Royals at Indians
The defending world champion Kansas City Royals are pitching about the same as last season, but their offense has been letting them down. The Royals are tied for 13th in the American League in runs scored and look to begin turning things around after a 2-7 swoon when they visit the Cleveland Indians to begin a three-game series on Friday.
Kansas City was sixth in the AL in scoring a year ago and has managed to post just 90 runs in its first 27 games (14-13), matching Tampa Bay while sitting just one ahead of the New York Yankees. The Royals have scored two or fewer runs in six of their last nine games, and it won’t get any easier against Cleveland’s scheduled starter Danny Salazar, who will oppose Yordano Ventura. The Indians started their homestand with a three-game sweep of Detroit, getting three RBIs each from Michael Brantley and Mike Napoli in a 9-4 victory on Thursday. Napoli recorded six of his team-high 17 RBIs in the series while Brantley, who started the season on the disabled list after shoulder surgery, went 6-for-12 in the set.
TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, FSN Kansas City, SportsTime Ohio (Cleveland)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Royals RH Yordano Ventura (2-1, 3.67 ERA) vs. Indians RH Danny Salazar (2-2, 2.40)
Ventura is coming off his worst start of the season, a four-inning outing at Seattle in which he allowed five runs on three hits and six walks in a 6-0 loss. The 24-year-old Dominican gave up two runs or fewer in each of his previous four starts but has issued 20 walks in 27 frames. Carlos Santana is 6-for-18 with a pair of homers versus Ventura, who is 4-1 with a 2.62 ERA in seven career turns against Cleveland.
Salazar has permitted three or fewer runs in each of his starts, and two or fewer in four of the five, but still is winless in his last three outings. The 26-year-old Dominican, who has recorded 34 strikeouts in 30 innings, gave up two runs and three hits over seven frames in a loss at Philadelphia on Sunday. Eric Hosmer is 8-for-20 with two homers versus Salazar, who is 4-5 with a 4.64 ERA in nine career starts against the Royals.
WALK-OFFS
1. Kansas City SS Alcides Escobar is 9-for-17 with a pair of RBIs during his four-game hitting streak.
2. Cleveland C Chris Gimenez, who was acquired Wednesday from Texas after C Roberto Perez suffered a fractured thumb, homered in his first game Thursday.
3. The Royals won 10 of the 19 meetings between the AL Central rivals last season, including six of the 10 at Cleveland.