Texas @ Kansas City preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 4, 2012 ) Texas 3, Kansas City 6

With their closest pursuers in the American League West busy picking on each other, the Texas Rangers can breathe a little easier this week. Though all it would take to get the heart rate up would be a series loss to the Kansas City Royals. The Rangers took the first of the four-game set on Monday but could not solve Jeremy Guthrie in falling on Tuesday. Ryan Dempster figures to give them a good chance to guarantee at least a split.

Texas owns the best record in the American League and a four-game lead over the Oakland Athletics in the West. The offense has been the key lately and has already totaled six home runs in the series. Guthrie managed to keep Josh Hamilton in the yard but the slugger remained hot with a pair of hits. Kansas City is spending the last month seeing if all the pieces fit together on their team of the future. Alex Gordon and Salvador Perez - two big keys to that future - drove in runs on Tuesday and the team is enjoying a 20-14 stretch since July 31.

TV: 8:10 p.m. ET, FSSW (Texas), FSKC (Kansas City)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Rangers RH Ryan Dempster (4-1, 4.58 ERA) vs. Royals LH Everett Teaford (1-3, 4.30)

Dempster has been outstanding in his last three starts, going 3-0 with a 1.35 ERA and 20 strikeouts in as many innings. The veteran right-hander surrendered only two hits and an unearned run to earn a win at Cleveland last Friday. Dempster made two interleague starts against Kansas City during his long tenure in the National League, going 1-0 with a 4.50 ERA. Jeff Francoeur is 6-for-15 (.400) with three doubles, a home run and four RBIs against Dempster.

Teaford will be the first to go on what manager Ned Yost is calling a “pen day” - a result of the Royals’ doubleheader last Saturday. Teaford, who has bounced back and forth between the bullpen and the rotation this season, will take the ball first with Vin Mazzaro backing him up. Teaford went 5 1/3 scoreless innings in relief of Luke Hochevar on Saturday, allowing three hits. He has made three career appearances against the Rangers, allowing one hit in 1 2/3 total innings.

WALK-OFFS

1. Texas 3B Adrian Beltre had his streak of three straight games with a home run come to an end on Tuesday but singled to extend his hitting streak to five games.

2. Perez recorded his major-league leading third pickoffs when he nabbed Ian Kinsler on Tuesday.

3. The day after recording enough plate appearances to qualify for the batting title and slotting No. 3 in the race with a .324 average, Rangers OF David Murphy went 0-for-4 to drop to .321 but remained in third in the AL.