Kansas City @ Cleveland preview
Progressive Field
Last Meeting ( Jul 14, 2013 ) Kansas City 4, Cleveland 6
The Kansas City Royals are playing some of their best baseball of the season, but they need to fare better in Cleveland if they hope to remain in the playoff race as they open a three-game road set Monday against the Indians. Kansas City has won 11 of 15 after taking two of three from Detroit, which leads Cleveland by 5 1/2 games in the American League Central. The Royals, who sit three games behind Tampa Bay in the AL wild-card race, have lost five straight on the road against the Indians.
With a win, Kansas City can close its 1 1/2-game gap in both the division and wild-card standings on Cleveland, which had its four-game winning streak snapped by the New York Mets on Sunday. The Indians, who trail Tampa Bay by two games for the second wild card, were 15-for-39 with runners in scoring position during the streak but went 1-for-6 in such situations and struggled against Daisuke Matsuzaka in the loss. Despite the subpar offensive effort, Cleveland’s starting rotation maintained its solid 2.20 ERA in September.
TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, MLB Network, FSN (Kansas City), STO (Cleveland)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Royals RH Ervin Santana (8-8, 3.33 ERA) vs. Indians RH Ubaldo Jimenez (10-9, 3.79)
Santana lasted a season-low 3 1/3 innings in Wednesday’s 6-4 home loss to Seattle, giving up four runs while failing to record a strikeout for only the fifth time in his 261 career starts. The 30-year-old is 0-2 with a 4.96 ERA over his last six outings, although he is 1-0 with a 0.64 ERA in two turns this season versus Cleveland. In 17 career starts against the Indians, Santana is 3-8 with a 4.10 ERA.
Coming off back-to-back losses despite consecutive 10-strikeout efforts, Jimenez picked up the win in Tuesday’s 4-3 victory over Baltimore after allowing four singles in six scoreless frames. The ex-Colorado Rockies ace is only 3-5 in his last eight outings despite a 2.22 ERA and .212 opponents’ batting average over that span. Jimenez settled for a no-decision in a July 4 start versus the Royals, against whom he is 3-2 with a 4.09 ERA in eight career starts.
WALK-OFFS
1. Kansas City is an AL-best 32-19 since the All-Star break.
2. Cleveland CF Michael Bourn is 11-for-59 with 18 strikeouts over his last 15 games.
3. The Royals lead the majors with 133 stolen bases, 11 more than second-place Milwaukee.
PREDICTION: Indians 4, Royals 3