas City sent LHP Eric Skoglund, who is serving an 80-game suspension for violating MLB's Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program, to Double-A Northwest Arkansas to begin a 15-day rehab assignment.