Texas @ Kansas City preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 2, 2014 ) Texas 1, Kansas City 2

After coming up large in the first two contests of the three-game series, Salvador Perez looks to provide the final salvo as the Kansas City Royals vie for a sweep of the visiting Texas Rangers on Wednesday. The 24-year-old Venezuelan went 3-for-4 with a homer and three RBIs in Monday's 4-3 victory before ripping the go-ahead single with two outs in the eighth inning of Tuesday's 2-1 triumph. Perez has hit safely in four straight and recorded 13 hits in his last nine contests for Kansas City, which is clinging to a one-half game lead over second-place Detroit in the American League Central.

While the Royals are 4-4 on their nine-game homestand, the reeling Rangers have dropped four in a row and fell to 3-6 on their 10-game road trip. Tumbling Texas can attribute much of its troubles to its well-documented injuries, allowing it to set an MLB record by using 60 players this season. "It all started with injuries, and then we had to start moving bodies around and then it started giving opportunities to players because of what's been happening to us," manager Ron Washington told MLB.com.

TV: 8:10 p.m. ET, FSN Southwest (Texas), FSN Kansas City

PITCHING MATCHUP: Rangers RH Nick Tepesch (4-8, 4.44 ERA) vs. Royals LH Jason Vargas (10-7, 3.27)

Tepesch is expected to be recalled from Triple-A Round Rock to make Wednesday's start. The 25-year-old Kansas City native struggled mightily against the Royals on Aug. 23, allowing six runs and seven hits in 6 1/3 innings en route to a 6-3 loss. Tepesch walked three in that contest and has issued 10 free passes in his last three outings.

Vargas suffered his second straight loss and fourth in six decisions after permitting four runs on 10 hits in six innings of a 6-1 setback to Cleveland on Friday. The 31-year-old fell to 4-8 in his career versus Texas after yielding three runs and a season high-tying 11 hits over six frames in a 3-1 loss on Aug. 24. After allowing a home run in eight of his first 12 outings, Vargas has kept the ball in the park in 11 of his last 13.

WALK-OFFS

1. Kansas City OF Nori Aoki recorded a pair of doubles on Tuesday to improve to 8-for-23 during his six-game hitting streak.

2. Washington told reporters that RHP Miles Mikolas will miss his next two starts due to shoulder fatigue.

3. Royals OF-DH Josh Willingham missed the first two contests of the series with a balky back.

PREDICTION: Royals 4, Rangers 1