Arizona @ Kansas City preview

Last Meeting ( Mar 26, 2011 ) Kansas City 9, Arizona 6

THE STORY: The Arizona Diamondbacks look to regain first place in the National League West when they open a three-game series at Kansas City against the Royals on Tuesday. Both teams have lost two straight - the Royals dropped a pair of one-run contests at St. Louis, while the Diamondbacks, who are one-half game behind San Francisco in the NL West, closed their weekend series with back-to-back home losses to the Chicago White Sox.

TV: 8:10 p.m. ET, Fox Sports Arizona, Fox Sports Kansas City

PITCHING MATCHUP: Diamondbacks LH Joe Saunders (3-7, 4.50 ERA) vs. Royals RH Luke Hochevar (4-7, 4.87). Saunders has lost two straight after a three-start winning streak, allowing eight earned runs over his last 13 innings. He has had control troubles as evidenced by his unimpressive 49:35 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Problems have been few and far between, however, for Saunders against Kansas City - he is 3-0 with a 2.57 ERA in five career starts against the Royals with 22 strikeouts and nine walks. Kansas City hitters are a combined 7-for-37 (.189) against him with only two RBIs. Hochevar is coming off a loss at Oakland on June 15, but he has turned in back-to-back quality starts, allowing two runs over seven innings in both. He has won only once since May 1, enduring one three-start stretch that saw him yield 17 earned runs in 18 innings. Hochevar is 1-1 with a 6.55 ERA in two career starts against the Diamondbacks, with a loss in his most recent outing (4 IP, 7 R, 6 ER on June 18, 2009).

ABOUT THE DIAMONDBACKS (39-34): Despite losing four of its last six, Arizona has kept pace in the NL West thanks to a four-game skid by San Francisco. The Diamondbacks rank third in the National League with 334 runs scored, and the offense has produced 10 or more runs in seven different games this season. Six Arizona hitters have driven in at least 30 runs this season, led by shortstop Stephen Drew (.278, 4 HRs, 39 RBIs) and right fielder Justin Upton (.302, 12 HRs, 38 RBIs). The Diamondbacks rank second in the NL with 82 home runs.

ABOUT THE ROYALS (31-41): Kansas City was able to stay close in the American League Central through April, when the team hit .271 and scored 133 runs in 26 games, but the Royals' offense has slowed since then, producing only 187 runs in 45 contests while the team batting average dipped to .262. The diminished offensive numbers have exposed a pitching staff that ranks last in the American League in ERA, quality starts, WHIP and opponent batting average. Hochevar is one of only two Kansas City pitchers who has logged more than 53 1/3 innings this season.

FINAL PITCH: No team has been run on less this season than Arizona - the Diamondbacks have allowed only 27 stolen bases in 40 attempts. Kansas City, meanwhile, leads the major leagues with 73 steals in 92 attempts.