Kansas City @ Cleveland preview

Last Meeting ( May 8, 2016 ) Kansas City 4, Cleveland 5

The Kansas City Royals have rediscovered their offense en route to ascending to the top of the American League Central. Winners of a season-high six in a row, the reigning World Series champions look to continue their good fortune as they begin a 10-game road trip with the opener of a four-game series versus the division-rival Cleveland Indians on Thursday.

Kansas City scored 42 runs to cap a perfect 6-0 homestand, with Whit Merrifield collecting two hits in Thursday's 6-3 victory over Tampa Bay. Merrifield is 16-for-42 (.381) during his nine-game hitting streak and is batting .360 over his first 12 major-league contests while Lorenzo Cain is 10-for-21 (.476) with nine RBIs in his last five. The red-hot Royals are enjoying a 2 1/2-game lead over the Indians, who are just 12-11 since taking two of three from the champs from May 6-8. Carlos Santana went just 1-for-12 (.083) in that series but is 6-for-20 (.300) with two homers and four RBIs lifetime versus Thursday starter Yordano Ventura.

TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, FSN Kansas City, SportsTime Ohio (Cleveland)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Royals RH Yordano Ventura (4-3, 5.17 ERA) vs. Indians RH Carlos Carrasco (2-0, 2.45)

Ventura is looking to leave the memory of May in his rear-view mirror after his ERA for the month finished at a gaudy 6.59 following his seven-run performance versus the Chicago White Sox on Saturday. The 24-year-old Dominican was taken deep twice in that encounter and five times in his last four contests. Ventura kept the ball in the park in his last meeting with Cleveland, however he still permitted five runs and as many walks in four innings of a 7-1 setback on May 6.

Carrasco is expected to be activated from the disabled list after being sidelined since late April with a hamstring strain. The 29-year-old Venezuelan will be limited to approximately 80 pitches on Thursday after tossing four innings in his lone rehabilitation start with Double-A Akron. Carrasco crowned the Royals in his last meeting, striking out 15 while allowing just one hit during the dominating shutout victory.

WALK-OFFS

1. Cleveland veteran OF Marlon Byrd, 38, received a 162-game suspension from Major League Baseball on Wednesday for testing positive a second time for a performance-enhancing drug.

2. Kansas City 1B Eric Hosmer is 15-for-30 (.500) with 14 RBIs and seven runs scored during his seven-game hitting streak.

3. Struggling SS Francisco Lindor went 0-for-11 as the Indians dropped two of three versus Texas.

PREDICTION: Indians 3, Royals 2