Kansas City @ Oakland preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 17, 2019 ) Kansas City 1, Oakland 2

The Kansas City Royals have given the Oakland Athletics all they can handle over the first two contests of their three-game series. Oakland looks to capture the series and maintain its hold on the top wild-card spot in the American League when it hosts Kansas City for the rubber match of the set on Wednesday afternoon.

The Athletics entered the series with a six-game winning streak but saw that end when they squandered a pair of leads and dropped a one-run decision in the opener before bouncing back to post a 2-1 triumph on Tuesday. Matt Olson homered and Seth Brown recorded an RBI double for Oakland, which owns a two-game lead over Tampa Bay for the first wild card. Olson has gone deep six times in his last eight contests, driving in 13 runs in that span. Rookie Nick Dini plated the lone run on Tuesday for Kansas City, which has lost four of its last five games.

TV: 3:37 p.m. ET, FS Kansas City, NBCS California (Oakland)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Royals LH Danny Duffy (6-6, 4.55 ERA) vs. Athletics RH Homer Bailey (13-8, 4.76)

Duffy has produced back-to-back strong starts, allowing one run over six innings in each but coming away with only one victory. The 30-year-old Californian settled for a no-decision against Houston on Friday, when he served up a solo homer, but recorded the win at Miami six days earlier despite issuing four walks. Duffy has yet to lose to Oakland in his career, going 4-0 with a 2.89 ERA in seven starts and one relief appearance.

Bailey, who was acquired from the Royals in mid-July, will be facing them for the second time in his career after allowing three runs on eight hits and four walks over six innings in a victory at Kansas City on Aug. 26. The 33-year-old Texan has gone 4-0 over his last six turns, giving up more than two runs just once in that span, and is 6-2 with a 4.70 ERA in 11 outings since joining the Athletics. Bailey has yet to lose in Oakland as a member of the home team, going 3-0 with 29 strikeouts and only five walks over 30 2/3 frames while posting a 2.93 ERA in five starts.

WALK-OFFS

1. Athletics SS Marcus Semien went 0-for-3 on Tuesday, ending a seven-game hitting streak during which he went 14-for-32 with a trio of three-hit performances, five homers and 10 RBIs.

2. Kansas City DH-OF Jorge Soler is tied with Mike Trout of the Los Angeles Angels for the AL lead with 45 home runs.

3. Brown has hit safely in 13 of his 18 major-league games, going 22-for-57 for a .386 average.

PREDICTION: Athletics 7, Royals 4