Kansas City @ Pittsburgh preview

Last Meeting ( Jul 22, 2015 ) Pittsburgh 1, Kansas City 5

The Pittsburgh Pirates inserted themselves into the National League postseason race over the weekend, but only as spoilers. The Pirates will try to carry the momentum gained from a series win at Milwaukee back home when they host the Kansas City Royals in the opener of a three-game interleague series on Monday.

Pittsburgh, which will get more chances to impact the NL Central race with three games against the Brewers next weekend followed by a four-game set at the Chicago Cubs, is finishing the season strong and reached .500 at 74-74 with a 3-2 win over the Brewers on Sunday - its eighth victory in the last 11 contests. The Pirates pitching staff surrendered three or fewer runs in each of those eight wins as young starters like Trevor Williams and Jameson Taillon asserted themselves. Pittsburgh will turn things over to another promising young arm on Monday, when right-hander Joe Musgrove takes the mound opposite Royals rookie righty Brad Keller. Kansas City is enjoying its own surge down the stretch and earned the win in each of its last two series, taking a combined five of seven from the Chicago White Sox and Minnesota Twins while averaging six runs.

TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, FS Kansas City, AT&T SportsNet Pittsburgh

PITCHING MATCHUP: Royals RH Brad Keller (8-6, 3.04 ERA) vs. Pirates RH Joe Musgrove (6-9, 3.87)

Keller is earning himself a spot in the Kansas City rotation of the future with a strong finish to the season and will look to allow two earned runs or fewer in his seventh straight outing on Monday. The 23-year-old is coming off a win over the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday, in which he allowed one run and four hits over seven innings while striking out six - his third straight outing of seven or more frames. The last time Keller allowed more than two earned runs came in his last interleague start on Aug. 7, when he was knocked around for four runs and seven hits over six frames by the Chicago Cubs.

Musgrove struck out eight over six innings at St. Louis on Tuesday but was reached for four runs on as many hits and suffered the loss. The 25-year-old managed to keep the ball in the ballpark against the Cardinals after surrendering a total of six homers over his previous four turns. Musgrove's lone interleague start this season came at Cleveland on July 24, when he held the Indians to two runs and five hits over seven innings to pick up a win.

WALK-OFFS

1. Pirates 1B Josh Bell reached base safely in each of his last eight games.

2. Kansas City INF Adalberto Mondesi is 13-for-28 with seven RBIs over the last six contests.

3. Pittsburgh rookie 2B-SS Kevin Newman has hit safely in five straight and owns four RBIs in that span.

PREDICTION: Pirates 6, Royals 5