Atlanta @ Kansas City preview

Last Meeting ( Jun 26, 2013 ) Atlanta 3, Kansas City 4

The Kansas City Royals are presented with a great chance to end their recent slide when they open a three-game interleague series against visiting Atlanta on Friday. Since improving to 12-6 with a win over Baltimore on April 24, the defending World Series champs have dropped five consecutive series, including three of four games in Yankee Stadium this week.

Of course, the Braves have produced just one series win all season and Thursday's 7-4 defeat in 10 innings against Philadelphia was their sixth loss in seven games. The Royals could use a solid start out of veteran Edinson Volquez, as they've given up an average of 6.4 runs during their current 2-6 swoon and placed two starters - Chris Young and Kris Medlen - on the disabled list Thursday. One of the few Kansas City players who is surging now is left fielder Alex Gordon, who homered Thursday and is hitting .306 in May after a .208 April. First baseman Freddie Freeman has hit safely in eight of his last nine games for Atlanta and is batting .326 on the road.

TV: 8:15 p.m. ET, FSN Southeast (Atlanta), FSN Kansas City

PITCHING MATCHUP: Braves RH Julio Teheran (0-3, 3.48 ERA) vs. Royals RH Edinson Volquez (3-3, 3.89)

While he continues to search for his first win, Teheran has posted four straight starts in which he's allowed two runs or fewer. The Colombia native held Arizona to an earned run in five frames of a no-decision on Saturday. Teheran, who is 2-6 with a 5.54 ERA in 11 interleague starts, has never faced the Royals.

It's been a roller-coaster ride of late for Volquez, who was rocked at Cleveland on Sunday, giving up five runs and seven hits in a season-low 4 1/3 innings. His successes this season have largely come at home, where he is 2-1 with a 1.37 ERA. The 32-year-old boasts a 3.18 ERA in seven career starts against Atlanta while recording 53 strikeouts in 39 2/3 innings.

WALK-OFFS

1. Freeman has six of Atlanta's nine home runs.

2. Royals RF Jarrod Dyson is 4-for-35 over an 11-game span.

3. Kansas City is 9-5 at home.

PREDICTION: Royals 5, Braves 3