Kansas City takes 3-game slide into matchup with Cleveland
Cleveland Indians (47-38, second in the AL Central) vs. Kansas City Royals (29-58, fifth in the AL Central)
Kansas City, Kansas; Thursday, 1:15 p.m. EDT
PITCHING PROBABLES: Indians: Zach Plesac (3-3, 3.61 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, 32 strikeouts) Royals: Homer Bailey (7-6, 4.87 ERA, 1.40 WHIP, 78 strikeouts)
LINE: Indians favored by 1 1/2 runs; over/under is 9 1/2 runs
BOTTOM LINE: Kansas City enters the matchup as losers of their last three games.
The Royals are 14-24 against AL Central opponents. The Kansas City pitching staff averages 7.8 strikeouts per nine innings, Jakob Junis leads them with a mark of 8.3.
The Indians are 20-15 against AL Central Division teams.
TOP PERFORMERS: Jorge Soler leads the Royals with 57 RBIs and is batting .235. Martin Maldonado is 9-for-31 with five doubles, two home runs and two RBIs over the last 10 games for Kansas City.
Carlos Santana leads the Indians with 35 extra base hits and is slugging .543. Francisco Lindor has 12 hits and is batting .279 over the last 10 games for Cleveland.
LAST 10 GAMES: Royals: 3-7, .259 batting average, 5.84 ERA, outscored by 16 runs
Indians: 7-3, .265 batting average, 4.65 ERA, outscored by eight runs
Royals Injuries: Trevor Oaks: 60-day IL (hip), Jesse Hahn: 60-day IL (elbow), Salvador Perez: 60-day IL (elbow).
Indians Injuries: Danny Salazar: 60-day IL (shoulder), Jefry Rodriguez: 10-day IL (shoulder), Dan Otero: 10-day IL (shoulder), Corey Kluber: 60-day IL (arm), Carlos Carrasco: 10-day IL (undisclosed), Bradley Zimmer: 60-day IL (shoulder), Jake Bauers: day-to-day (left foot).
