Texas takes 5-game skid into matchup with Kansas City
Texas Rangers (17-22, fourth in the AL West) vs. Kansas City Royals (15-27, fifth in the AL Central)
Kansas City, Kansas; Wednesday, 8:15 p.m. EDT
PITCHING PROBABLES: Rangers: Mike Minor (3-3, 2.68 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, 53 strikeouts) Royals: Jorge Lopez (3-4, 6.07 ERA, 1.49 WHIP, 39 strikeouts)
BOTTOM LINE: Texas enters the game as losers of their last five games.
The Royals are 10-13 on their home turf. The Kansas City pitching staff has a team ERA of 5.01, Brad Keller paces the staff with a mark of 4.47.
The Rangers are 5-15 on the road. Texas has slugged .445, good for fourth in the American League. Joey Gallo leads the team with a .628 slugging percentage, including 20 extra-base hits and 12 home runs. The Royals won the last meeting 11-5. Danny Duffy earned his second victory and Hunter Dozier went 2-for-5 with a double and three RBIs for Kansas City. Shelby Miller took his third loss for Texas.
TOP PERFORMERS: Jorge Soler leads the Royals with 10 home runs and has 27 RBIs. Whit Merrifield is 12-for-41 with three doubles, a triple, two home runs and seven RBIs over the last 10 games for Kansas City.
Gallo leads the Rangers with 12 home runs home runs and is slugging .628. Hunter Pence is 8-for-27 with three doubles, four home runs and 12 RBIs over the last 10 games for Texas.
LAST 10 GAMES: Royals: 4-6, .259 batting average, 4.72 ERA, outscored opponents by five runs
Rangers: 3-7, .210 batting average, 5.59 ERA, outscored by 16 runs
Royals Injuries: Trevor Oaks: 60-day IL (hip), Jesse Hahn: 60-day IL (elbow), Brian Flynn: 10-day IL (elbow), Lucas Duda: 10-day IL (lumbar strain), Salvador Perez: 60-day IL (elbow).
Rangers Injuries: Edinson Volquez: 60-day IL (elbow), Yohander Mendez: 60-day IL (elbow), Shawn Kelley: 10-day IL (infection), Taylor Hearn: 10-day IL (elbow), Luke Farrell: 60-day IL (jaw), Scott Heineman: 60-day IL (shoulder), Elvis Andrus: day-to-day (hamstring).
