First-place Royals vs. first-place Yankees -- a first since 2009
The New York Yankees have to like their chances of avoiding a season-high fourth straight loss with Michael Pineda on the mound.
The unbeaten Pineda comes off a 16-strikeout effort and owns a lower ERA against the Kansas City Royals than any opponent he has started against multiple times heading into Friday night's three-game series opener at Kauffman Stadium.
New York (21-15) and Kansas City (22-13) are meeting as first-place clubs for the first time since April 2009. The Royals captured the season series for the first time since 1999 by taking four of seven meetings last year.
The Yankees opened this nine-game trip with Monday's 11-5 victory over Tampa Bay before losing the final three games of that series. They totaled five runs while striking out 29 times with one extra-base hit -- an Alex Rodriguez homer -- in this slide.
Manager Joe Girardi used his bullpen for 6 1/3 innings after starter Chase Whitley left in the second inning with a right elbow injury in Thursday's 6-1 defeat. Girardi will no doubt need some length out of Pineda (5-0, 2.72 ERA), who set a career high with his strikeout total Sunday as he gave up one run in seven innings of a 6-2 victory over Baltimore.
The strikeouts matched the second-highest total in Yankees history. The right-hander did not issue a walk, and has 54 strikeouts to three walks for an 18-to-1 ratio that trails only Bartolo Colon's 40-to-1 mark.
"All pitchers, they want to throw strikes, you know what I mean?" Pineda said. "And for me, this is the biggest thing, throw a strike, attack the hitter and that's what I'm doing, so I'm happy with that.
Pineda is 2-2 with a 1.65 ERA in four starts against Kansas City, with both victories coming on the road. Alex Gordon is 2 for 13 against him, Alcides Escobar is 1 for 9 and Eric Hosmer 1 for 6, though Salvador Perez is enjoying success at 4 for 9.
Escobar helped the Royals gain a four-game series split at Texas by going 3 for 5 with three RBIs in Thursday's 6-3 victory. He went 8 for 16 with four runs scored and four RBIs in the series.
"Having him at the top of the lineup the way he swings the bat, and just what he does in the field, he's a big part of this team," Hosmer said. "He sets the tone for us. ... He's really got things going right now."
Hosmer was 3 for 5 with his seventh homer to extend his hitting streak to 11 games. The first baseman is batting .370 during the run.
The Royals begin an eight-game homestand, having split 12 games following a 16-7 start.
"I think when we get firing on all cylinders, we'll be a dangerous team," Hosmer said.
Kansas City will give Chris Young (2-0, 0.78) his third start after the right-hander didn't allow an earned run over 11 innings in his first two. He yielded an unearned run in six innings in Sunday's 2-1, 10-inning win at Detroit.
Young went 1-1 with a 4.22 ERA in two starts versus New York last year with Seattle. Brian McCann has faced him the most among Yankees hitters, going 2 for 18, while namesake Chris Young is 0 for 16 with eight strikeouts against him.
