Cleveland @ Kansas City preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 27, 2018 ) Cleveland 1, Kansas City 2

The Kansas City Royals have experienced a miserable season, but they are flourishing down the stretch. Kansas City aims to record its fifth straight victory when it hosts the Cleveland Indians on Friday for the second contest of their season-ending four-game series.

Salvador Perez delivered an RBI single in the bottom of the 10th inning on Thursday for a 2-1 triumph as the Royals improved to 14-3 over their last 17 home games. Kansas City (57-102) looked like it potentially could set a dubious franchise mark for losses (106 in 2005) before going on a 19-12 tear over its last 31 contests. Cleveland already has wrapped up the American League Central crown but needs one more win to reach 90 for the third straight season. Josh Donaldson, who recently was acquired from Toronto, recorded three hits on Thursday for his third multi-hit performance in six games.

TV: 8:15 p.m. ET, SportsTime Ohio (Cleveland), FS Kansas City

PITCHING MATCHUP: Indians RH Mike Clevinger (12-8, 3.07 ERA) vs. Royals RH Ian Kennedy (3-8, 4.59)

Clevinger has won five of his last six decisions and has topped 200 strikeouts (202) for the first time in his career. The 27-year-old has allowed fewer than three earned runs in nine of his last 12 starts, including a victory over the Royals on Sept. 4 in which he gave up one run and three hits with 10 strikeouts in six innings. Clevinger is 2-0 with a 2.33 ERA in four outings against Kansas City this season and 5-0 with a 2.37 ERA in nine career appearances (eight starts).

Kennedy has won back-to-back turns after prevailing just once in his first 19 starts. The 33-year-old gave up three runs and 13 hits over 13 innings against Minnesota and Detroit, with the triumph over the Twins on Sept. 15 being his first since blanking the Indians on four hits over six innings on April 7. Kennedy is 3-5 with a 5.34 ERA in 11 career starts against Cleveland.

WALK-OFFS

1. Royals SS Adalberto Mondesi has recorded two stolen bases in each of his last two games to increase his season total to 30.

2. Cleveland INF Erik Gonzalez (concussion) traveled with the team from Chicago to Kansas City after being hit in the head Wednesday and will need to be cleared from the protocol before he can return.

3. Kansas City 2B Whit Merrifield notched two hits on Thursday to extend his hitting streak to 17 games and raise his total to a major league-best 188.

PREDICTION: Indians 6, Royals 4