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Royals-Tigers Preview

Aug 14, 2009 - 12:19 AM By ALAN FERGUSON STATS Writer

Kansas City (44-69) at Detroit (59-54), 7:05 p.m. EDT

Thanks to some much-needed run support, Kansas City Royals ace Zack Greinke snapped a lengthy winless drought in his previous start.

The Royals have continued to hit well, and Greinke will try to take advantage while adding to his string of strong performances against the Detroit Tigers on Friday night.

Greinke (11-7, 2.43 ERA) was a front-runner for the AL Cy Young Award after starting 10-3 with a 1.95 ERA in his first 16 outings. But following a win over Pittsburgh on June 28, the right-hander went 0-4 with a 3.65 ERA in the next six starts while receiving an average of less than two runs of support.

Greinke, who got 4.6 runs per game in his first 16 outings, benefited from his team's nine runs over seven innings in Saturday night's 12-6 victory over visiting Oakland.

He allowed three runs for his first victory over an AL team since beating Detroit on May 26 and continues to lead the AL in ERA.

"I don't focus a whole lot on wins cause you can't really control them completely," Greinke said. "Winning today really wasn't me, it was everyone. When we got a couple of runs lead, it makes it a lot easier to pitch, so you can attack guys. You're just a little more free out there."

Greinke has five more wins against the Tigers than any other opponent he's faced, going 10-5 with a 2.80 ERA in 20 games.

In addition to his win May 26, Greinke also beat the Tigers on April 24 during his 6-0 start. He hasn't won consecutive starts against AL teams since then.

Greinke lost his only game at Comerica Park this season, 3-1 on July 8, and dropped to 5-3 with a 3.13 ERA in nine starts in Detroit.

The Royals (45-69) gave him one run over six innings in that loss, but enter Friday batting .313 and averaging 6.7 runs over their last seven games, winning four. Billy Butler and Yuniesky Betancourt each had two hits in a 5-4 win at Minnesota on Thursday.

Butler is batting .459 over the last nine games, while Betancourt has hit .359 in his last 10 after going 6 for 53 (.113) in his first 16 with the Royals following a July 10 trade with Seattle.

The Tigers (60-54) avoided a four-game sweep at Boston with a 2-0 victory Thursday as Ryan Raburn drove in both runs and Justin Verlander earned his 13th win.

Detroit boosted its lead over Chicago in the AL Central to 2 1/2 games but could use a better outing from Friday's starter, left-hander Jarrod Washburn (8-7, 3.12).

Washburn gave up five runs and a season-high 10 hits over six innings in Sunday's 8-7 comeback win over Minnesota after losing in his debut with the Tigers on Aug. 4 against Baltimore.

"A little better than start No. 1," said Washburn, who was acquired from Seattle at the trading deadline July 31. "It wasn't terrible. We won, and that's all that matters."

Washburn has not beaten the Royals since July 4, 2007, and is 0-2 in his last four outings against them despite a 2.25 ERA. He allowed two runs over seven innings May 7 in Kansas City but was on the wrong end of a 3-1 defeat with the Mariners.