Kansas City @ Detroit preview

Last Meeting ( Jul 7, 2012 ) Kansas City 7, Detroit 8

The Detroit Tigers seek a fifth straight victory to end play before the All-Star break when they close a three-game series against the Kansas City Royals on Sunday. Detroit has won four consecutive games for the first time since mid-April and has climbed back above .500 for the initial time since May 10. The Tigers won the first two games of the series and are 6-1 against Kansas City this season.

The Royals are 3-7 on an 11-game road trip after Saturday’s 8-7 loss. Kansas City displayed fight with three ninth-inning runs but has dropped seven of nine games to fall nine games below .500. Detroit’s Delmon Young has homered in three consecutive games and Prince Fielder also went deep in Saturday’s contest. Fielder’s two-run shot raises his RBI count to 60, second on the squad behind Miguel Cabrera’s 71.

TV: 1:05 p.m. ET, FS Kansas City, FS Detroit

PITCHING MATCHUP: Royals LH Everett Teaford (1-1, 4.70 ERA) vs. Tigers RH Max Scherzer (7-5, 4.98)

Teaford is making his fourth start of the season. He recorded his first win of the campaign when he allowed three runs and five hits in seven innings against Toronto on Monday. Teaford threw three innings of scoreless relief against the Tigers last season in his lone appearance against Detroit.

Scherzer was scratched from Tuesday’s start because of hamstring soreness. He has won two of his last three starts and has fanned 26 and walked only three in 20 innings during the stretch. Scherzer allowed only two runs and four hits in six innings while beating Tampa Bay on June 28. He is 5-4 with a 3.96 ERA in 11 career starts against Kansas City, including a victory on April 18.

WALK-OFFS

1. Tigers outfielder Austin Jackson is batting .417 during a career-best 14-game hitting streak.

2. Kansas City third baseman Mike Moustakas had three RBIs on Saturday and is 9-for-25 with nine RBIs over his last six contests.

3. Young has four homers in nine games after having only five prior to the power surge.