Tigers look to end 3-game skid against Royals
Detroit Tigers (40-96, fifth in the AL Central) vs. Kansas City Royals (50-89, fourth in the AL Central)
Kansas City, Kansas; Wednesday, 8:15 p.m. EDT
PITCHING PROBABLES: Tigers: Edwin Jackson (3-8, 9.35 ERA) Royals: Jakob Junis (8-12, 4.93 ERA)
BOTTOM LINE: Detroit enters the game as losers of their last three games.
The Royals are 26-38 against the rest of their division. Kansas City’s lineup has 141 home runs this season, Jorge Soler leads them with 39 homers.
The Tigers are 19-42 against AL Central Division teams. Detroit’s team on-base percentage of .292 is last in the American League. Miguel Cabrera leads the lineup with an OBP of .344. The Royals won the last meeting 6-5. Ian Kennedy earned his second victory and Soler went 3-for-3 with a home run and three RBIs for Kansas City. Zac Reininger took his first loss for Detroit.
TOP PERFORMERS: Whit Merrifield leads the Royals with 176 hits and has 69 RBIs. Soler has 11 hits and is batting .275 over the last 10 games for Kansas City.
Cabrera leads the Tigers with 124 hits and is batting .285. Ronny Rodriguez is 8-for-39 with a double, three home runs and 10 RBIs over the last 10 games for Detroit.
LAST 10 GAMES: Royals: 5-5, .261 batting average, 7.10 ERA, outscored by 23 runs
Tigers: 1-9, .270 batting average, 6.29 ERA, outscored by 31 runs
Royals Injuries: Trevor Oaks: (hip), Jake Newberry: (shoulder), Salvador Perez: (elbow).
Tigers Injuries: Tyson Ross: (nerve), Matt Moore: (knee), Blaine Hardy: (elbow), Michael Fulmer: (elbow), JaCoby Jones: (wrist), Niko Goodrum: (groin), John Hicks: (illness).
