Kansas City @ Detroit preview

Kansas City at Detroit

Last Meeting ( Aug 24, 2010 ) Kansas City 1, Detroit 9

The Detroit Tigers look to close out a perfect six-game homestand by securing a series sweep against the Kansas City on Wednesday afternoon.

Detroit (63-63) has dominated the first two games of the series, outscoring the Royals 21-4. The Tigers also got word before Tuesday’s game that Johnny Damon had rejected a trade that would have sent him back to the Boston Red Sox, choosing instead to stick with Detroit, which is nine games back of the Minnesota Twins in the American League Central.

Damon heard the appreciation of the crowd when stepped into the batter’s box for his first at-bat during Tuesday’s 9-1 win. The veteran outfielder reached base three times to help out an offense which has produced 40 runs over the club’s current five-game winning streak and helped the Tigers improve to 43-24 at Comerica Park this season.

Jhonny Peralta has seven hits over the past four games, driving in six runs, while Ryan Raburn has six hits and five RBIs during Detroit’s homestand.

The Tigers will send Armando Galarraga (4-5, 4.21 ERA) to the hill against Kansas City (53-73) in the series finale. Galarraga blanked the Cleveland Indians over seven innings in last week’s 6-0 win, giving up three hits while striking out eight. It was his first win since he came out on the right end of a 6-5 decision against the New York Mets on June 24.

Galarraga has struggled since he was robbed of a perfect game on a bad call in the ninth inning after he had sat down 26 straight Indians on June 2. He finished with a one-hitter and his first complete-game shutout with the 3-0 win.

The Royals turn to Sean O’Sullivan (2-4, 5.14 ERA) as they try to avoid the series sweep. O’Sullivan came over from the Los Angeles Angels last month and is still trying to find his bearings in Kansas City.

O’Sullivan’s worked one inning in last week’s start against the Chicago White Sox before the game was called due to rain. He came on out of the bullpen to pick up the win in Sunday’s 3-2 decision over Chicago.

On Aug. 14, O’Sullivan was taken deep three times by the New York Yankees in an 8-3 loss. The 22-year-old right-hander sits 0-4 with a 6.65 ERA in five starts with the Royals.

Kansas City is now just 3-15 in its last 18 road games this season.