Kansas City @ Baltimore preview

Last Meeting ( Apr 24, 2016 ) Baltimore 1, Kansas City 6

The Baltimore Orioles and the visiting Kansas City Royals are both battling for supremacy in their respective division as they take the fight to each other Monday to open a three-game series. Kansas City squandered the top spot in the American League Central while dropping four straight at Cleveland over the weekend to begin its 10-game road trip.

The Royals went into Cleveland on Sunday with a 2 1/2-game lead over the Indians in the division but left on Sunday 1 1/2 back after being outscored 25-6 in the sweep. Kansas City managed three hits in Sunday’s 7-0 loss and fell to 11-19 on the road with six games left on a trek that also includes three contests against the Chicago White Sox. The Orioles had their own problems on offense Sunday until a rain delay helped the team find its form. Baltimore trailed 1-0 before the delay but pounded out three runs in the eighth against Dellin Betances and Aroldis Chapman to earn a 3-1 victory over the New York Yankees and move back into a virtual tie for first place in the AL East with the Boston Red Sox.

TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, FSN Kansas City, MASN (Baltimore)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Royals LH Danny Duffy (1-0, 3.44 ERA) vs. Orioles RH Mike Wright (2-3, 5.88)

Duffy is making his fifth straight start since returning to the rotation and is trying to pick up back-to-back wins. The 27-year-old allowed three runs and seven hits over six innings to pick up a win over Tampa Bay on Wednesday in his longest outing of the campaign. Duffy, who is 2-1 with a 2.25 ERA in six career games (four starts) against Baltimore, has 40 strikeouts and seven walks in 36 2/3 total innings.

Wright was bumped from the rotation and sent to Triple-A Norfolk after getting rocked for six runs on seven hits – four home runs – in 2 2/3 innings at Boston on Wednesday but found himself back on the Orioles roster when Darren O’Day went on the disabled list with a hamstring injury the next day. Wright is likely just keeping the rotation spot warm until Yovani Gallardo (shoulder), who is making a minor-league rehab start on Tuesday, is able to rejoin the rotation. Wright was ripped for five runs on eight hits in 6 1/3 innings to suffer a loss at Kansas City on April 24.

WALK-OFFS

1. Orioles C Matt Wieters recorded seven RBIs in his last four games.

2. Kansas City DH Kendrys Morales is 1-for-15 with four strikeouts in the last four games, dropping his batting average to .191.

3. Baltimore C Francisco Pena is 4-for-7 with a home run and three runs scored in his first two games this season.

PREDICTION: Royals 8, Orioles 4