Kansas City @ Detroit preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 24, 2016 ) Kansas City 7, Detroit 4

The defending champion Kansas City Royals are unlikely to be making a third straight trip to the postseason, and they are trying to keep the Detroit Tigers out as well. The Royals will attempt to put another dent in the Tigers' postseason plans when they visit Detroit for the rubber match of a three-game series on Sunday.

Kansas City played its way out of serious wild card contention with four straight losses and was on the verge of falling under .500 with a fifth consecutive setback on Saturday before exploding for five runs in the ninth inning to grab a 7-4 win. Paulo Orlando doubled in a pair of runs to tie the game and Eric Hosmer put the Royals ahead with a three-run blast, which secured him the first 100-RBI season of his career. The loss, combined with Baltimore's 6-1 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks, pushed the Tigers a half-game behind the Orioles in the battle for the second American League wild card. Detroit had a five-game winning streak come to an end as closer Francisco Rodriguez, who had not allowed a hit in any of his previous five appearances, was rocked for all five runs.

TV: 1:10 p.m. ET, FSN Kansas City, FSN Detroit

PITCHING MATCHUP: Royals RH Edinson Volquez (10-11, 5.25 ERA) vs. Tigers LH Matt Boyd (6-4, 4.16)

Volquez is winless in his last five starts but was solid last time out, holding the Cleveland Indians to one run and four hits over 6 2/3 innings without factoring in the decision. The Dominican Republic native had allowed at least four runs in each of his previous four outings, including a disaster against Oakland on Sept. 15 in which he was rocked for eight earned runs in 3 1/3 frames. Volquez last saw Detroit on Sept. 4 and surrendered four runs on seven hits in 6 2/3 innings.

Boyd put together one of the best starts of his young career at Minnesota on Tuesday, scattering one run and three hits across eight innings while striking out seven in a win. The 25-year-old allowed two or fewer runs in five of his last seven starts. Boyd has never had much success against Kansas City, building a 1-2 record with a 7.43 ERA in five career starts.

WALK-OFFS

1. Royals RHP Yordano Ventura (lower back tightness) left Saturday's game but is expected to make his next start.

2. Tigers rookie RHP Michael Fulmer, who has had his innings monitored in the second half, will make his next start on four days' rest for the first time in over a month on Wednesday.

3. Detroit 3B Nick Castellanos (broken hand) will play games in the instructional league early this week and could return for the final weekend.

PREDICTION: Tigers 8, Royals 5