Oakland @ Kansas City preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 12, 2016 ) Oakland 16, Kansas City 3

Rather than put their best foot forward, the Kansas City Royals received quite the kick in the pants as they began an eight-game homestand with a thud against the Oakland Athletics. The reigning World Series champions look to dust themselves off from a 16-3 shellacking in the opener and keep alive their faint postseason hopes on Tuesday, when they play the Athletics in the second contest of a four-game series.

American League Player of the Week Kendrys Morales extended his hitting streak to 14 games and drove in his 15th run in seven contests with an RBI single on Monday. While the 33-year-old Cuban is sizzling in September, Kansas City has dropped seven of its last 12 to reside four games behind Baltimore for the second wild-card spot. Oakland's run output in the opener eclipsed the sum total of its previous five outings (14) while its season high-tying 17 hits were one more than the previous two (16). Stephen Vogt, who ripped a two-run single on Monday to highlight a three-hit performance, is 6-for-10 in his last three games and 19-for-56 in 15 career contests versus Kansas City.

TV: 7:15 p.m. ET, CSN California (Oakland), FSN Kansas City

PITCHING MATCHUP: Athletics RH Jharel Cotton (1-0, 1.42 ERA) vs. Royals LH Danny Duffy (11-2, 3.13)

Cotton enjoyed a memorable major-league debut on Wednesday, allowing one run and two hits in 6 1/3 innings of a 4-1 triumph over the Los Angeles Angels. The 24-year-old from the Virgin Islands surrendered a solo homer to lead off the seventh for the lone blemish of his outing after recording a 2.82 ERA in six starts (38 1/3 frames) with Triple-A Nashville. Cotton, who was acquired from the Los Angeles Dodgers in the Rich Hill/Josh Reddick trade, is receiving valuable experience in the majors after working 135 2/3 innings in Triple-A this season.

Duffy settled for his second straight no-decision on Wednesday and saw his winless streak extend to three starts despite allowing two earned runs in six innings at Minnesota. The 27-year-old struck out 10 versus the Twins and 18 total over his last two starts while fanning one batter in a scoreless inning of relief in his last encounter with Oakland. Duffy didn't receive a decision in that meeting, but owns a 3-0 record while limiting the Athletics to a .159 batting average in five appearances.

WALK-OFFS

1. Kansas City C Salvador Perez is expected to return to the lineup Tuesday after missing the series opener while attending the birth of his son, Johan Salvador.

2. Athletics 3B Ryon Healy is 11-for-28 with two homers and seven RBIs in his last seven games.

3. The Royals have dropped three of four to Oakland this season and are 10-21 versus AL West representatives.

PREDICTION: Royals 5, Athletics 2