Kansas City @ Oakland preview

Last Meeting ( Apr 19, 2015 ) Oakland 2, Kansas City 4

The Kansas City Royals are winners of seven of their last 10 and are off to a strong start on their final road trip of the first half of the season. The Royals, who took two of three from Seattle to begin the trip, will try to keep rolling when they visit the Oakland Athletics for the start of a three-game series on Friday.

Kansas City beat the Athletics in extra innings in the wild card game last fall to begin a run to the seventh game of the World Series, and took two of three in a contentious series that included several benches-clearing incidents when Oakland visited in April. The A’s are winners of five straight and seem to be turning around some of the worst luck in the majors. Oakland sits seven games below .500 and tied for last place in the AL West despite a plus-46 run differential. The A’s will send right-hander Jesse Hahn to the mound on Friday to oppose Royals veteran Edinson Volquez.

TV: 10:05 p.m. ET, FSN Kansas City, CSN California (Oakland)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Royals RH Edinson Volquez (7-4, 3.33 ERA) vs. Athletics RH Jesse Hahn (5-5, 3.40)

Volquez earned the win in each of his last three starts but failed to make it through six innings in either of the last two. The Dominican Republic native was reached for four runs on eight hits and a pair of walks and did not strike out a batter in 5 1/3 innings against Boston on Saturday but was bailed out by his offense. Volquez is facing Oakland for the first time since 2007 and is 2-2 with a 3.50 ERA in six road starts this season.

Hahn posted his second straight win against the Los Angeles Angels on Saturday, allowing one run and four hits in 7 2/3 innings. The 25-year-old has been charged with a total of two runs and seven hits in 14 1/3 innings over his last two turns. Hahn started at Kansas City on Apr. 18 and scattered three hits over 5 1/3 scoreless innings to pick up the win.

WALK-OFFS

1. Royals 3B Mike Moustakas, who went 1-for-12 against the A’s in April, has hit safely in nine straight games.

2. Oakland C Stephen Vogt is 6-for-10 in two games since coming back from a cortisone shot in his elbow.

3. Kansas City SS Alcides Escobar is 18-for-41 with 10 RBIs in the last 10 games.

PREDICTION: Royals 4, Athletics 2