Washington @ Kansas City preview

Last Meeting ( Aug 23, 2013 ) Washington 11, Kansas City 10

The Washington Nationals spent the entire season to this point flirting with .500 but never gaining much traction beyond. The Nationals will try for a winning record once again when they visit the Kansas City Royals on Saturday. Washington battled back from a six-run deficit to earn its fourth consecutive win and pull even at 64-64 in the series opener on Friday.

A popular preseason World Series pick, the Nationals’ latest hot streak has them 8 1/2 games behind the Cincinnati Reds for the second wild-card spot in the National League. The Royals were on their own positive streak for most of August but have taken a bad turn recently with six consecutive losses. The slide pushed them seven games behind the Oakland Athletics for the second wild-card spot in the AL.

TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, MASN (Washington), FSN (Kansas City)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Nationals RH Jordan Zimmermann (14-7, 3.37 ERA) vs. Royals RH Wade Davis (6-9, 5.43)

Zimmermann is coming off one of his worst starts of the season, a five-inning effort at Chicago in which he was reached for a season-high eight runs on seven hits - including three home runs. The 27-year-old carried a 2.57 ERA into the All-Star break but is 2-3 with a 6.75 mark in six starts since coming back. Zimmermann is 5-4 with a 2.76 ERA in 16 interleague starts but has never faced Kansas City.

Davis had a string of three straight solid outings come to an end at Detroit last Saturday, when he was lit up for four runs on eight hits in 3 2/3 innings. The former Tampa Bay Ray notched a season-low one strikeout against the Tigers and walked a pair. Davis pitched one inning of relief against Washington when he was with the Rays and is 4-4 with a 3.15 ERA in 15 career interleague games (10 starts).

WALK-OFFS

1. Royals manager Ned Yost held a closed-door meeting prior to Friday’s game. The team has dropped nine of 11.

2. Washington closer Rafael Soriano has allowed at least one run in five of his last seven appearances.

3. Kansas City CF Lorenzo Cain (oblique strain) is doing running and agility drills and hopes to return by the end of the month.

PREDICTION: Nationals 7, Royals 3