Tigers at Royals
Detroit's vaunted offensive attack has been shut down through the first
two games in Kansas City. The Tigers will try to rebound against Royals
starter Edinson Volquez in the continuation of a four-game series
Saturday.
Fill-in starter Chris Young and the Royals' bullpen combined to take a no-hitter into the eighth inning en route to a 4-1 win Friday, which came on the heels of Danny Duffy's gem in an 8-1 triumph for the Royals on Thursday. While Detroit's lineup has been stymied, the heart of Kansas City's attack continues to make plenty of noise and finished Friday with an impressive statistical grouping. Kendrys Morales, the everyday fifth hitter, had two hits and three RBIs to lift his average to .323. Mike Moustakas, who bats second, is hitting .340, while No. 3 hitter Lorenzo Cain is at .337, cleanup hitter Eric Hosmer sits at .330 and Salvador Perez - who hit sixth Friday - is hitting .322.
TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, FSN Detroit, FSN Kansas City
PITCHING MATCHUP: Tigers LH David Price (2-1, 3.48 ERA) vs. Royals RH Edinson Volquez (2-2, 1.91)
Price bounced back from a dismal outing against the New York Yankees at home to spin a quality start at Minnesota on Monday, allowing three runs on six hits in 6 1/3 innings. He struck out seven and has 111 punchouts in 108 2/3 innings since joining Detroit in a three-team trade last summer. The former Cy Young Award winner has let up three runs and only 12 hits in 22 career innings against the Royals but has never made a start in Kansas City.
Volquez will be working with five days of rest after serving a suspension for his role in a brawl with Chicago last week. He allowed one earned run (five total) in 5 2/3 innings of a loss to the White Sox on Sunday, limiting an opponent to five hits or fewer for the fourth time in as many starts this season. The veteran, who has a 1.43 ERA over his last 10 starts, owns a 5.74 mark in his career against Detroit but defeated the Tigers with two runs over six frames last season while with Pittsburgh.
WALK-OFFS
1. Royals SS Alcides Escobar was placed on the seven-day concussion disabled list Friday.
2. Tigers RF J.D. Martinez is 0-for-8 with six strikeouts in the series.
3. Hosmer is 9-for-21 with two homers, five RBIs and six runs scored during a five-game hitting streak.