Kansas City @ Cincinnati preview
Great American Ball Park
Last Meeting ( Jun 12, 2010 ) Kansas City 5, Cincinnati 11
Sam LeCure must be hoping the Cincinnati Reds didn't use up all their offense for the weekend on Saturday night.
LeCure will be looking for some increased run support as the Reds host the Kansas City Royals in the rubber game of their three-game interleague set on Sunday.
The Reds' offense erupted Saturday in an 11-5 victory over the Royals. Jonny Gomes hit two home runs and had six RBIs for Cincinnati. Gomes leads the team with 47 RBIs after driving in 51 all of last season.
Cincinnati scored five runs in the series opener but lost to the Royals 6-5.
LeCure (1-2, 3.12) would love to have either performance after the run support, or lack thereof, he has received lately.
Cincinnati scored 15 runs in LeCure's big league debut on May 28, a 15-6 victory over the Houston Astros. LeCure allowed two runs and six hits against the Astros and has pitched as well or better in his next two starts but has nothing to show for it except a pair of losses.
He allowed three runs and six hits in 5 1/3 innings against the St. Louis Cardinals on June 2 and followed that up by yielding a run and five hits in six innings to the San Francisco Giants on Tuesday. However, while each performance kept the Reds in the game, neither resulted in a win as the offense failed to do its share.
The Reds have scored just one run in LeCure's last two starts but have cranked it back up at the plate of late, scoring 29 runs in their last four games and winning three of them.
Zack Greinke (1-8, 4.05 ERA) gets the assignment of trying to slow down the Cincinnati offense, but it does not appear he is up to it this season.
Last year, Greinke won the American League Cy Young Award and led the majors with a 2.16 ERA. This season has been a different story for the right-hander, as the Royals have lost 11 of his 13 starts.
Greinke is 0-5 in seven road starts and has lost four straight outings, giving up at least four runs in three of them. His other setback in the slide was a 1-0 loss at Fenway Park against the Boston Red Sox, when he allowed a run and five hits in six innings.
Like LeCure, Greinke could use a little help from his teammates. He has lost two 1-0 decisions and the Royals have scored three runs or fewer in eight of his 13 starts.