Kansas City @ Detroit preview

Last Meeting ( Aug 16, 2016 ) Kansas City 6, Detroit 1

The Kansas City Royals are doing a fine job of playing spoiler while the Detroit Tigers drift down the standings. The Royals will try to wrap up a three-game sweep and push the Tigers even further away from a postseason spot when they visit Detroit for the series finale on Wednesday.

The Tigers are having serious trouble getting the bats working, and the slump has dropped them six games behind the Cleveland Indians in the American League Central and 3 1/2 games back of the Boston Red Sox in the race for the second AL wild card. Detroit has dropped seven of its last nine games – scoring one or no runs in five of those setbacks – and could be without star Miguel Cabrera (strained biceps) on Wednesday after he missed Tuesday's contest. The Royals are still one game under .500 but are winners of three straight and eight of their last 10 games. The Kansas City staff held the Tigers to a total of two runs in the first two games of the series and sends Yordano Ventura to the mound on Wednesday.

TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, FSN Kansas City, FSN Detroit

PITCHING MATCHUP: Royals RH Yordano Ventura (8-9, 4.60 ERA) vs. Tigers RH Anibal Sanchez (6-12, 6.31)

Ventura is coming off back-to-back wins and allowed three runs or fewer in seven straight starts. The Dominican Republic native struck out nine in seven innings at Minnesota on Friday while allowing three runs and four hits. Ventura is 6-0 with a 3.18 ERA in nine career games against the Tigers and was held out of the decision at Detroit on July 17 despite scattering two runs over seven frames.

Sanchez is trying to bounce back from a terrible outing in which he was ripped for eight runs on eight hits – four home runs – and a pair of walks in four-plus innings at Texas on Friday. The Venezuela native allowed a total of two runs in 14 innings over his previous two starts. Sanchez worked 2 1/3 innings of relief at Kansas City on June 18 and went 1-2 with a 6.20 ERA in four starts against the Royals in 2015.

WALK-OFFS

1. The Tigers on Tuesday acquired SS Erick Aybar from Atlanta for UTL Mike Aviles and a prospect.

2. Royals 2B Raul Mondesi hit his first career home run on Tuesday.

3. Detroit C/1B Jarrod Saltalamacchia started in place of Cabrera on Tuesday and provided the team’s lone run with a solo homer.

PREDICTION: Royals 5, Tigers 2