Royals at Tigers
The Kansas City Royals scored a total of two runs in the first two games of their series at the Detroit Tigers, but still left themselves in a position to grab a win in the set. The Royals will try to generate some offense and take the rubber match when they visit the Tigers for the finale of a three-game series on Wednesday afternoon.
Kansas City dropped a 6-1 decision on Monday but battled through the inclement weather on Tuesday and earned their first win of the young season 1-0 behind seven strong innings from right-hander Jakob Junis. "The wind was in my face to start with and that helped me out, gave my pitches a little more break," Junis told reporters. "I've pitched in a lot of stuff like that growing up, being from Illinois. I'm no stranger to throwing when it's cold like that. Actually, I don't struggle with grip when it's cold. Usually only when it's hot." Detroit earned its first win in the series opener but managed three hits on Tuesday in its second 1-0 loss of the season. Tigers pitchers allowed a total of 10 hits over the first two games of the series, with Francisco Liriano and Matthew Boyd each turning in quality starts.
TV: 1:10 p.m. ET, MLB Network, FS Kansas City, FS Detroit
PITCHING MATCHUP: Royals LH Danny Duffy (0-1, 11.25 ERA) vs. Tigers LH Daniel Norris (2017: 5-8, 5.31)
Duffy breezed through the first three innings scoreless on Opening Day against the Chicago White Sox but served up three home runs in a five-run fourth inning and ended up charged with five runs and seven hits in four frames. The 29-year-old yielded just 13 homers in 146 1/3 innings last season. Duffy went 2-1 with a 5.17 ERA and 21 hits allowed in 15 2/3 total innings spread across three starts against Detroit in 2017.
Norris threw a career-high 101 2/3 innings in 22 games - 18 starts - for the Tigers last season but missed nearly two months with a groin injury in July and August. The 24-year-old went into the offseason on a high note after holding Kansas City to two hits in five scoreless innings on Sept. 28. Norris went 1-1 with a 5.27 ERA in three starts against the Royals last season and is 1-2 with a 4.14 mark in seven career starts against the division rivals.
WALK-OFFS
1. Tigers RHP Mike Fiers (back) threw 83 pitches in a minor league game at the team's spring training facility on Monday and is expected to join the Detroit rotation this weekend.
2. Royals 1B Lucas Duda (hamstring) sat out Tuesday and is day-to-day.
3. Kansas City RF Jorge Soler is 0-for-8 this season after finishing 2017 in an 0-for-20 slump.