Detroit @ Kansas City preview
Kauffman Stadium
Last Meeting ( Sep 4, 2010 ) Detroit 6, Kansas City 4
Few teams have had success getting Detroit Tigers first baseman Miguel Cabrera out this season. That's nothing new to the Kansas City Royals.
Cabrera will look to lead the Tigers to a three-game sweep of the Royals when the teams meet in the series finale Sunday at Kauffman Stadium.
After sitting out Friday's game with biceps tendinitis, Cabrera returned to the lineup Saturday night and immediately contributed by delivering a two-run double in the first inning to start Detroit on the way to a 6-4 victory.
The two-bagger gave Cabrera a major league-leading 110 RBIs for the season. It was a sight the Royals are all too accustomed to seeing from the Tigers' slugger.
Cabrera has averaged almost an RBI per game in his career against Kansas City. In 51 games vs. the Royals, Cabrera has knocked in 45 runs to go with 14 home runs and a lofty .354 batting average.
Center fielder Austin Jackson also was a key contributor in Saturday's victory with a solo home run and a go-ahead RBI single in the eighth inning.
Jackson's 3-for-4 night gave him eight hits in his last 15 at-bats as Detroit won its third straight game and moved back to .500 (68-68) on the season.
Right-hander Armando Galarraga (4-5) will also be trying to climb back to the .500 mark when he takes the mound for today’s game.
Galarraga’s season has hardly gone the way one would have expected following a blown umpiring call that cost him a perfect game against the Cleveland Indians on June 2.
He has just two victories since that night and has gone 1-4 with six no-decisions in his last 11 starts despite coming off three consecutive strong outings.
Galarraga snapped an eight-start winless drought on Aug. 20 when he blanked those same Indians on three hits in seven innings. He followed that up with a strong outing against Kansas City five days later, allowing one run on five hits in 6 1/3 innings.
He has pitched exceptionally well in his career against Kansas City, going 2-0 in seven appearances – six starts – with a 2.56 ERA.
It’s been just the opposite for Royals right-hander Kyle Davies, who has not had much success against the Tigers.
Davies lasted just 4 2/3 innings and was battered for seven runs on 12 hits in a 9-1 drubbing at Detroit on Aug. 24. That loss dropped him to 2-7 with a 6.09 ERA in 10 starts against the Tigers.
Rookie second baseman Will Rhymes, who had a pair of hits in the Aug. 24 matchup, carries a 12-game hitting streak into today’s game. Rhymes had two hits Saturday night, giving him six multiple-hit games during the streak.