Royals at Tigers
The Detroit Tigers started their post-All-Star break malaise by surrendering 20 runs en route to dropping two of three games to the Kansas City Royals. Nineteen losses in 23 contests ensued for the tumbling Tigers, who look to get back on their feet Thursday in the opener of a four-game series against the visiting Royals.
Detroit won seven of the first 10 encounters against its American League Central rival, but those days are a distant memory for a club that owns both the worst overall record (33-78) and fewest home wins (14). The Tigers are also last in the majors in scoring, with Travis Demeritte's RBI triple with two outs in the ninth inning on Wednesday afternoon accounting for the team's run in an 8-1 setback to the Chicago White Sox. Kansas City isn't singing a much happier tune as the reeling Royals had lost seven of eight games before Wednesday's tilt in rainy Boston was suspended with the score tied at 4 in the 10th inning. Whit Merrifield has tormented both Detroit and Thursday starter Matthew Boyd, going 16-for-49 with 10 extra-base hits (six doubles, two triples, two homers) versus the club this season and 15-for-34 with six extra-base hits (five doubles, one triple) in his career against the left-hander.
TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, FS Kansas City, FS Detroit
PITCHING MATCHUP: Royals RH Jorge Lopez (1-7, 6.19 ERA) vs. Tigers LH Matthew Boyd (6-8, 3.91)
Lopez will make his 11th start and 30th appearance of the season on Thursday after allowing two runs on four hits in 3 1/3 innings of mop-up duty at Minnesota on Saturday. The 26-year-old has faced Detroit on five occasions this season and has an 0-1 mark with a 3.79 ERA to show for it after working five total innings in a pair of no-decisions last month. Gordon Beckham belted a two-run homer in the contest on July 14 off Lopez, who owns a 1-3 record with a 4.81 ERA on the road.
Boyd received his third straight no-decision on Saturday despite allowing five runs on 14 hits in that stretch (18 innings), including two and six, respectively, in 5 2/3 frames at Texas. The 28-year-old began his five-game winless skid with a 4-1 loss at Kansas City, against which he surrendered four runs and walked as many in seven innings on July 13. Boyd also struggled against the Royals on June 13 after getting gouged for five runs (four earned) in four innings of a 7-3 setback.
WALK-OFFS
1. Detroit DH/1B Miguel Cabrera, who saw his nine-game hitting streak come to a halt on Wednesday, is 13-for-42 against Kansas City this season.
2. The Royals will complete Wednesday's suspended game against the Red Sox on Aug. 22.
3. Detroit SS Jordy Mercer has committed an error in four of his last six contests.