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Royals-Blue Jays Preview

Jun 5, 2009 - 2:07 AM By ALAN FERGUSON STATS Writer

Kansas City (23-29) at Toronto (30-25), 7:07 p.m. EDT

Zack Greinke couldn't end the Kansas City Royals' slide in his previous turn through the rotation. With their losing streak at a season-high seven games, the Royals will again look to the major league's ERA leader to be their stopper.

Greinke, however, hasn't fared well in Toronto and neither has Kansas City.

Trying to avoid an eighth straight loss, the Royals also look to snap a six-game skid at Rogers Centre, where it opens a three-game series Friday night against the Blue Jays.

The Royals (23-30) couldn't hold on to a one-run lead in Thursday's 3-2 loss in Tampa Bay as Jamey Wright gave up a two-run homer in the eighth inning. Kansas City, which has batted .201 during its slide, scored two runs or fewer for the third straight game.

"I thought for sure we had that one," said Billy Butler, who hit a two-run double in the third. "We just have to put it behind us."

The Royals, who are 5-19 since May 8, haven't dropped eight in a row since a 12-game slide from May 19-30, 2008.

Greinke (8-1, 1.10 ERA), who is looking to join the Blue Jays' Roy Halladay as the majors' only nine-game winners, recorded the fifth of six straight wins April 29 at home against Toronto despite giving up his first earned runs of the season.

While Greinke is 1-0 with a 1.93 ERA in two home starts versus the Blue Jays, he is 1-3 with a 6.65 ERA in four career starts at Rogers Centre, where the Royals have dropped 15 of their last 18 since May 2004.

Greinke also comes off his worst start this season, giving up four runs and eight hits in seven innings Sunday before leaving without a decision in Kansas City's 7-4 loss to the Chicago White Sox.

"I just really wasn't finishing guys off when it had to be done," he told the team's official Web site.

Greinke has a 2.45 ERA in his past three starts after recording a 0.60 ERA through his first eight. However, he has not allowed a home run in 110 consecutive innings dating back to 2008, the longest since Kevin Brown went 118 from Aug. 24, 1996, to May 20, 1997.

Following an 0-9 road trip, the Blue Jays (30-26) have split the first six games of a nine-game homestand. Toronto rallied from a four-run deficit Thursday to tie the Los Angeles Angels, only to lose 6-5 when the Angels' Howie Kendrick sprinted home on a routine double play in the ninth.

"We had a lot of chances to win," manager Cito Gaston told the Blue Jays' official Web site. "We did a lot of things right. We did a lot of things wrong. We certainly had our chances to win."

Adam Lind extended his hit streak to six games with a career-high five hits, but Alex Rios ended his seven-game streak by tying a career high with five strikeouts. Aaron Hill is hitless in his last 20 at-bats for Toronto, which has dropped 12 of its last 15.

Friday's scheduled starter Ricky Romero (2-2, 4.15) has allowed five runs in consecutive defeats since returning from a strained right oblique May 26. The rookie left-hander, who will make his first start against the Royals, lasted a season-low four innings in Sunday's 8-2 loss to visiting Boston.

He has given up five homers in 9 1-3 innings in those losses after yielding just one in 21 innings of his first three starts.