Cleveland @ Kansas City preview

Last Meeting ( Jul 24, 2014 ) Cleveland 1, Kansas City 2

The Kansas City Royals look to post their fourth consecutive victory when they host the American League Central-rival Cleveland Indians for the second contest of their four-game series on Friday. Kansas City edged Cleveland 2-1 in 14 innings in the opener despite registering only five hits - two of which came in the final frame. Norichika Aoki was the hero, plating Lorenzo Cain with a single as the Royals ended Corey Kluber's perfect-game bid with Omar Infante's one-out base hit in the seventh.

Carlos Santana remained hot for Cleveland, collecting two hits with two walks and a run scored as he improved to 8-for-17 over his last four games. The same cannot be said for the Indians, who have lost four of their last five contests. The Royals leaped one-half game ahead of Cleveland in the AL Central and trail division-leading Detroit by seven games.

TV: 8:10 p.m. ET, SportsTime Ohio (Cleveland), FSN (Kansas City)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Indians RH Josh Tomlin (5-7, 4.43 ERA) vs. Royals RH Yordano Ventura (7-8, 3.59)

Save for an 11-strikeout performance at Seattle on June 28 in the first shutout of his career, Tomlin has struggled over his last seven starts, going 1-5 while surrendering at least four runs six times. The 29-year-old lasted only 4 1/3 innings at Detroit on Sunday, yielding four runs and six hits en route to his second straight loss. Tomlin fell to 5-3 in 11 career games (nine starts) against Kansas City on July 4, when he was reached for five runs and 10 hits in 5 2/3 frames.

Ventura had his modest two-game winning streak snapped Sunday as he gave up six runs and nine hits over 4 1/3 innings of a loss at Boston. The 23-year-old Dominican, who failed to record a strikeout for the first time in 22 major-league games (21 starts), yielded fewer than four runs in six of his seven starts prior to facing the Red Sox. Ventura won both of his career decisions against the Indians, allowing one run over seven frames at home on June 11 and besting Tomlin by yielding one in 8 1/3 innings at Cleveland on July 4.

WALK-OFFS

1. Cleveland SS Asdrubal Cabrera missed his second straight game with lower back spasms.

2. Kansas City traded INF-OF Jimmy Paredes to Baltimore for cash considerations.

3. Cain registered the Royals' AL-leading 84th stolen base on Thursday.

PREDICTION: Indians 4, Royals 3