Kansas City @ Toronto preview

Last Meeting ( Jun 9, 2011 ) Toronto 2, Kansas City 3

THE STORY: With two New York Yankees breathing down his neck in the home run race, slugger Jose Bautista and the Blue Jays open a three-game home series Tuesday against the eminently hittable Royals. Kansas City has a 4.51 team ERA, second-worst in the AL. Bautista, who missed Saturday’s game with tightness in his neck, returned Sunday and hit his 36th homer to account for all the scoring in Toronto’s 1-0 win in Oakland. Bautista leads Curtis Granderson (35) and Mark Teixeira (34) in the home run race. Bautista also has drawn 103 walks in 114 games, becoming the first player since Barry Bonds in 2007 to surpass 100 walks in fewer than 115 games.

TV: 7:07 p.m. ET, SNET, FSKC

PITCHING MATCHUP: Blue Jays RH Brandon Morrow (9-7, 4.41 ERA) vs. Royals LH Bruce Chen (8-5, 4.17 ERA).

Morrow fanned a season-high 12 in his last outing as he held the Seattle Mariners to one run and three hits over six innings. Batters are hitting .230 against Morrow, but he’s struggled at home. He’s 5-1 with a 2.83 ERA on the road, 4-6 with a 5.87 ERA at home.

Chen has won three straight starts, allowing six earned runs over 17 innings against the Yankees, White Sox and Tigers. In 12 career appearances against the Jays, Chen is 3-2 with a 2.78 ERA.

ABOUT THE BLUE JAYS (65-62): X-rays on Adam Lind’s injured right wrist came back negative and the 28-year-old first baseman could return for Tuesday’s game. Lind (.263, 22 HR, 72 RBIs) was hit on the wrist by a pitch Saturday and was held out of Sunday’s lineup. Shortstop Yunel Escobar should be back in the lineup after getting a day off Sunday. He’s hitting .069 (2-for-29) with 10 strikeouts over his last seven games.

ABOUT THE ROYALS (52-76): Kansas City made a concerted effort to improve defensively after making 121 errors last year, eight more than any other team. Now the Royals have 73 errors, fifth-fewest in the AL. Their .985 fielding percentage is also fifth best in the league. Rookie third baseman Mike Moustakas is hitting .500 (8-for-16) over his last five games, raising his average from a season-low .182 to .206.

FINAL PITCH: The teams split a four-game series in Kansas City in early June. The Royals are 19-39 on the road as they start a 10-game trip.