Royals at Rangers
Pitching at home early in the season has been a boon for Yu Darvish and the Texas Rangers, who will look to complete a four-game sweep of the Kansas City Royals on Sunday afternoon. Darvish hopes to bolster his numbers at the expense of a Kansas City offense that has scored three runs in the series and a major league-low 44 on the season.
Darvish is 20-8 over the first two months of the season in his career, including an 11-4 mark in April, and has won two-thirds of his decisions at home (28-14). Texas has received sensational performances from its rotation over the last three games, with the starters combining to allow two runs in 21 innings to offset an offense that has the lowest batting average in baseball. A walk-off single by Elvis Andrus in the ninth inning Saturday was the difference in a 2-1 victory -- the Royals' third straight defeat and ninth consecutive setback at the hands of the Rangers. Kansas City has scored seven runs over its last 60 innings spanning its past six games.
TV: 3:05 p.m. ET, FSN Kansas City, FSN Southwest (Texas)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Royals RH Jason Hammel (0-1, 4.60 ERA) vs. Rangers RH Yu Darvish (1-2, 3.28)
Hammel is coming off his best outing of the young season, a no-decision against San Francisco in which he permitted one run and six hits over six innings. He lasted only 4 2/3 innings in his previous turn, taking the loss after allowing four runs and seven hits while walking four. The 34-year-old Hammel has made six appearances (four starts) against Texas, posting a 1-2 mark and 4.18 ERA.
What appeared to be another stellar outing quickly unraveled last time out for Darvish, who gave up four sixth-inning runs to Oakland after facing the minimum through the first five frames. Darvish turned in a masterpiece in his previous start at the Los Angeles Angels, striking out 10 while permitting five hits over seven scoreless innings. Brandon Moss is 7-for-23 with four homers and six RBIs against Darvish.
WALK-OFFS
1. Rangers 1B Mike Napoli, who belted 34 homers in 2016, hit his third of the season Saturday and first in 10 games.
2. Royals 3B Mike Moustakas extended his hitting streak to four games Saturday with an RBI single.
3. Texas CF Carlos Gomez has hit safely in three straight (5-for-13) following a 6-for-44 slump.