Kansas City @ Detroit preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 23, 2016 ) Kansas City 3, Detroit 8

The Detroit Tigers have struggled inside their own division for most of their season, but a well-timed winning streak against the American League Central has put them in a place where they control their own destiny in the wild-card race. The Tigers eye their sixth straight victory overall Saturday when they continue a three-game set at home against the fading Kansas City Royals.

Detroit entered last Sunday with a 31-34 mark in the Central before getting only its second win in 15 tries this season against Cleveland and concluding its six-game road trip with a resounding three-game sweep of Minnesota. The Tigers continued their surge with Friday's 8-3 victory over Kansas City, as they belted three early home runs in support of AL Rookie of the Year frontrunner Michael Fulmer, who earned his first win since Aug. 14 with seven strong innings. While Detroit maintained its half-game edge in the wild-card chase over Baltimore, the Royals fell 6 1/2 games behind the Tigers and have essentially sealed their postseason fate by losing nine of their last 12. Offense has been in short supply for the defending World Series champions during their 0-4 start to their final six-game road trip of the season, scoring three runs or fewer in each outing.

TV: 1:05 p.m. ET, Fox

PITCHING MATCHUP: Royals RH Yordano Ventura (11-11, 4.35 ERA) vs. Tigers LH Daniel Norris (3-2, 3.63)

Ventura fired his second complete game of the season - and the first nine-inning outing of his career - in Monday's win over the Chicago White Sox, allowing three runs on nine hits while striking out five on 106 pitches. The win broke a two-start losing streak for the 25-year-old Dominican, who improved to 5-2 with a 3.34 ERA over his last nine outings. Ventura yielded one run over six frames in a win over the Tigers on Sept. 3 and has thoroughly dominated Detroit over his career, going 7-0 with a 2.84 ERA in 11 appearances (10 starts).

Norrris escaped with his first victory in four trips to the mound Sunday in Cleveland despite getting charged with three unearned runs among the four he permitted on five hits over as many innings. The Tennessee native has been especially difficult to handle in three September turns, averaging 12.4 strikeouts per nine innings while going 1-0 with a 3.12 ERA. Norris settled for a no-decision versus the Royals after giving up three runs in six frames Sept. 4 and is 0-1 in three starts against them.

WALK-OFFS

1. Detroit 2B Ian Kinsler (concussion) returned to the lineup after a three-game absence Friday and went 2-for-3 with two walks and scored three times.

2. Kansas City C Salvador Perez sat out the opener with what manager Ned Yost described as a "very minor knee issue".

3. Tigers LF Justin Upton, who homered for the fifth time in seven games Friday, has tallied 14 blasts and 35 RBIs over his last 29 contests.

PREDICTION: Tigers 5, Royals 3