The New York Yankees try to salvage a split of their four-game series with the Kansas City Royals on Sunday afternoon. Kansas City entered the set with a home record of 0-10 but has taken two of the first three contests. The Royals have won six of their last nine games overall.
New York was limited to four hits over six innings by Felipe Paulino, who made his season debut on Saturday after missing the first month with forearm tightness. Its only run came on a homer by Russell Martin, who recorded three of the team's eight hits.
The Yankees have yet to be in a save situation since closer Mariano Rivera went down with a torn ACL on Thursday. But they should be in good hands with David Robertson, who has struck out each of the last eight batters he's faced.
TV: 2:10 p.m. ET, YES (New York), FSN (Kansas City), TBS
PITCHING MATCHUP: Yankees RH Phil Hughes (1-4, 7.48 ERA) vs. Royals RH Luke Hochevar (2-2, 7.36 ERA)
Hughes has yet to last six innings, coming closest in his last outing on Tuesday when he allowed four runs over 5 2/3 frames in a loss to Baltimore. The 25-year-old has yielded four or more runs in each of his last four starts, going 1-3 in the process. Hughes is 2-1 but has surrendered 15 runs over 20 innings in five career games - four starts - against Kansas City.
Hochevar is coming off his worst outing of the year, a four-inning performance at Detroit on Tuesday in which he was battered for nine runs and 12 hits. He is 0-1 in two home starts but pitched well against Toronto on April 20, when he allowed one run and two hits over five frames. Hochevar lost his only career decision against New York and has yielded 10 runs over 15 innings in three meetings, including one relief appearance.
WALK-OFFS
1. The Yankees have scored a total of 13 runs over their last six games, with six of those runs coming in Friday's win.
2. Kansas City's Jeff Francoeur recorded his 102nd outfield assist Saturday when he threw out Curtis Granderson at third base from right field.
3. Granderson went 2-for-4 on Saturday, leaving him one hit away from 1,000 for his career.