Tigers at Royals
The Kansas City Royals will try to claim their first series win of the season when they host the Detroit Tigers for the finale of their four-game series on Sunday. The Royals have won two of the first three meetings between the American League Central rivals this weekend and have a 5-4 edge in the season series.
The Royals, who are 0-8-2 in series this season, won the first two games of the set before a ninth-inning rally came up short in Saturday's 3-2 setback. The loss snapped their four-game home winning streak and gave the Tigers a chance to salvage a split of the series. Detroit ended a two-game skid when Shane Greene worked out of a ninth-inning jam brought on when center fielder Leonys Martin misplayed a fly ball off his head. The Tigers haven’t won the season series against the Royals since 2014.
TV: 2:15 p.m. ET, FS Detroit, FS Kansas City
PITCHING MATCHUP: Tigers LH Matthew Boyd (1-2, 2.48 ERA) vs. Royals RH Jakob Junis (3-2, 3.29)
Boyd has posted quality starts in four of his five outings this season, allowing just one run in each. The 27-year-old recorded a season-high seven strikeouts while allowing just one run over six innings to defeat Tampa Bay last time out. Boyd lost a 1-0 decision to the Royals on April 3 and is 2-5 with a 7.05 ERA in 10 career meetings.
Junis has recorded quality starts in four of his six outings in 2018, including a no-decision at Boston last time out. The 25-year-old held the Red Sox's powerful lineup to two runs with five strikeouts over six innings in a bounce-back outing after giving up five homers in his previous start against the White Sox. Junis is 4-1 with a 3.67 ERA in five games (four starts) against Detroit, including two wins this season.
WALK-OFFS
1. Detroit RF Nicholas Castellanos is batting .327 with 20 runs, 22 extra-base hits and 24 RBIs in 37 games against Kansas City since the start of 2016, but he’s 0-for-10 versus Junis.
2. Tigers DH Victor Martinez has reached base seven times in his last two games after reaching eight times in the previous 12 contests.
3. Royals RF Jorge Soler had his career-high 19-game on-base streak and 10-game hitting streak snapped with an 0-for-4 showing Saturday.