Listen Live: Baltimore Orioles at Kansas City Royals [Live Audio] MLB
Where: Kauffman Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
Manny Machado continues adding to a remarkable first month of the season and his first-place Baltimore Orioles are riding the wave. Machado has at least one RBI in six consecutive contests and can extend his career-best hitting streak to 17 when the Orioles visit the Kansas City Royals on Sunday for the rubber match of their three-game set.
Machado had two hits, including a double, in Saturday's 8-3 victory to raise his batting average to .397 and boasts six homers to go along with 11 RBIs overall. Mark Trumbo and Chris Davis combined to post six RBIs in the second game of the series for Baltimore, which sends Mike Wright to the mound against hard-throwing Yordano Ventura in the finale. The Royals gave up seven runs in the first four innings of Saturday's loss – only their third defeat in 10 home games. Kansas City first baseman Eric Hosmer owns a 13-game hitting streak after going 1-for-4 Saturday and has reached base safely in 25 contests in a row, dating back to last season.
PITCHING MATCHUP: Orioles RH Mike Wright (1-1, 5.73 ERA) vs. Royals RH Yordano Ventura (1-0, 2.81)
Wright gave his team a chance to win in both his starts, but lost to Toronto last time out while allowing three runs and six hits over six innings. The 26-year-old East Carolina product went 3-5 in 12 appearances (nine starts) with a 6.04 ERA last year in his rookie season. Lorenzo Cain went deep twice on Wright, who permitted four runs and four hits over five innings in a no-decision against the Royals in 2015.
Ventura has been able to escape jams most of the season, yielding five total runs despite giving up 12 walks and 12 hits in 16 innings of work. The 24-year-old Domincan Republic native has struck out 17, but has been allowing too many fly balls (13 versus Detroit last time out). J.J. Hardy is 4-for-8 and Machado 3-for-7 versus Ventura, who is 3-1 with a 2.08 ERA in four career starts against the Orioles.
WALK-OFFS
1. Kansas City C Salvador Perez homered Saturday and has three blasts to go along with eight RBIs in the last five games.
2. Baltimore manager Buck Showalter owns 1,351 career victories and needs one to tie Chuck Tanner for 30th in major league history.
3. Royals RHP Wade Davis has allowed one hit in eight outings this season with seven saves, a win and eight strikeouts.
PREDICTION: Royals 4, Orioles 3
