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Reds-Royals Preview

Jun 14, 2009 - 4:15 AM By DAN PIERINGER STATS Writer

Cincinnati (31-29) at Kansas City (26-34), 2:10 p.m. EDT

The Kansas City Royals have already guaranteed their first series win in more than a month. To get their first three-game sweep of the season, however, they'll need to solve one of the NL's best pitchers.

The Royals look to build on their first back-to-back wins in more than three weeks and finish the interleague sweep against Johnny Cueto and the Cincinnati Reds on Sunday at Kauffman Stadium.

Kansas City (27-34) swept consecutive two-game sets against the Chicago White Sox and Seattle from May 4-7 to improve to a then-AL Central best 18-11. However, the Royals dropped 23 of their next 30 games, losing nine series and splitting another in that stretch.

Back-to-back wins have clinched this series for Kansas City, which is in position to sweep a three-game set for the first time since September.

Willie Bloomquist had three hits and three RBIs as Kansas City went 7 for 12 with runners in scoring position in a 7-4 win on Saturday night.

"Just getting guys on base and getting hits is one thing, but getting them in is something we haven't been doing a lot of lately," the shortstop said. "But hopefully we're putting that behind us and turning the page on it. Our offense is starting to come alive."

It'll likely be put to the test against Cueto (6-3, 2.33 ERA), who ranks in the NL's top three in ERA and opponents' batting average (.210).

Cueto has lasted at least seven innings in nine of his last 10 games with eight quality starts in that stretch. The right-hander held Washington to one run and four hits over seven innings of a 3-2 victory Tuesday, the second consecutive game in which he has allowed only one run.

"He's got dominant stuff," catcher Ryan Hanigan said of Cueto, who's 5-1 with a 1.72 ERA in seven road starts. "Sometimes you get frozen up when a guy hits the corner at 94 (mph) or paints a slider, and he was doing that tonight."

Cueto, who has never faced the Royals, is 1-1 with a 2.22 ERA in four career interleague starts.

The Reds (31-30) might need Cueto's success against the AL to continue based on the way their lineup has produced lately. Cincinnati has been limited to seven runs and 14 hits during a three-game losing streak. It's 3 for 19 (.158) with six strikeouts with runners in scoring position during that skid.

"We didn't just struggle with the bats, we struggled with pitching and we struggled on defense," manager Dusty Baker said Saturday. "We just struggled period. When you are playing these American League teams and you don't score and you give them extra outs, you are going to lose.

"That's what happened. You saw it and it ain't easy to watch."

The Reds will try to snap out of their slump against Brian Bannister (4-3, 4.69).

The right-hander posted a 2.79 ERA as Kansas City won six of his first seven starts. But the team's lost his last three outings in which he's posted a 10.54 ERA.

Bannister rebounded from his two worst outings of the year to hold Cleveland to one earned run in five innings Tuesday, but the Indians also scored three unearned runs against him and went on to win 8-4.

Bannister, 3-1 with a 4.01 ERA over his last four interleague starts, has never faced Cincinnati.