(Best E Casino) - The
Kansas City Royals try and avoid their 12th straight loss this evening when they start a three-game series with the
Cleveland Indians at Kauffman Stadium.
Kansas City's struggles continued on Thursday as it dropped a 5-1 decision to the Minnesota Twins. Alex Gordon doubled and had the club's sole RBI, while Luke Hochevar (3-5) allowed five runs on nine hits in 5 1/3 frames.
The Royals' losing streak began with Jon Lester's no-hitter for Boston versus the club and is the fourth-longest in team history. They haven't dropped 12 in a row since losing 13 straight in 2006.
Hoping to end the drought tonight will be right-hander Gil Meche, who is 3-7 with a 5.35 earned run average. Meche lost his second consecutive outing on Sunday in Toronto, despite a solid effort. Meche gave up two runs and five hits in six innings of that one after surrendering just two runs in his previous start to the Boston Red Sox.
Meche, who will tie San Francisco's Barry Zito for the league lead in losses with a setback tonight, defeated the Tribe the last time he faced them by tossing seven scoreless innings, but is just 3-7 lifetime against them with a 5.54 ERA.
Getting off the schneid tonight won't be easy for the Royals, who will oppose the best pitcher in the American League this season in left-hander Cliff Lee. He bounced back from his first loss of the year on Saturday against Texas, holding the Rangers to two runs and seven hits in 6 2/3 innings, running his record to 7-1 on the year to go along with a 1.50 ERA.
Another win tonight and Lee will move into a three-way tie with Boston's Daisuke Matsuzaka and Los Angeles' Joe Saunders atop the AL wins list. His ERA is second among starters in the major leagues, trailing only Cincinnati's Edinson Volquez (1.34).
Lee tossed a three-hit shutout the last time he faced KC and is 8-4 in his career against them with a 4.81 ERA in 15 starts.
Cleveland desperately needs a big start from Lee, as it enters tonight's opener with losses in 10 of its last 12 games following Wednesday's 6-5 setback to the Chicago White Sox in the rubber match of a three-game set at Progressive Field.
Cleveland has won three of five from the Royals this season, with all of its wins coming in KC.
