Kansas City @ Cleveland preview

Last Meeting ( Jun 17, 2013 ) Kansas City 2, Cleveland 1

The Kansas City Royals have battled back to the .500 mark by winning games in many different ways of late. The Royals look to win their fifth consecutive series when they send Ervin Santana to the mound in the second contest of a three-game series at the Cleveland Indians on Tuesday. Kansas City has scored seven or more runs four times and won three one-run games during an 11-2 stretch, including a 2-1 comeback victory over the Indians on Monday.

Cleveland fell a half-game behind the Royals for second place in the American League Central -- 5 ½ behind first-place Detroit. The Indians likely will be without Nick Swisher for the remainder of the series as he rests his sore left shoulder and tries to avoid the disabled list. Slugger Mark Reynolds is showing signs of breaking out of a slump, producing two hits Monday after homering on Saturday.

TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, FSN (Kansas City), SportsTime Ohio (Cleveland)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Royals RH Ervin Santana (5-5, 2.74 ERA) vs. Indians RH Ubaldo Jimenez (5-4, 4.79)

Santana has allowed a total of two earned runs over 21 2/3 innings in his last three starts, earning two victories in the process. The right-hander has surrendered 14 homers but has struck out 71 and walked only 13 in 92 frames this season. Santana pitched seven scoreless innings to beat the Indians on April 27 and improve his career numbers against them to 3-8 with a 4.33 ERA in 15 starts.

Jimenez began to turn his season around with seven scoreless innings in a victory at Kansas City on April 29. The 29-year-old has allowed two runs or fewer in seven of his last nine starts after holding Texas to one run over five innings to win on Wednesday. Jimenez is 3-2 with a 3.38 ERA in five career starts vs. the Royals, while Eric Hosmer is 5-for-11 with two homers against him.

WALK-OFFS

1. Cleveland and Kansas City both have 51 stolen bases, tied for second in the American League.

2. Indians C Carlos Santana is 10-for-32 with seven RBIs during a career-high nine-game hitting streak.

3. The Royals are 14-8 against their AL Central rivals and play 12 of the next 14 games against them.

PREDICTION: Indians 4, Royals 3