Kansas City @ Detroit preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 14, 2013 ) Kansas City 1, Detroit 0

Max Scherzer will make his fourth attempt to become the first 20-game winner in the majors when the Detroit Tigers wrap up a three-game series with the visiting Kansas City Royals on Sunday. Scherzer will look to halt a three-start winless streak - his longest drought of the season - and help the first-place Tigers maintain their five-game lead over Cleveland in the American League Central. Scherzer has the right opponent to halt his skid - he has won all three starts against the Royals this season.

Kansas City was in a must-win situation on Saturday and responded with a gutty 1-0 victory to remain 3 1/2 games behind Tampa Bay for the second wild card. The Royals received a boost when two of the teams they are battling - the New York Yankees and Baltimore - also lost. Kansas City has more than held its own against the division-leading Tigers, winning 10 of 18 meetings, but must find a way to solve Scherzer with only 14 games remaining.

TV: 1:08 p.m. ET, TBS, Fox Sports Detroit

PITCHING MATCHUP: Royals RH Jeremy Guthrie (14-10, 4.11 ERA) vs. Tigers RH Max Scherzer (19-3, 3.01)

Guthrie has been up and down over the past five weeks, but he is coming off a solid performance in his last turn - giving up one run on nine hits over six innings of a 6-3 win over Cleveland. It was the third time in four starts that Guthrie has permitted a lone run, but he has also given up at least four in four of his last seven outings. He lost at Detroit on Aug. 15, getting raked for four runs on 13 hits.

Scherzer is coming off his shortest start of the season, a four-inning stint in which he was tagged for five runs by the Chicago White Sox. It was the second straight loss for Scherzer, who gave up only two runs over seven innings at Boston in his previous start but was whacked around for six runs in five innings against Oakland on Aug. 29. Scherzer has given up four runs in 15 innings in his last two wins over the Royals.

WALK-OFFS

1. Scherzer has not lost three straight starts since May 3-14, 2010.

2. Guthrie has struggled against Detroit's Torii Hunter (12-for-36), Miguel Cabrera (12-for-36, three HRs) and Prince Fielder (8-for-19).

3. Royals 1B Eric Hosmer is riding a seven-game hitting streak and has hit safely in 16 of 17.

PREDICTION: Tigers 4, Royals 3