Royals at Orioles
The Kansas City Royals are charging toward the top of the American League Central and are finally getting some offensive contributions from a pair of former All-Stars who spent the first half of the season mired in deep slumps. Alex Gordon and Alcides Escobar will try to stay hot when the Royals continue their nine-game road trip by visiting the Baltimore Orioles on Monday.
The Royals are winners of 10 of their last 11 to pull within two games of the Cleveland Indians for first place in the Central and got key hits in the eighth inning of Sunday's 5-3 win at Boston from Gordon and Escobar, who combined to drive in four runs in the go-ahead rally. "We just kept grinding, just keep grinding the at-bats. It's just kind of typical of our success. The big guys are getting on base, and (Escobar) and Gordon, who struggled so much at the beginning of the year, come up with huge hits." The Orioles (50-54) are coming off a series victory at Texas and won eight of their last 13 games to draw within four games of .500. Baltimore will try to slow the Kansas City offense with veteran Ubaldo Jimenez while the Royals counter with lefty Danny Duffy.
TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, FSN Kansas City, MASN 2 (Baltimore)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Royals LH Danny Duffy (7-6, 3.56 ERA) vs. Orioles RH Ubaldo Jimenez (4-7, 6.93)
Duffy is coming off a strong start at Detroit on Tuesday, when he allowed one run on six hits in 6 1/3 innings while striking out four. The 28-year-old has surrendered two or fewer earned runs in seven of his last 10 turns and issued a total of one walk in his last four outings. Duffy was solid at home against Baltimore on May 12 but did not factor in the decision while yielding two runs in seven frames.
Jimenez struck out a season-high nine in six innings at Tampa Bay on Wednesday but still ended up with the loss despite allowing just two runs on three hits. The Dominican Republic native fared much worse in his two previous starts, when he was lit up for a combined 12 runs and 21 hits in nine innings. Jimenez is seeing the Royals for the first time this season and earned a win over Kansas City at home in 2016.
WALK-OFFS
1. Orioles DH Mark Trumbo (back) was scratched from the lineup on Sunday and is day-to-day.
2. Royals CF Lorenzo Cain is 9-for-19 with seven runs scored in his last four games.
3. Kansas City acquired OF Melky Cabrera from the Chicago White Sox on Sunday in exchange for a pair of prospects and optioned OF Terrance Gore to Triple-A Omaha to make room on the active roster.