Diamondbacks at Royals
The Arizona Diamondbacks are beginning to get healthy and are
threatening to start a winning streak. The Diamondbacks got Chris Young
back Friday and took the opener against the Kansas City Royals, giving
them back-to-back wins for the first time since a three-game streak from
April 29-May 1. Young drove in two runs in his return and Miguel
Montero added three RBIs. The Royals had won six of seven starting last
week and looked to be headed up before dropping their last three.
Young’s
return can only help Montero and Justin Upton, who are beginning to
pull out of a season-long slumps. Upton homered Thursday and had two
hits and an RBI on Friday, raising his average to .234. Friday marked
Montero’s first multi-RBI game since April 27. Kansas City is still
waiting for its young slugger, Eric Hosmer, to turn it around. Hosmer
got a second straight day off Friday and is batting .174. He has not
homered since April 25.
TV: 7:15 p.m. ET, Fox
PITCHING MATCHUP: Diamondbacks RH Ian Kennedy (3-3, 3.81 ERA) vs. Royals LH Bruce Chen (2-4, 4.34)
Kennedy
has lost three straight starts while getting a total of three runs of
support. The right-hander was charged with two earned runs in six
innings at Los Angeles on Monday. He has allowed three of his five home
runs in the last two starts. Kennedy has made three appearances - two
starts - against the Royals, posting a 1-0 record with a 3.21 ERA.
Chen
has won his last two starts and is coming off a 6 2/3-inning effort at
Texas in which he held the top lineup in the majors to one run on five
hits while striking out seven. The well-traveled left-hander has made
nine career appearances - three starts - against Arizona, going 1-2 with
a 5.24 ERA. Jason Kubel is 4-for-11 with a home run off Chen in his
career.
WALK-OFFS
1. Diamondbacks right-hander Daniel Hudson (shoulder) will begin a rehab assignment at Triple-A Reno on Monday.
2.
Royals left-hander Danny Duffy and right-hander Blake Wood each had
their elbows examined Friday and will undergo Tommy John surgery.
3. Kansas City second baseman Irving Falu has hit safely in each of his first seven major league games.