For all of the well documented success the Kansas City Royals had a season ago, they struggled with Corey Kluber as much as or more than anyone.
The reigning AL Cy Young winner will try to kick his 2015 campaign into similar gear and jump-start a struggling rotation Monday night when the Cleveland Indians welcome the Royals for a three-game series.
Kluber (0-2, 3.90 ERA) went 2-1 with a 1.15 ERA in four 2014 starts against the Royals and went at least 8 1/3 innings in three.
This season, Kluber was strong for his first three starts before allowing six runs and 13 hits in six-plus innings of Wednesday's 6-0 road loss to the Chicago White Sox. The Indians have lost in all four of his starts while providing him with a 1.63 run-support average.
"It's a hard way to pitch when we're throwing up zeroes as an offense," manager Terry Francona told MLB's official website. "I think he probably feels like he has to be perfect, and that's a hard way to pitch."
Kansas City's main struggles against the right-hander have come from Salvador Perez (2 for 16), Lorenzo Cain (2 for 15) and Alcides Escobar (5 for 25 with 10 strikeouts). Eric Hosmer and Alex Gordon are both 4 for 25 with a combined 16 strikeouts but have each homered twice against Kluber. Mike Moustakas is 8 for 21 with a home run and four doubles.
Run support hasn't been a problem for Jason Vargas, but the Kansas City left-hander hasn't been able to quiet opposing lineups. Vargas (1-1, 6.75) allowed five runs and eight hits in 5 2/3 innings of Tuesday's 6-5 home win over Minnesota and didn't earn the decision. He's received an average of 5.52 runs of support while allowing a .348 opponent batting average in three starts.
Vargas was lucky enough to catch Kluber in the one meeting last year in which the Royals managed more than a run, but he was 1-1 with a 4.94 ERA in four starts against the Indians.
The Royals (12-6) are in danger of dropping three straight for the first time since the end of August after losing two of three to the White Sox. Sunday's 5-3 defeat came after taking a 3-0 lead into the sixth inning. It followed the completion of Friday's suspended game, in which the Royals fell 3-2.
Kansas City was hitting a major league-best .310 through 14 games but has fallen off with a .243 mark with eight runs in its last four. That lineup could at some point be without Cain, one of four Royals suspended after Thursday's brawl with Chicago, but the outfielder is appealing.
"You have to pay the consequences. We'll see what happens," Cain said. "I appealed it, but we'll see what happens."
The Indians (6-11) haven't won a series since opening the season by taking two of three in Houston. They've gone 4-10 since with a 5.43 ERA from the starting rotation after Sunday's 8-6 loss in Detroit. At home, they're 1-4 with an 8.66 mark from their starters.
The series loss to the Tigers came despite scoring 20 runs in three games, but the positive is some of the key parts of the lineup are coming around. Michael Brantley was 8 for 13 and hit .405 against Kansas City a season ago. Carlos Santana was 4 for 9 with four walks and is batting .361 with seven home runs and 16 RBIs in his last 16 games against the Royals.
The Indians have won 12 of the last 18 meetings in Cleveland.
