Texas @ Kansas City preview
Kauffman Stadium
Last Meeting ( May 26, 2010 ) Texas 2, Kansas City 5
The Texas Rangers were shut out on Saturday and held to two runs on Sunday. As a result, the Oakland Athletics closed the gap to 7 1/2 games in the AL West.
Now, the Rangers are set for a 10-game road trip with stops in Kansas City, Minnesota and Toronto.
The Rangers will send left-hander C.J. Wilson to the mound on Monday to open a three-game series against the Royals. Kansas City will counter with right-hander Kyle Davies.
The good news for the Rangers is that they traditionally play well against the Royals in Kansas City. In fact, Texas has won eight of 11 games road games against the Royals since 2008. This season, the Rangers have won five of their six games against Kansas City.
With Wilson on the mound, the Rangers look to be in good shape. The hurler will vie for his seventh straight victory in this one.
Wilson yielded three runs and seven hits in six innings against the Twins on Wednesday. He also struck out six to pick up the win.
Lifetime against the Royals, Wilson is 1-0 with a 2.25 ERA in 11 games, including one start. When he faced them this season, Wilson led the Rangers to a victory with a complete-game effort. He allowed one run and five hits with two walks and four strikeouts.
If Wilson gets in trouble, the Rangers bullpen has been reliable of late. Since Aug. 19, the Rangers relievers have posted a stingy 1.37 ERA.
Offensively, Josh Hamilton was the lone Ranger to come through on Sunday. He finished the game 2-for-3 with a walk. Hamilton had a two-out run-scoring single in the third, and then drilled a solo home run in the sixth. It was his 31st homer of the season.
Davies, meanwhile, will look to bounce back for the Royals. He has had a sub-par August, going 1-2 with a 5.14 ERA.
In his last start against the Detroit Tigers on Tuesday, Davies yielded seven runs and 12 hits in 4 2/3 innings.
Davies has never beaten the Rangers, too. In six career starts against Texas, Davies is 0-3 with a 7.62 ERA.
Offensively, several Royals played well on Sunday, as the team amassed six runs and 10 hits in its 6-2 triumph over the Cleveland Indians. Mike Aviles, Billy Butler, Alex Gordon and Brayan Pena all had two hits and Mitch Maier belted a solo home run for Kansas City.