Orioles at Royals
The Kansas City Royals will try to secure their first series win in nearly six weeks when they take on the visiting Baltimore Orioles on Sunday in the rubber match of a three-game set. After dropping the series opener 14-2, the Royals scored once in the seventh inning and twice in the eighth en route to Saturday's 7-5 triumph.
Bubba Starling homered and scored twice while Hunter Dozier delivered a game-tying solo blast in the seventh for Kansas City, which is 0-9-1 in its last 10 series since sweeping two in Atlanta on July 23-24. Lefty Danny Duffy will come off the injured list to start the finale for the Royals while Aaron Brooks gets the nod for the Orioles. Anthony Santander provided Baltimore with the bulk of its offense with a solo homer and a three-run shot in Saturday's loss - his first career multi-homer game. The 24-year-old has four home runs and 11 RBIs during a five-game hitting streak.
TV: 2:15 p.m. ET, MASN (Baltimore), FS Kansas City
PITCHING MATCHUP: Orioles RH Aaron Brooks (4-7, 5.79 ERA) vs. Royals LH Danny Duffy (5-6, 4.93)
Brooks is 2-0 over his last two starts while giving up one total run in 11 innings. The first of those two victories came at home against the Royals on Aug. 21 when Brooks allowed one run in five frames. The 29-year-old, who had a 20.57 ERA in four games (one start) with Kansas City between 2014 and 2015, has given up nine runs and 13 hits in 6 1/3 career innings at Kauffman Stadium.
Duffy was knocked around in his last start prior to the IL stint, giving up nine runs in 4 2/3 innings at Minnesota on Aug. 3. He owns a sparkling 2.17 ERA in 10 career games against the Orioles but has yet to face them in 2019. Jonathan Villar is 2-for-4 with a walk against Duffy while Chris Davis is 2-for-16 with seven strikeouts.
WALK-OFFS
1. Villar had a hit and a walk Saturday and is 5-for-12 with two walks, four steals and five runs scored over his last three games.
2. Royals RF Jorge Soler failed to homer Saturday and remained tied with Mike Moustakas (2017) for the franchise's single-season home run mark of 38.
3. The all-time series between the teams in Kansas City is tied 124-124.