Tigers look to stop 4-game skid against Royals
Detroit Tigers (28-58, fifth in the AL Central) vs. Kansas City Royals (31-61, fourth in the AL Central)
Kansas City, Kansas; Saturday, 7:15 p.m. EDT
PITCHING PROBABLES: Tigers: Matthew Boyd (6-6, 3.87 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, 142 strikeouts) Royals: Brad Keller (4-9, 4.47 ERA, 1.43 WHIP, 77 strikeouts)
LINE: Tigers favored by 1 1/2 runs; over/under is 9 runs
BOTTOM LINE: Detroit enters the matchup as losers of their last four games.
The Royals are 15-25 against the rest of their division. Kansas City has hit 90 home runs as a team this season. Jorge Soler leads the team with 24, averaging one every 14.2 at-bats.
The Tigers are 13-23 against AL Central Division opponents. Detroit has hit 76 home runs this season, last in the American League. Nicholas Castellanos leads the club with eight, averaging one every 41.9 at-bats. The Royals won the last meeting 8-5. Jake Newberry earned his first victory and Soler went 2-for-4 with a double, a home run and two RBIs for Kansas City. Blaine Hardy took his first loss for Detroit.
TOP PERFORMERS: Soler leads the Royals with 24 home runs and is slugging .506. Martin Maldonado is 6-for-30 with a double, two home runs and two RBIs over the last 10 games for Kansas City.
Castellanos leads the Tigers with eight home runs and is batting .281. Jeimer Candelario is 12-for-38 with two doubles, four home runs and eight RBIs over the last 10 games for Detroit.
LAST 10 GAMES: Royals: 3-7, .251 batting average, 6.11 ERA, outscored by 23 runs
Tigers: 2-8, .260 batting average, 5.86 ERA, outscored by 13 runs
Royals Injuries: Trevor Oaks: 60-day IL (hip), Jesse Hahn: 60-day IL (elbow), Danny Duffy: day-to-day (hand), Salvador Perez: 60-day IL (elbow).
Tigers Injuries: Tyson Ross: 60-day IL (nerve), Matt Moore: 60-day IL (knee), Michael Fulmer: 60-day IL (elbow), Victor Alcantara: 10-day IL (tooth), JaCoby Jones: 10-day IL (back), Josh Harrison: 60-day IL (hamstring), Grayson Greiner: 10-day IL (back).
