Kansas City @ Cleveland preview

Last Meeting ( Jul 30, 2011 ) Kansas City 2, Cleveland 5

THE STORY: After mustering only 13 runs en route to dropping seven of their previous eight games, the Cleveland Indians couldn't generate anything substantial during the first seven innings Saturday as well. Michael Brantley ended the drought with an RBI single in the eighth inning, and after Kosuke Fukudome's sacrifice fly tied the contest in the ninth, Matt LaPorta's three-run homer gave Cleveland a 5-2 triumph over the Kansas City Royals. Cleveland will vie for its third win in 10 outings when it hosts the rubber match of the three-game series Sunday.

TV: 1:05 p.m. ET, FS Kansas City, STO (Cleveland)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Royals RH Kyle Davies (1-9, 6.75 ERA) vs. Indians RH Fausto Carmona (5-10, 5.35).

Davis deserved a better fate in his last outing. The 27-year-old Georgia native permitted only one run on five hits and struck out six in six innings, but settled for a no-decision against the Boston Red Sox on Monday. Prior to that contest, Davis had dropped eight consecutive starts and won his lone game of the season April 13. He is 3-7 in his career against Cleveland, losing his last meeting against the Indians after allowing two runs in one-third of an inning May 16. Carmona tossed his third straight stellar outing but was saddled with his second no-decision in that stretch. He scattered four hits over six innings Monday, but did not factor in the decision in a 3-2 victory over the Los Angeles Angels. Prior to the solid span of games, Carmona had dropped seven of eight decisions. Carmona has won six of 10 career meetings against the Royals - including one this season. On April 28, he permitted two runs on five hits in seven innings in an 8-2 triumph.

ABOUT THE ROYALS (45-62): Matt Treanor paid a severe price to record an out Saturday. Brantley's fly ball to left was caught by Alex Gordon, who fired a strike to Treanor as LaPorta barreled into him. Treanor held on to the ball, but he remained motionless in the dirt. He was taken to a hospital and will be placed on the seven-day concussion list. He was replaced by Brayan Pena. Rookie Eric Hosmer went 1-for-4 on Saturday to extend his hitting streak to 11 games. Melky Cabrera went 3-for-4 to up his hitting streak to six games, but he is only 4-for-14 in his career against Carmona.

ABOUT THE INDIANS (53-51): During Saturday's game, rumblings were heard that Colorado Rockies righthander Ubaldo Jimenez was coming to Cleveland. Although it took a bit of time to confirm, Jimenez was pulled from Saturday's start against the San Diego Padres after one inning and is headed to Ohio. Brantley's RBI single plated Lonnie Chisenhall in the eighth inning Saturday for Cleveland's first run since the first inning Wednesday, when the Indians were no-hit by Ervin Santana of the Los Angeles Angels. Fukudome is still without a hit as a member of the Indians. He is 0-for-7 in two games after being traded from the Chicago Cubs.

FINAL PITCH: Cleveland manager Manny Acta admitted that he expects Carlos Carrasco to be fined after the righthander threw at the head of Billy Butler on Friday. Acta, however, didn't feel an ejection was warranted for Carrasco. It's a safe bet that Butler and the Royals wholeheartedly disagree.