Baltimore @ Kansas City preview

Last Meeting ( May 18, 2010 ) Kansas City 3, Baltimore 4

Two of the worst teams in the American League, with two of the worst pitching staffs and weakest offenses, get together for a four-game series at Kauffman Stadium this weekend.

The Baltimore Orioles visit the Kansas City Royals for a four-game series beginning Thursday night. It's a battle between teams sitting at the bottom of their respective divisions, both on pace for 90-loss seasons.

The fact both the Orioles and Royals are deeply immersed in rebuilding projects became apparent again Wednesday, when the Royals traded Scott Podsednik to the Dodgers. In exchange for Podsednik, Kansas City received 25-year-old catcher Lucas May and 22-year-old right-handed pitcher Elisaul Pimentel.

May, who has hit 11 homers in Triple-A this season, will be assigned to Triple-A Albuquerque. Pimentel was 9-3 with a 3.49 ERA in Class A. He will be assigned to Class A Burlington.

The trade of Podsednik, coupled with the injury to David DeJesus, leaves Kansas City incredibly thin in the outfield. It also leaves the Royals without one of their best players this season, since Podsednik was batting .310 with 30 steals hitting atop a lineup that struggled to score runs. That will surely get more difficult now.

Kansas City and Baltimore are two of the lowest scoring teams in the league. The Royals are averaging 3.7 runs per game since the All-Star break, which helps explain their 3-10 start to the second half.

Baltimore has been even worse, averaging 2.9 runs per game to start the second half 2-11. The Orioles were swept by the Toronto Blue Jays this week, including a 5-0 loss on Wednesday when Brad Mills pitched seven terrific innings in his first major league start of the season and third of his career. Mills was brought up to make the spot start and immediately optioned back down after handcuffing Orioles hitters most of the day.

It was the second time Baltimore was shut out this month and the fifth time it was held to one run or fewer.

All of that could change in this series, though.

Royals starter Kyle Davies went eight starts without recording a victory before finally beating the Yankees his last time out. Davies, though, has allowed six homers in his last three starts and eight in his last 33 innings.

Somehow, Kansas City has managed to win each of his four July starts. The Royals are 4-14 this month when he doesn’t pitch.

Orioles starter Brian Matusz has been worse. While still considered one of the brightest pitching prospects in the game, Matusz has won only once since April 18. That came July 4 at Boston, when Matusz pitched seven shutout innings against the Red Sox. He is 0-2 with a 12.10 ERA in three starts since.

Matusz, 23, has allowed a homer in each of his last three starts and 14 in 110 1/3 innings this season.