New York @ Kansas City preview
Kauffman Stadium
Last Meeting ( Aug 14, 2010 ) NY Yankees 8, Kansas City 3
After putting on a clinic with his fourth career three-home run performance on Saturday, what can Alex Rodriguez do for an encore?
Rodriguez and the New York Yankees look to grab sole possession of the major league lead in road victories today when they take on the Kansas City Royals in the finale of their four-game series at Kauffman Stadium.
The Yankees posted their 35th win away from home on Saturday thanks to Rodriguez, who belted three of his team's five homers to raise his career total to 604 and put him within five of tying Sammy Sosa for sixth place on the all-time list.
Rodriguez led off the sixth inning with his 19th blast of the season, snapping a 1-1 tie. He added two-run shots in the seventh and ninth frames for his first three-homer game since launching three off Bartolo Colon of the Angels on April 26, 2005.
Jorge Posada and Curtis Granderson hit back-to-back homers in the sixth and Phil Hughes posted his 14th win for New York, which has claimed 33 of its last 45 meetings with Kansas City.
Former Yankee Wilson Betemit hit a solo home run and added an RBI single for the Royals, who have lost six of their last seven and fell to 9-20 since the All-Star break.
Still searching for his first career victory, Bryan Bullington will try to earn Kansas City a split of the four-game set.
Drafted first overall by Pittsburgh in 2002, Bullington is 0-7 with a 5.02 ERA in 19 career games - six starts - with four different teams. He made his first start since September 2008 this past Tuesday, allowing three runs and five hits in six innings but still suffering the loss in a 3-1 setback to the Angels in Anaheim.
In his six previous major league starts, the 29-year-old Bullington is 0-6 with a 6.59 ERA.
Taking the mound for New York is A.J. Burnett, who - other than a rough outing against Toronto on Aug. 2 - appears to have regained his form following a difficult month of June.
Burnett has yielded three earned runs or fewer in five of his last seven starts. The right-hander settled for a no-decision in a 4-3 loss to Texas in 10 innings on Tuesday, surrendering three runs and six hits over seven innings.
Against Kansas City, Burnett owns a 3-2 record and 2.96 ERA in seven career outings. The 33-year-old has made four previous starts at Kauffman Stadium, going 1-2 with a 4.23 ERA.
Burnett picked up a victory over the Royals on July 23, allowing four hits over five scoreless innings in a 7-1 triumph.
The veteran Burnett is 2-0 over his last three road starts. He is 5-5 with a 5.35 ERA in 13 outings away from home this year.
Kansas City catcher Jason Kendall has been successful against Burnett over his career, going 7-for-14 with four RBIs.