Baltimore @ Kansas City preview
Kauffman Stadium
Last Meeting ( Jul 31, 2010 ) Baltimore 3, Kansas City 4
The Kansas City Royals aren't much of a power-hitting team - their 69 home runs rank 12th among 14 American League teams - but they could have fooled the Baltimore Orioles.
The Royals have used late home runs to notch comeback victories each of the past two nights, and they'll look to take three of four when the series wraps up this afternoon at Kauffman Stadium.
Alex Gordon's game-ending, three-run shot off Alfredo Simon lifted Kansas City to a 7-5 victory on Friday, and Billy Butler's two-run homer off David Hernandez in the eighth inning of Saturday's 4-3 win gave the Royals consecutive wins for the first time since July 5-7, when they swept a three-game series in Seattle.
They've won only one of five series since, but that would change with a victory today.
Bruce Chen is slated to start for the Royals, going against his former team. The 33-year-old left-hander spent three seasons in Baltimore and enjoyed the best year of his career with the Orioles in 2005, going 13-10 with a 3.83 ERA.
After starting the season in the bullpen, Chen (5-5, 4.83 ERA) has faced mixed results in 11 starts since joining the rotation at the end of May. He took a perfect game into the seventh inning July 3 against the Los Angeles Angels, but he is 0-3 with a 7.97 ERA in four starts since.
The Orioles would simply like to salvage a split. They've lost their last four series, and they've dropped 13 of 16 since an improbable four-game sweep at Texas from July 8-11.
Baltimore's offense has been particularly punchless during that stretch, averaging 3.2 runs per game.
Today's starter, 35-year-old right-hander Kevin Millwood, was hurt by poor run support early in the season, but most of the damage he has incurred lately has been self-inflicted.
Millwood (2-10, 5.96 ERA) has lost his last two starts and has allowed five or more runs each of his last four times out. He has only one quality start in his last 10 outings and is 2-6 with an 8.94 ERA during that span.
In 14 starts against Kansas City, Millwood is 6-4 with a 4.15 ERA. He faced the Royals on May 18 in Baltimore, holding them to three runs over eight innings but settling for a no-decision in the Orioles' 4-3 win.
Today's game will mark the last as Baltimore's interim manager for Juan Samuel, who will move back to his role as third base coach when Buck Showalter takes the helm for Tuesday's game against the Angels.
The Orioles have gone 17-32 since Samuel replaced Dave Trembley on June 4.
The Royals also made a move regarding their manager Saturday, extending Ned Yost's contract through the 2012 season. The Royals are 32-37 since Yost took over for Trey Hillman on May 14.