The Kansas City Royals will try to reach a season-high sixth consecutive win when they open a three-game series with the visiting Detroit Tigers on Friday night.
In a 12-hit attack on Thursday, Kansas City earned a 6-2 victory that capped its first four-game sweep of the A’s since 1994.
The Royals’ Bobby Witt Jr. had six hits and reached base 12 times in the series. He also scored eight runs and homered twice.
“We are playing good baseball,” Witt said. “We’re playing the right way, playing hard and preparing the way we do and to go out there and compete.”
Salvador Perez and Michael Massey also recorded three hits apiece on Thursday. Even though the Royals are 19 games under .500 and in last place in the American League Central, Kansas City manager Matt Quatraro lauded his club’s effort.
“Our guys don’t quit,” he said. “Obviously, the guys aren’t happy with where they are when it comes to the whole picture. But at this moment, they’re making today the priority and playing good baseball all the way around.”
In the upcoming series, Kansas City likely will be without Maikel Garcia, who strained his left hamstring “pretty good” in the first inning Thursday, according to Quatraro, and Garcia is expected to return to the injured list.
He was activated Monday from the injured list after a muscle strain to the left hand forced him to miss 46 games. He also missed six games after straining his right hamstring on June 30 against the Texas Rangers.
Detroit also won’t have its full complement of players. Nanager A.J. Hinch said he doesn’t expect left fielder Riley Greene (right hamstring tightness) to return from the 10-day IL against the Royals. Greene has been out since Aug. 12 and might need a rehab assignment before rejoining the big league club.
“The further you’re away from major league pitching, the more you’re going to have to consider a game or two,” Hinch said.
The Tigers had an off day Thursday after dropping two of three games at the Pittsburgh Pirates. The most recent was a 4-3 setback on Wednesday. Detroit has lost five of its past six games and has fallen into fourth place in the American League Central, five games behind the first-place Chicago White Sox, but is only 1 1/2 games out of the AL’s final wild-card spot.
Detroit closer Kenley Jansen served up the game-tying and game-winning solo homers in the ninth against Pittsburgh.
Jansen, 38, is in his 17th season and has 16 saves but also five blown saves.
Left-hander Noah Cameron (7-8, 4.16 ERA) is scheduled to start for the Royals on Friday. Cameron tossed a one-hit shutout in a 3-0 road win against the Los Angeles Angels on Sunday. He walked one and struck out eight in the complete game.
Cameron has two career appearances, including one start, against the Tigers. Both have come this season, and he’s 0-0 with a 2.45 ERA. On July 24 at Detroit, Cameron allowed two hits in seven shutout innings of relief with three walks and eight strikeouts in a 2-1 loss.
Detroit will counter with right-hander Troy Melton (7-1, 1.71 ERA).
Melton earned a no-decision in his most recent outing, allowing three runs (one earned) on eight hits with one walk and four strikeouts over 4 1/3 in a 4-3 home loss against the Chicago White Sox on Saturday.
In three career appearances (one start) against the Royals, Melton is 0-0 with a 3.38 ERA.
–Field Level Media
