Royals at Angels
The Kansas City Royals have tuned up their sagging offense and look to post a season-best fifth straight victory when they open a four-game series against the host Los Angeles Angels on Thursday. Kansas City, which has scored the fewest runs (253) in the American League, has racked up 35 during its four-game winning streak.
Mike Moustakas is leading the revival with a .391 batting average this month and slugged his fifth homer of June in Wednesday's 7-2 victory over San Francisco. "We're trending in the right direction," Moustakas told reporters after the victory. "We've been playing great baseball on this road trip, and if we keep this going, we're going to be in a good spot after the end of this month." The Angels have won five of their last seven games after Andrelton Simmons hit a tiebreaking two-run homer in the seventh inning of Wednesday's 7-5 victory over the New York Yankees. Los Angeles is hanging tough without reigning American League MVP Mike Trout, going 9-7 in his absence to reside in second place in the AL West.
TV: 10:07 p.m. ET, FSN Kansas City, FSN West (Los Angeles)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Royals LH Matt Strahm (1-3, 4.50 ERA) vs. Angels RH Ricky Nolasco (2-7, 4.81)
Strahm will make his first major-league start after 41 relief appearances over the past two seasons. The 2012 21st-round draft pick is holding opponents to a .178 batting average this season but has issued 18 walks in just 22 innings. Strahm, who never has faced the Angels, has recorded 56 strikeouts in 44 big-league frames.
Nolasco has dropped five consecutive starts - matching the longest skid of his career - and is winless in his last nine dating back to a victory over Oakland on April 27. The 34-year-old lost to Houston in his last turn despite giving up two runs and eight hits over seven innings. Nolasco is 2-4 with a 4.80 ERA in eight career starts against the Royals and has struggled with Salvador Perez (8-for-21, one homer) and Alcides Escobar (8-for-24).
WALK-OFFS
1. The Royals allowed just three runs while sweeping a three-game home series from the Angels in mid-April.
2. Los Angeles DH Albert Pujols is batting just .163 in June, even after recording his first multi-hit performance of the month on Wednesday.
3. OF Jorge Bonifacio drove in six of Kansas City's 15 runs in a two-game sweep of the Giants.