Texas @ Kansas City preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 3, 2012 ) Texas 8, Kansas City 4

Adrian Beltre and Josh Hamilton are both hot at the same time, spelling doom for American League pitchers. The Texas Rangers have ridden their strong offense to 12 wins in the last 16 games to stay clear of the surging Oakland Athletics in the American League West. Kansas City Royals pitchers served up five home runs to the Rangers on Monday but have been playing well over the last month.

Beltre has nine home runs, 17 RBIs and is batting .449 over his last 12 games. The All-Star hammered his 28th homer in Monday’s 8-4 triumph. Hamilton hit his league-leading 38th blast in the contest and has gone deep in three of the last five games, with 12 RBIs over the last 12. The Royals have skipped their way up to third place in the Central and have shown an ability to beat playoff contenders with a three-game sweep of the Detroit Tigers last week. Kansas City has three more against Texas and will face another first-place team when it travels to Chicago on Friday.

TV: 8:10 p.m. ET, FS Southwest (Texas), FS Kansas City

PITCHING MATCHUP: Rangers LH Matt Harrison (15-8, 3.30 ERA) vs. Royals RH Jeremy Guthrie (3-3, 3.86)

Harrison had a string of three straight quality starts come to an end against Tampa Bay last week, when he was lit up for seven runs on 12 hits over 5 1/3 innings to suffer a loss. The left-hander surrendered three home runs in that game - one more than his total from the previous five starts. Harrison won at Kansas City on Aug. 3, allowing two runs on eight hits in 6 2/3 innings. He is 3-1 with a 4.25 ERA in six career games against the Royals.

Guthrie has been outstanding in four of his last five starts, allowing a total of one earned run in 30 innings during the four turns. He scattered 10 hits over 7 1/3 innings against the Tigers last week but only permitted one run in a win. The veteran right-hander lost to Texas on Aug. 3, yielding three runs on six hits in six innings. Guthrie is 3-3 with a 3.90 ERA in 13 career games - 10 starts - against the Rangers. Beltre is only 5-for-29 (.172) with a homer against Guthrie.

WALK-OFFS

1. The benches cleared briefly Monday after Nelson Cruz was hit by a pitch in the ninth inning and yelled out toward the mound. Cruz thought he was plunked in retaliation for a slow home run trot earlier in the game.

2. Royals utilityman Tony Abreu has nine RBIs in his last five games.

3. Texas 2B Ian Kinsler (back) returned to the lineup Monday after missing a game and went 1-for-5.