Oakland @ Kansas City preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 13, 2016 ) Oakland 5, Kansas City 4

The Kansas City Royals' fading postseason hopes are getting dimmer by the day as the reigning World Series champions are five games out of the American League's second wild-card spot with 18 to play. The Royals have begun their pivotal eight-game homestand with a thud, losing back-to-back meetings with the Oakland Athletics heading into the third contest of their four-game series on Wednesday.

Khris Davis is having quite the series with homers in both contests, and he has recorded hits in three straight games after a dismal 0-for-14 stretch over his previous four that included seven strikeouts. Rookie Ryon Healy has gone deep in three of his last six games and recorded six multi-hit performances in September for the Athletics, who have won four of the five encounters with Kansas City this season. The Royals have dropped eight of their last 13 overall, yielding at least five runs in each setback. Paulo Orlando has driven in two runs in each contest of the series and has hit safely in nine of 11 games this month.

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

PITCHING MATCHUP: Athletics LH Sean Manaea (5-9, 4.40 ERA) vs. Royals RH Yordano Ventura (10-10, 4.26)

Plagued by a balky back, Manaea is expected to be all systems go and will face the franchise that selected him in the 2013 draft after tossing a 50-pitch bullpen session on Saturday. The 24-year-old has been done in by a lack of run support en route to a 2-4 record in his last 10 outings, yielding just 20 earned runs in that span. Manaea did not walk a batter in the first four trips to the mound in that run but has issued 12 free passes in his last six.

Ventura suffered his first loss since July 28 on Friday after allowing five runs and a season-high 10 hits in seven innings of a 7-2 road setback against the Chicago White Sox. The 25-year-old Dominican also struggled in his last encounter with the Athletics, permitting five runs in 3 1/3 frames to take the loss. Ventura hopes that home cookin' continues to play a role, as he owns a 6-3 record in 11 starts at Kauffman Stadium this season.

WALK-OFFS

1. Kansas City CF Jarrod Dyson is 13-for-36 with nine runs scored during his nine-game hitting streak.

2. Athletics SS Marcus Semien has recorded a homer and four RBIs in the series and is 3-for-6 with two blasts and four RBIs versus Ventura.

3. Royals LF Alex Gordon is 0-for-10 with four strikeouts in his last three contests.

PREDICTION: Royals 3, Athletics 2