Kansas City @ Detroit preview

Last Meeting ( Aug 17, 2013 ) Kansas City 5, Detroit 6

Max Scherzer is experiencing a sensational season and goes after his 18th victory when the Detroit Tigers close a five-game series with the Kansas City Royals on Sunday. Scherzer leads the majors in victories and is the leading candidate to win American League Cy Young Award honors. The teams split the first four games but Detroit has the momentum after Miguel Cabrera’s ninth-inning homer on Saturday provided the Tigers with a 6-5 victory.

Cabrera’s game-winning blast was his sixth career walk-off and raised his season total to 39, second most in the majors. The Detroit standout is 5-for-16 in the series and has regularly tormented Kansas City starter Bruce Chen, batting .406 with four homers and three doubles in 32 at-bats against the left-hander. The Royals are 7 1/2 games behind Detroit in the American League Central and need to win the finale to avoid losing ground during a series they viewed as crucial in terms of closing in on the Tigers.

TV: 1:08 p.m. ET, FSN (Kansas City), FSN (Detroit)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Royals LH Bruce Chen (5-0, 1.62 ERA) vs. Tigers RH Max Scherzer (17-1, 2.85)

Chen has been sensational since returning to the starting rotation, compiling a 0.93 ERA in six outings. He has allowed three or fewer hits four times during the stretch but has just two victories as the Royals have been blanked twice. Chen is 5-7 with a 5.15 ERA in 18 career appearances (16 starts) against Detroit.

Scherzer’s lone loss came against the Texas Rangers on July 13 but he proceeded to win four consecutive starts before taking a no-decision against the Chicago White Sox in his last turn. He allowed three runs (two earned) and four hits in six innings against Chicago and has given up only six earned runs over his last five outings. Scherzer has two wins against the Royals this season to improve his career mark against them to 8-4 with a 3.74 ERA in 15 career starts.

WALK-OFFS

1. Kansas City 3B Mike Moustakas went 2-for-3 on Saturday after missing the previous five games with a calf injury.

2. Tigers 1B Prince Fielder has two homers in the series after suffering through a 19-game homerless drought.

3. Royals C Salvador Perez is 6-for-12 with two homers against Scherzer.

PREDICTION: Tigers 6, Royals 2