Kansas City @ Detroit preview

Last Meeting ( Aug 5, 2015 ) Kansas City 1, Detroit 2

The Detroit Tigers likely won’t win their fifth straight American League Central title this season, but they can at least make it hard on the Kansas City Royals. The Tigers will try to earn a series victory when they host the Royals in the rubber match of a three-game series on Thursday.

Kansas City took the series opener on Tuesday but could not muster any support for newly-acquired ace Johnny Cueto in Wednesday’s 2-1 setback. One of Detroit’s big problems has been the starting pitching failing to live up to its previous standards, but the staff surrendered one run in each of its last two wins behind trade acquisitions Daniel Norris and Matt Boyd to give some hope for the future. The Royals are losers of five of their last seven games but still own a 9 1/2–game lead in the AL Central. Kansas City will send inconsistent right-hander Yordano Ventura to the mound against Anibal Sanchez on Thursday.

TV: 1:08 p.m. ET, FSN Kansas City, FSN Detroit

PITCHING MATCHUP: Royals RH Yordano Ventura (6-7, 4.98 ERA) vs. Tigers RH Anibal Sanchez (10-9, 4.77)

Ventura was bailed out by his offense and earned a win at Toronto on Saturday despite allowing five runs on six hits and a pair of walks in seven innings. The Dominican Republic native surrendered a pair of home runs in that outing after keeping the ball in the park in each of his previous six turns. Ventura surrendered four runs over six innings in a no decision at Detroit on May 8 and is 2-0 with a 4.30 ERA in three career games against the Tigers.

Sanchez is trying to recover from two straight losses and was lit up for six runs and nine hits in 6 2/3 innings at Baltimore on Saturday. The Venezuela native has already allowed a career-high 24 home runs in 143 1/3 innings, including five in his last three turns. Sanchez went 1-1 in back-to-back starts against Kansas City in May while yielding nine runs (eight earned) in 13 1/3 innings.

WALK-OFFS

1. Royals 1B Eric Hosmer has recorded multiple hits in seven of his last nine games.

2. Detroit LHP Kyle Lobstein (shoulder) was sent to Single-A Lakeland to begin a rehab assignment.

3. Kansas City LF Alex Gordon (groin strain) hopes to take batting practice and work in the outfield when the team returns home Friday.

PREDICTION: Royals 7, Tigers 3