Royals at Rangers
The Kansas City Royals have been able to work around the majors' worst offense lately, thanks to one of the American League's top pitching staffs, but the Texas Rangers seem to be beating them at their own game halfway through their four-game series. The Rangers attempt to win three in a row for the first time this season on Saturday, when they continue their home set against the Royals.
Texas returned home Thursday after dropping five of its final six - a stretch during which the club allowed an average of 5.6 runs in its losses - during a 3-6 road trip to fall to its worst 15-game start since 2002 at 5-10. The Rangers have turned the tables on Kansas City so far, however, blanking the Royals over 13 innings in the opener before getting two-homer efforts from Robinson Chirinos and Joey Gallo to support an eight-inning gem from Cole Hamels in Friday's 6-2 victory. Kansas City yielded a total of four runs to rip off four consecutive triumphs late last week, but the offense produced fewer than three runs for the fifth consecutive time in its latest setback and is 1-3 since the winning streak. The Royals have mustered a league-low 43 runs, although Lorenzo Cain has been a bright spot with team-leading marks in batting average (.339) and stolen bases (six).
TV: 8:05 p.m. ET, FSN Kansas City, FSN Southwest (Texas)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Royals RH Ian Kennedy (0-2, 2.37 ERA) vs. Rangers RH Nick Martinez (2016: 2-3, 5.59)
Kennedy, who has received a total of one run of support in his three starts, settled for a no-decision Sunday against the Los Angeles Angels despite yielding only two hits and striking out 10 over eight scoreless innings. The 32-year-old opened the season by allowing three runs in five frames at Minnesota on April 5 and took another loss five days later despite giving up only two runs over six innings against Oakland. Kennedy permitted one run in seven frames but did not factor in the decision in his only start against Texas last year.
Martinez is expected to make his season debut in place of A.J. Griffin, who was placed on the 10-day disabled list Friday with gout in his left ankle. The Fordham product gave up five runs over four frames in his most recent start for Triple-A Round Rock on Monday after tossing five scoreless innings in his 2017 debut for the Express. Martinez settled for a no-decision in his only turn against the Royals in 2015, allowing four runs - three earned - over 6 1/3 innings.
WALK-OFFS
1. The Rangers (.206) and Royals (.211) own the worst team batting averages in the AL.
2. Kansas City allowed a major league-low eight homers over its first 15 games before surrendering four on Friday.
3. Texas released OF Josh Hamilton from his minor-league contract after he injured his right knee while working on his recovery from left knee surgery.