The Kansas City Royals began a six-game road trip with their best offensive showing of the season, and they’ll try to carry that momentum into the second contest of their three-game series at the Baltimore Orioles on Wednesday. The Royals smacked four home runs in a 10-run first inning Tuesday, scoring seven runs before the Orioles recorded an out en route to a 15-7 rout.
Kansas City has won seven of its last 10, but it had scored 10 runs only twice in 34 games before doing so in the first inning of the series opener. The Royals hit five home runs after entering the day ranked 28th in the league with 29 blasts. The Orioles have lost seven straight and own the worst record in baseball at 8-27. Their pitching staff has struggled mightily during the skid, allowing double-digit runs three times in the past six games, and the bullpen was put to the test Tuesday after starter Dylan Bundy failed to record an out.
TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, FS Kansas City, MASN (Baltimore)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Royals LH Eric Skoglund (1-2, 6.84 ERA) vs. Orioles RH Andrew Cashner (1-4, 4.89)
Skoglund has just one quality start in his five outings this season, but the Royals have won his last three starts. The 25-year-old missed out on a win last time out because he didn’t get out of the fifth inning against Detroit, allowing five runs in 4 2/3 innings. Skoglund is 0-2 with a 12.06 ERA on the road in his brief career.
Cashner is winless in his last five starts, and the Orioles have lost each game. The 31-year-old gave up back-to-back homers in the first inning of his last outing at Oakland on Friday, but he settled in after that and was charged with four runs (three earned) over 4 2/3 innings in a no-decision. Cashner has had tough luck against the Royals, going 0-2 with a 1.69 ERA in three meetings.
WALK-OFFS
1. Kansas City LF Alex Gordon is batting .382 in 14 games since returning from the disabled list and recorded a four-hit game Tuesday - his first since July 7, 2015.
2. Baltimore 2B Jonathan Schoop (oblique) returned from the disabled list Tuesday and went 1-for-5 with two RBIs in his first action since April 13.
3. Royals RF Jorge Soler has hit safely in 12 of his last 13 games and is batting .400 with five doubles, four homers, and 13 RBIs over that span.