Kansas City @ New York preview

Last Meeting ( May 10, 2016 ) Kansas City 7, NY Yankees 10

New York Yankees veteran Carlos Beltran hasn't been shy about taking the Kansas City Royals to task of late. Mired in a 1-for-14 slump prior to the four-game series, Beltran launched a pair of homers in the opener and added two more hits the following night heading into Wednesday's contest at Yankee Stadium.

The 39-year-old Beltran is riding a nine-game hitting streak versus the team with which he spent parts of his first seven major-league seasons. The Yankees followed their five-homer performance in Monday's 6-3 victory with five doubles in a 10-7 triumph the next night to record their fourth win in five contests overall and sixth in their last eight at home. Reigning World Series-champion Kansas City has gone entirely in the other direction, having dropped three in a row and 11 of its last 14 overall - as well as 11 of its last 13 on the road. Lorenzo Cain launched three homers in Tuesday's setback and has 10 hits in his last five contests, but he is just 1-for-9 (.111) in his career versus Wednesday starter Michael Pineda.

TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, ESPN, FSN Kansas City, YES (New York)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Royals RH Yordano Ventura (2-2, 4.65 ERA) vs. Yankees RH Michael Pineda (1-3, 5.73)

Ventura has been quite generous this season, issuing 11 walks over his last two outings and 25 in six starts. The 24-year-old Dominican allowed five runs in four innings for the second straight outing on Friday, resulting in his second consecutive loss. Ventura pitched significantly better in his lone career contest versus New York, scattering three hits over six scoreless innings - albeit with four walks allowed.

Pineda won his season-opening start before losing three of his last five outings despite yielding just two earned runs in four of them. The 27-year-old Dominican was taken deep for the fifth time in three contests on Friday but walked away with a no-decision versus Boston. Pineda has split six career decisions with Kansas City, picking up the win in his last encounter after striking out eight over 6 2/3 innings.

WALK-OFFS

1. Kansas City INF Raul A. Mondesi, 20, received a 50-game suspension on Tuesday for testing positive for Clenbuterol.

2. New York veteran 1B Mark Teixeira is expected to miss Wednesday's tilt as he deals with neck spasms while CF Jacoby Ellsbury (strained right hip) is in line to sit out his fifth straight contest.

3. Royals DH Kendrys Morales (7-for-57, .123) and C Salvador Perez (7-for-42, .167) are mired in pronounced slumps.

PREDICTION: Royals 3, Yankees 2