Royals at Marlins
The Kansas City Royals guaranteed themselves a third consecutive losing season a while ago, but a fortuitous week-long run against last-place teams has them on the brink of winning three straight series. The Royals seek their sixth victory in the last seven contests Saturday when they visit Miami for the second of three interleague games against the Marlins.
Kansas City took two of three at home last weekend from American League East-worst Baltimore before doing the same against major league-worst Detroit earlier this week, putting them in a position this weekend to win three consecutive series for the first time since Aug. 24-Sept. 2, 2018. Jorge Lopez fired scoreless innings and Hunter Dozier remained hot at the plate with a homer among his two hits Friday as the Royals downed National League East-worst Miami 3-0 in the opener. The Marlins managed only seven hits while getting blanked for the 21st time in 2019 - seven more than they suffered all of last season. Despite scoring 20 runs while taking two of three earlier in the week at Pittsburgh, Miami has been shut once in three of its last four series and hasn't won consecutive games since late July.
TV: 6:10 p.m. ET, FS Kansas City, FS Florida (Miami)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Royals LH Danny Duffy (5-6, 4.89 ERA) vs. Marlins LH Caleb Smith (8-9, 4.30)
Duffy did not factor into the decision Sunday after spending almost a month on the injured list due to a strained hamstring, allowing four runs (three earned) over 6 1/3 innings against Baltimore. The 30-year-old was roughed up in his last start before his IL stint, surrendering eight earned runs in 4 2/3 frames at Minnesota to fall to 2-3 with a 5.58 ERA in seven road outings. Starlin Castro is 2-for-9 versus Duffy, who has never faced Miami but is 7-5 with a 3.34 ERA in 20 interleague appearances (17 starts).
Smith suffered his third loss in as many starts and fell to 1-5 over his last six outings overall after giving up seven runs (six earned) - including three homers - in 5 1/3 frames at Washington on Sunday. The Sam Houston State product has struggled to keep the ball in the park since the beginning of the August, surrendering 11 of his 28 home runs for the season in his last six turns. Smith, who will face Kansas City for the first time, is 2-3 with a 3.41 ERA in six interleague starts.
WALK-OFFS
1. Dozier is 8-for-11 with a homer and a triple over last three contests, recording multiple hits in each game.
2. Miami SS Miguel Rojas, who did not play Friday, has a 10-game hitting streak in interleague play - the second-longest active run in the majors.
3. Kansas City OF Jorge Soler is hitless in his last nine at-bats since becoming the first player in club history to reach 40 homers in a season.