Los Angeles @ Kansas City preview

Last Meeting ( Aug 14, 2015 ) LA Angels 1, Kansas City 4

Eric Hosmer's brilliant run in the second half of the season is showing no signs of slowing down. After belting a homer in each of last two games, Hosmer looks to continue his blistering run of good fortune when the Kansas City Royals host the Los Angeles Angels in the third contest of the four-game series on Saturday.

Hosmer launched the go-ahead two-run blast in Friday's 4-1 triumph to increase his RBI total to 24 in his last 27 contests. The 25-year-old has driven in at least one run in eight straight and is riding a six-game hitting streak heading into Saturday's tilt versus Matt Shoemaker, against whom he is 3-for-6 in his career. While the American League Central-leading Royals snapped a two-game skid to improve to 6-2 on their 10-game homestand, the Angels have dropped 10 of their last 11 road contests to drop 2 1/2 games behind AL West-best Houston. Mike Trout, who ripped an RBI double on Friday, has nine hits in his last eight games following a brutal 1-for-20 stretch to begin the month of August.

TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, Fox Sports 1

PITCHING MATCHUP: Angels RH Matt Shoemaker (5-8, 4.36 ERA) at Royals RH Johnny Cueto (8-7, 2.53)

Shoemaker suffered his first loss since July 1 in brutal fashion, allowing three homers and seven runs total on nine hits in 5 2/3 innings of an 8-2 setback to the Chicago White Sox on Monday. The 28-year-old hadn't yielded a run and struck out 27 in his previous three starts (19 innings), but only had a 1-0 mark to show for it. Shoemaker has struggled mightily with the long ball, permitting 20 this season after allowing just 14 in 2014.

Cueto scattered four hits and struck out eight against Detroit on Monday en route to posting both his first shutout and victory since being acquired from Cincinnati. The 29-year-old Dominican has kept the ball in the park in each of his last eight starts, but didn't walk a batter for the first time since June 12. Cueto pitched well in his lone career meeting with Los Angeles, but settled for a no-decision despite yielding one run on three hits and striking out nine in seven innings.

WALK-OFFS

1. Kansas City CF Lorenzo Cain is 15-for-33 with six RBIs and seven runs scored during his eight-game hitting streak.

2. Los Angeles 3B Conor Gillaspie is 5-for-14 with three RBIs in his last three contests after going 0-for-15 in his previous five games.

3. Angels 1B Albert Pujols is 0-for-9 in the series and just 4-for-27 with six strikeouts in his last six contests.

PREDICTION: Royals 3, Angels 1