Pittsburgh @ Kansas City preview

Last Meeting ( Jun 10, 2012 ) Kansas City 2, Pittsburgh 3

The Kansas City Royals own the best record in the American League and are a season-high 20 games over .500 as they prepare to open a three-game interleague series against the visiting Pittsburgh Pirates on Monday night. The surging Royals won three of four from the Chicago White Sox to open the second half of the season and improved to 11-3 in their last 14 games.

All-Star center fielder Lorenzo Cain was 7-for-17 against the White Sox, including a tiebreaker homer in the 13th inning Saturday and a solo shot in Sunday's 4-1 victory. The Pirates rolled into the All-Star break with 13 wins in 16 games but were swept in a three-game series at Milwaukee, the last place team in the National League Central. They also suffered a potentially big loss when starting shortstop Jordy Mercer had to be carted off the field Sunday with a lower-leg injury and is headed back to Pittsburgh to be evaluated by team doctors. The Pirates send right-hander A.J. Burnett to the mound Monday to oppose Kansas City's Yordano Ventura.

TV: 8:10 p.m. ET, ROOT (Pittsburgh), FSN Kansas City

PITCHING MATCHUP: Pirates RH A.J. Burnett (7-3, 2.11 ERA) vs. Royals RH Yordano Ventura (4-6, 4.73)

Burnett has registered seven consecutive quality starts but has only one win in that stretch after giving up three runs on six hits over 6 1/3 innings versus St. Louis last time out. The 38-year-old veteran surrendered a combined four earned runs in his previous three turns, winning an interleague matchup at Detroit with seven innings of two-run ball. Burnett has made 11 career starts versus the Royals, going 5-3 with a 2.69 ERA.

After spending nearly a month on the disabled list, Ventura earned his first victory since May 19 by limiting Tampa Bay to three runs and four hits over five innings on July 9. The 24-year-old Dominican had been 0-3 in his previous four starts, although the Royals did not help him much by providing a total of four runs in that span. A 14-game winner a year ago, Ventura has not won back-to-back home starts since June 5-11, 2014.

WALK-OFFS

1. Cain is 15-for-33 with four homers, nine RBIs and nine runs scored during an eight-game hitting streak.

2. Pittsburgh is expected to promote INF Brent Morel from Triple-A Indianapolis in time for Monday's series opener.

3. Royals RHP Kris Medlen is expected to come off the disabled list and be in the bullpen Monday - his first action since 2013 with Atlanta.

PREDICTION: Royals 4, Pirates 3