Tigers at Royals
The Detroit Tigers aim for a split of their four-game series against the host Kansas City Royals when the
two American League Central rivals meet Sunday afternoon. After dropping
the first two games of the set by a combined score of 12-2, the Tigers
rode a dominant effort from David Price to a 2-1 victory on Saturday
night.
Price allowed one run on five hits in his 12th career complete game as Detroit improved to 13-5 against division opponents. The one run for Kansas City came on Lorenzo Cain's two-out solo homer in the bottom of the ninth before Price got cleanup hitter Eric Hosmer swinging to end it. Anthony Gose had three hits and scored a run while Ian Kinsler was 2-for-4 with an RBI for the Tigers, who have four runs on 18 hits through the first three games of the series. In the event their bats remain quiet in the finale, the Tigers will hope for another strong start from Anibal Sanchez, who is 5-2 with a 1.07 ERA in his career against the Royals.
TV: 2:10 p.m. ET, MLB Network, FSN Detroit, FSN Kansas City
PITCHING MATCHUP: Tigers RH Anibal Sanchez (1-3, 5.46 ERA) vs. Royals RH Jeremy Guthrie (1-1, 5.87)
Since giving up nine runs in 3 1/3 innings against the Chicago White Sox on April 18, Sanchez has righted the ship. He has allowed four runs in 13 1/3 frames over his last two outings, striking out 14 and yielding 10 hits along the way. The Tigers have lost each of the last four starts for Sanchez, who owns a 1.33 ERA in four career starts in Kansas City.
Guthrie has lasted five innings in each of his last two starts while giving up a combined seven runs on 12 hits. He has walked nine and hit a batter while fanning six in the process. The veteran is 9-7 with a 4.63 ERA in 22 games (19 starts) in his career against Detroit.
WALK-OFFS
1. Kinsler is 14-for-42 with a home run in his career against Guthrie.
2. Cain is 13-for-27 with two outs this season.
3. Detroit DH Victor Martinez is 2-for-20 over his last five games.