Detroit @ Kansas City preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 20, 2011 ) Detroit 2, Kansas City 10

THE STORY: Red-hot Kansas City looks to maintain its late-season surge when it hosts Detroit on Wednesday night in the second half of a two-game series. The Royals, who have won eight of their last nine games, cruised to a 10-2 victory in the series opener. Eric Hosmer went 5-for-5 and hit a three-run homer to key a six-run fourth inning. The Tigers have already clinched the American League Central title.

TV: 8:10 p.m. ET, Fox Sports (Detroit), Fox Sports (Kansas City)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Tigers RH Max Scherzer (14-9, 4.39 ERA) vs. Royals RH Felipe Paulino (3-6, 4.12 ERA)

Scherzer has been maddeningly inconsistent all season long. After he yielded just two runs over 14 innings during Detroit's recent 12-game winning streak, he wound up taking the streak-snapping loss at Oakland on Sept. 15 (5 IP, 7 H, 5 ER). Scherzer was battered in his last start against the Royals, allowing seven runs on 10 hits — including three home runs — in just three innings during an Aug. 29 defeat.

Paulino has turned in back-to-back quality starts for Kansas City, allowing five runs on 13 hits over his last 13 innings. He produced a similar effort in his last start against Detroit, departing without a decision after giving up three runs and striking out seven in 6 2/3 innings of work. Paulino won in his only other appearance against the Tigers, an impressive seven-inning effort (3 H, 1 ER, 9 K) while pitching for Houston in 2009.

ABOUT THE TIGERS (89-65): Detroit came into Tuesday's game having won 24 of 30 to blow away the AL Central field, but it ran into a familiar problem in the blowout defeat — shaky pitching from starters not named Justin Verlander. The Tigers are just 64-57 in games started by pitchers other than Verlander, a mark that has improved significantly over the past month. One of the reasons for the upswing is newly acquired RHP Doug Fister, who is 6-1 with a 2.12 ERA in nine starts with Detroit.

ABOUT THE ROYALS (68-87): Kansas City has scored 46 runs over its last six games, but improved pitching has been just as important during the team's current run. The Royals, who rank near the bottom of the big leagues in most pitching categories, have allowed just 19 runs in the team's last eight wins. LHP Everett Teaford and RHP Luis Mendoza have positioned themselves as potential 2012 starters with strong efforts in recent days.

FINAL PITCH: Kansas City DH Billy Butler was scratched from Tuesday's lineup due to flu-like symptoms.