Texas @ Kansas City preview
Kauffman Stadium
Last Meeting ( Aug 30, 2010 ) Texas 3, Kansas City 0
Cliff Lee is going to get a break after Tuesday's start.
With a day off on Thursday, the Texas Rangers will give all of their starters some rest - including Lee.
In 11 starts with Texas, Lee has posted a 2-5 mark with a 4.50 ERA. He'll get a chance to improve on those numbers when he faces right-hander Sean O'Sullivan and the Kansas City Royals on Tuesday.
Lee has lost his last three starts, compiling a mountainous 9.33 ERA in that stretch.
In his last start against the Minnesota Twins on Thursday, Lee allowed five runs and seven hits in five innings. The contest marked his shortest outing so far this season.
Lee is 12-5 with a 4.28 ERA in 22 career starts against the Royals. Although the left-hander has yet to face them in 2010, Lee is 7-2 with a 3.83 ERA when he pitches in Kansas City.
Unlike Lee, the Texas bullpen has pitched well of late, as it has thrown 9 1/3 innings of scoreless relief over the past three games. Neftali Feliz, who saved the game on Monday night, and the Rangers have gone 5-for-5 in save chances since Aug. 19.
Bengie Molina and Elvis Andrus had RBI singles and Michael Young added a run-scoring sacrifice fly on Monday. In all, Texas finished 3-for-8 with runners in scoring position and left nine men on base.
The Royals, meanwhile, will look to O’Sullivan to keep them in the game.
O'Sullivan posted a 1-4 mark with a 6.00 ERA in seven games with the Royals.
In his last start against the Detroit Tigers on Wednesday, O’Sullivan permitted three runs and seven hits in seven innings to earn a no-decision.
Billy Butler, Jai Miller and Willie Bloomquist recorded one hit apiece for the Royals, who went 1-for-2 with runners in scoring position and left five men on base.
The Rangers have now won six of seven games against the Royals this season.