Royals at Indians
The Cleveland Indians look to get their struggling offense in gear and win a series for the first time this season when they host the Kansas City Royals on Sunday afternoon in the rubber match of a three-game set. The Indians are last in the majors with a .161 team batting average after getting blanked 1-0 on six hits Saturday by the Royals while going 0-for-4 with runners in scoring position.
Cleveland has scored just seven times in losing three of its last four, as regulars Jose Ramirez (.067), Yan Gomes (.118), Jason Kipnis (.133) and newcomer Yonder Alonso (.167) are among those off to cold starts with the bat. Jason Hammel will attempt to keep the Indians' bats quiet when he makes his second start of the season for Kansas City and fellow right-hander Mike Clevinger gets the ball for Cleveland after a strong effort in his 2018 debut. Lucas Duda belted his second homer for the lone run and recorded his team-leading seventh RBI in Saturday’s victory as the Royals won their second 1-0 game in their last three outings. Duda has the only two homers in the early going for Kansas City, which is last in the majors in RBIs with 14 and hitting .186 as a team to go along with a league-worst .250 on-base percentage.
TV: 1:10 p.m. ET, FS Kansas City, SportsTime Ohio (Cleveland)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Royals RH Jason Hammel (0-1, 9.00 ERA) vs. Indians RH Mike Clevinger (1-0, 0.00)
Hammel allowed just one run in the first four innings before giving four on four hits in the fifth in his season debut last Monday against Detroit in a 6-1 loss. The 35-year-old South Carolina native went 8-13 in his first season with the Royals in 2017 and finished with a 5.29 ERA - his worst since 2007 with Tampa Bay. Slugger Edwin Encarnacion is 9-for-32 with five homers and seven RBIs versus Hammel, who went 3-2 with a 4.88 ERA in five starts against the Indians last season.
Clevinger yielded four hits and two walks over 5 1/3 scoreless innings to beat the Los Angeles Angels in his season debut Monday, but his pitch count rose to 97. The 27-year-old was 5-3 with a 3.79 ERA in 15 appearances (10 starts) at home and 2-0 with a 2.16 ERA against the Royals last year. Mike Moustakas and Alcides Escobar each have a homer - but are 2-for-15 combined against Clevinger - who struck out 137 in 121 2/3 innings in 2017.
WALK-OFFS
1. Kansas City OF Jon Jay leads the team in batting average (.273) and on-base percentage (.385).
2. Cleveland LF Michael Brantley is 1-for-8 with two RBIs after returning from an ankle injury and is expected to be rested Sunday.
3. The Indians were 26-12 against the Royals the last two seasons before splitting the first two in 2018.