Detroit @ Kansas City preview

Last Meeting ( Jul 10, 2011 ) Detroit 2, Kansas City 1

THE STORY: The Detroit Tigers are emerging as the class of the American League Central. After battling it out with the Cleveland Indians in the first half of 2011, the Tigers look poised to run away with the division. Now that the rotation is settled, Detroit only needs to make sure it keeps everyone healthy and avoids any age-related decline over the final two months from veterans like Victor Martinez, Magglio Ordonez and Carlos Guillen. The Kansas City Royals aren’t worried about age-related decline so much as the inconsistencies of youth, as they attempt to set themselves up for 2012 and beyond. The Tigers will be looking to take advantage of the rebuilding Royals when the teams open a three-game series at Kauffman Stadium on Friday.

TV: 8:10 p.m. ET, FSD (Detroit), FSKC (Kansas City)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Royals RH Felipe Paulino (1-4, 3.51 ERA) vs. Tigers RH Rick Porcello (11-6, 4.50 ERA).

Paulino turned in one of his best efforts of the season at Cleveland on Saturday, surrendering four hits in six scoreless innings. He did not factor in the decision as the Royals went on to suffer a 5-2 loss. The Dominican righthander’s lone win came on the road at Chicago and he has gone 0-2 despite a 3.55 ERA at Kauffman Stadium this season. Paulino has never faced Detroit.

After struggling through the fist few months of the season, Porcello found his groove in July, going 5-0 with a 3.06 ERA. The 22-year old righthander had his sinker working last month, allowing just one home run in 32 1/3 total innings. Porcello yielded one earned run in a win at Kansas City on July 8 and has had success against the Royals in his career, posting a 4-2 record with a 4.70 ERA in nine starts.

ABOUT THE ROYALS (48-63): Kansas City’s youngsters are going through some growing pains but the veterans have stepped up lately. Alex Gordon - once a highly-touted prospect himself - went 4-for-5 and Melky Cabrera, Jeff Francoeur, Billy Butler and Chris Getz each had a multi-hit game in Thursday’s 9-4 drubbing of the Baltimore Orioles. By taking two of three from the Orioles, the Royals pushed themselves 3 1/2 games ahead in the race to avoid the worst record in the AL. Gordon is enjoying a career resurgence at the ripe old age of 27 and has been tearing the cover off the ball, batting .474 (18-for-38) over his last nine games.

ABOUT THE TIGERS (59-52): In any other division in baseball, Detroit’s record of seven games above .500 would have them buried at least a couple of games behind the first-place team. But in the AL Central, the Tigers maintain a comfortable lead over the Cleveland Indians. Detroit is coming off a series win over fellow playoff hopefuls the Texas Rangers, though it missed out on the three-game sweep Thursday when Brad Penny got knocked around in a 5-2 final. The clear weak link in an otherwise solid five-man rotation, Penny has lost three straight starts while posting a 7.94 ERA. Miguel Cabrera has been surging at the plate lately, going 2-for-4 on Thursday for his fifth multi-hit game in the last seven contests.

FINAL PITCH: Highly-touted Royals rookie Mike Moustakas has taken the last two days off to work on his swing with hitting coach Kevin Seitzer. Down to a .194 batting average with one home run in 41 games, Moustakas is working on fixing mechanical flaws such as a tendency to turn his front shoulder too early. New acquisition Yamaico Navarro has started in his place at third base.