New York @ Kansas City preview

Last Meeting ( Jun 7, 2014 ) NY Yankees 4, Kansas City 8

Kansas City Royals ace James Shields carries the nickname of "Big Game James," but that moniker hasn't exactly suited him when going up against the New York Yankees. Shields is 8-15 lifetime versus the Yankees - his most losses against any team in the majors - but gets another crack at visiting New York on Sunday in the third of a four-game series. He split a pair of decisions against the Yankees in 2013, giving up a total of three earned runs in 15 innings.

New York will send Hiroki Kuroda to the mound to oppose Shields, hoping the 39-year-old right-hander is close to recapturing the form that made him the team's top starter a year ago before unraveling over the final six weeks. The Yankees have gone nine straight games without scoring more than four runs and among the culprits is right fielder Alfonso Soriano, who is 2-for-21 with one RBI in his last seven. Jacoby Ellsbury remains hot with a 12-game hitting streak.

TV: 2:10 p.m. ET, YES (New York), FSN Kansas City

PITCHING MATCHUP: Yankees RH Hiroki Kuroda (4-3, 4.27 ERA) vs. Royals RH James Shields (6-3, 3.68)

Kuroda is coming off his finest effort of the season, limiting Oakland to one run on two hits over 6 2/3 innings before the bullpen blew the save and cost him a victory. He has allowed three earned runs or fewer in six of his last seven starts and has not lost since May 1. Kuroda has been victimized by the long ball, surrendering six homers in his last five starts, and is 1-2 with a 3.34 ERA lifetime versus the Royals.

Shields has been knocked around in three straight starts, but he has not factored in the decision and Kansas City has won all three thanks to an offense that produced 23 runs in that span. All three outings have come away from home for Shields, who has surrendered seven homers during the rough patch after giving up five in his first 10 starts. Kansas City has scored fewer than five runs only once in Shields' last 10 turns.

WALK-OFFS

1. Royals LF Alex Gordon, who has hit safely in six straight, is 6-for-8 lifetime against Kuroda.

2. Yankees DH Carlos Beltran is batting .321 with 13 RBIs in 12 games versus Kansas City but is 0-for-5 against Shields.

3. The Royals hit a pair of homers in Saturday's win but remain last in the majors with 28 in 62 games.

PREDICTION: Yankees 5, Royals 3