Houston @ Kansas City preview

Last Meeting ( May 26, 2014 ) Houston 9, Kansas City 2

Jeremy Guthrie is the latest pitcher with a chance to cool down George Springer as the rookie and his Houston Astros visit the Kansas City Royals for the second contest of their three-game series on Tuesday. Springer continued his recent offensive onslaught in a 9-2 triumph in the series opener, going 4-for-4 with a home run, three RBIs and five runs scored. The 24-year-old has hit safely in eight straight games and gone deep in four in a row, including his first career two-homer effort Saturday at Seattle.

Marwin Gonzalez also collected four hits and an RBI on Monday as Houston matched a season high with its third consecutive victory. The Royals also received a four-hit performance from Lorenzo Cain and welcomed Omar Infante back to the lineup after the second baseman missed almost three weeks with lower back stiffness. Infante got off to a good start, delivering a double in his first at-bat, but went 0-for-3 afterward.

TV: 8:10 p.m. ET, CSN (Houston), FSN (Kansas City)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Astros RH Collin McHugh (2-3, 3.32 ERA) vs. Royals RH Jeremy Guthrie (2-3, 4.39)

McHugh looks to snap a personal skid that reached three games when he was tagged with the loss at Los Angeles on Wednesday despite allowing only two runs and four hits over seven innings. The 26-year-old began his first season with Houston by yielding a total of one run in back-to-back victories but has seen his ERA rise from 0.59 to 3.32 over his last four outings. McHugh will be facing Kansas City for the first time in his career.

Like his counterpart, Guthrie also is winless since capturing each of his first two starts, going 0-3 over his last eight outings. The 35-year-old settled for a no-decision against the Chicago White Sox on Wednesday after allowing just one run and three hits in seven innings. Guthrie is 2-1 with a 5.18 ERA in five career starts versus Houston, including a no-decision April 16 in which he yielded four runs in six frames.

WALK-OFFS

1. Royals RHP Yordano Ventura will undergo an MRI on Tuesday after leaving the series opener with lateral elbow discomfort.

2. Houston OF Robbie Grossman, who went 0-for-5 after being recalled from Triple-A Oklahoma City earlier in the day, was one of three Astros to go hitless Monday.

3. Kansas City RHP Wade Davis has tossed 12 scoreless innings over his last 10 appearances.

PREDICTION: Royals 4, Astros 1