Royals at Tigers
The Detroit Tigers were looking like baseball's best team when they last saw the Kansas City Royals, completing a three-game road sweep to improve to 9-3. The Tigers have been in a tailspin since, dropping eight of 10 after losing two of three at Yankee Stadium over the weekend. Detroit went 1-6 at home during that stretch to fall below .500 (6-7) at Comerica Park and will look to get back on the winning side of the ledger when it hosts the Royals in a three-game set beginning Monday.
The series against the Tigers was part of a disastrous 0-10 homestand for Kansas City, which lost 12 straight before reeling off a three-game winning streak that ended Sunday in Minnesota. The Royals managed only six runs in the previous set against Detroit, but their offense has come alive of late, putting up 19 runs in four games. Billy Butler has led the way, stringing together four consecutive multi-hit games in a five-game hitting streak to boost his average to .329.
TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, FS Kansas City, FS Detroit
PITCHING MATCHUP: Royals RH Luke Hochevar (2-1, 4.98 ERA) vs. Tigers LH Duane Below (2-0, 0.00 ERA)
Hochevar is being moved up a day in the rotation after scheduled starter Jonathan Sanchez felt ill over the weekend. He appears to be rounding into form following an ugly home opener in which he was shelled for seven runs on nine hits in four innings and took a line drive off his left ankle. The former No. 1 overall pick went 6 1/3 strong innings last time out against Cleveland, allowing two runs on four hits.
Below has been near-perfect in five relief appearances, not allowing a run – or a walk – in 12 innings. He will hope to carry that success into the third start of his career and first since July 25, 2011. The 26-year-old Below, a Michigan native, did have one long outing this season, pitching six scoreless innings against Texas on April 21. He has yielded four runs in three relief appearance against the Royals.
WALK-OFFS
1. Tigers 3B Miguel Cabrera has tattooed Hochevar to the tune of 15-for-29 with two homers and nine RBIs.
2. Butler is 10-for-23 with three homers and seven RBIs during his five-game hitting streak. He is a .330 career hitter against the Tigers.
3. Detroit LF Delmon Young was placed on the restricted list Saturday and will be examined Monday following his arrest on a hate crime harassment charge.