Detroit @ Kansas City preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 19, 2014 ) Detroit 10, Kansas City 1

The Kansas City Royals head into Saturday’s contest against the visiting Detroit Tigers looking to bounce back from one of their most disappointing efforts of the season. Detroit recorded 19 hits en route to a 10-1 victory in the series opener and moved 1 1/2 games ahead of the second-place Royals in the American League Central. Kansas City, which fell one-half game behind Oakland for the top wild-card spot, should be well rested after manager Ned Yost replaced most of his starters early in Friday’s loss.

Nori Aoki went 2-for-3 on Friday and has 13 hits in his last 16 at-bats for Kansas City, which has lost 12 of its 17 games against Detroit this season. Tigers catcher James McCann recorded his first major-league hit on Friday while starting in place of Alex Avila, who is not expected to play this weekend due to concussion symptoms. J.D. Martinez went 3-for-4 on Friday and has 22 hits in 48 at-bats with five home runs and 15 RBIs in 14 games against the Royals this season.

TV: 1:05 p.m. ET, FOX

PITCHING MATCHUP: Tigers RH Max Scherzer (16-5, 3.26 ERA) vs. Royals RH James Shields (14-7, 3.15)

Scherzer allowed four runs over seven frames against Minnesota on Monday in his longest outing since Aug. 19. The 2013 Cy Young Award winner has recorded at least 200 strikeouts for the third straight season and thrown at least 101 pitches in nine consecutive starts. Alex Gordon is 14-for-36 with three home runs against Scherzer, who is 10-5 with a 3.74 ERA in 20 career games against the Royals - including 6 2/3 innings of one-run ball on Sept. 9.

Shields saw his career-best scoreless innings streak end at 18 1/3 on Monday, when he yielded three runs over seven frames against the Chicago White Sox. The Royals have won seven of the last nine games started by Shields, who has issued a total of two walks over his last four outings. Shields is 7-5 with a 4.11 ERA in 18 career starts against Detroit, but Miguel Cabrera is 19-for-52 with two homers against the California native.

WALK-OFFS

1. Detroit has won seven of its eight games at Kauffman Stadium this season.

2. Royals LF Alex Gordon is batting .164 (9-for-55) in 17 games this month.

3. The Tigers are 7-3 in their stretch of 19 straight games against AL Central opponents.

PREDICTION: Tigers 5, Royals 3